PERFORMANCE
Performance — Result-as-a-Service with Citation Bonuses
Pay base rate for the team. The rest only when we deliver verified citations. Bonus cap EUR 7,500/month — maximum EUR 11,450 at peak.
Result-as-a-Service is a hybrid pricing model where a fixed retainer covers team costs and verified AI citations trigger per-instance bonuses, designed for Swiss companies that prefer paying for outcomes rather than hours.
Best fit: Swiss fintech, SaaS and premium e-commerce with clear lead value per qualified lead. · Marketing leads who must justify performance contracts internally. · Brands wanting a predictable floor with upside potential.
Quick facts
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Fixed retainer | EUR 3,950 / month |
| Bonus range | EUR 100–500 per verified citation |
| Bonus cap | EUR 7,500 / month |
| Maximum total | EUR 11,450 / month (cap reached) |
| Minimum term | 6 months |
| AI platforms | 5 |
| Queries tracked | 60 |
How does the bonus structure work concretely?
Five citation types with defined verification requirements and fixed EUR amounts — Featured EUR 500, ChatGPT EUR 250, Perplexity EUR 180, Google AI Overview EUR 150, Claude/Gemini/Copilot EUR 100.
Per verified citation the corresponding amount is added to the monthly invoice. Verification runs through three sources: our internal tracking (daily), third-party tools (SE Ranking, Profound), and manual reproduction by the strategist.
Cap logic — once EUR 7,500 of bonus is accrued in a month, additional citations don't accrue further. We communicate transparently when the cap is hit and which citations carry into the next month if still active.
Reset logic — bonus accumulation resets every calendar month. Citations triggered in month 1 that remain active in month 2 don't trigger again — we measure first-trigger, not persistence.
What counts as a verified citation?
A direct quote or source link in an AI answer for an agreed target query, with screenshot, URL and date stamp as proof.
Per-platform definitions.
Google AI Overview — your brand appears as a cited source (linked or as Source-Card) for a target query on three consecutive days. Bonus EUR 150.
ChatGPT (gpt-4o, gpt-4.5, gpt-5) — direct quote from your content + hyperlink in the AI answer. Bonus EUR 250 (highest because ChatGPT citations move buyer behaviour most).
Perplexity — source block at the end of the answer linking your URL. Bonus EUR 180.
Claude / Gemini / Copilot — direct quote in the answer. Bonus EUR 100 per platform.
Featured citation — quote in a Wikipedia article, Swiss tier-1 outlet or industry report that AI models actively cite. Bonus EUR 500. Top tier because a single featured citation often triggers dozens of follow-on citations across AI platforms.
When does Performance pricing not work?
Brands without clear target queries, without existing reach, or with low lead value — for those Growth or Starter is the right entry.
Three preconditions.
Definable target queries — we need 60 clearly-bounded queries that appear regularly across AI platforms. Brands without a clear category or with too-niche queries (volume under 5/month) don't fit.
Existing reach — if you have no site, no schema, no named experts, you need foundation work first (Growth or Combo with Website-by-1-Day). Performance starts from the point where citations are reachable.
ROI math — under EUR 1,000 lead value the performance lever often makes no sense. The bonuses exceed the marketing value. Sweet spot: lead value EUR 2,000+ with strong qualified-pipeline conversion.
Performance is the model for Swiss marketing leads who must defend result-paid contracts to a CFO — fixed retainer as floor, bonus per verified citation as upside.
Bonus structure
| Citation type | Verification | Bonus EUR |
|---|---|---|
| Google AI Overview | Screenshot + URL + 3 days | 150 |
| ChatGPT (gpt-4o+) | Direct quote + link | 250 |
| Perplexity | Source block with URL | 180 |
| Claude / Gemini / Copilot | Direct quote | 100 |
| Featured citation | Wikipedia / tier-1 CH outlet | 500 |
Sample math
Conservative month — 8 Google AI Overview + 3 ChatGPT + 2 Perplexity + 4 Claude/Gemini = EUR 1,200 + 750 + 360 + 400 = EUR 2,710 bonus, total EUR 6,660.
Peak month — 15 Google AI Overview + 8 ChatGPT + 5 Perplexity + 6 Claude/Gemini + 1 Featured = EUR 2,250 + 2,000 + 900 + 600 + 500 = EUR 6,250 bonus, total EUR 10,200 (under cap).
Contract details
Minimum 6 months. Bonus cap EUR 7,500/month. Fixed retainer due by the 5th of the current month, bonus invoiced by the 5th of the following month (verification cycle needs 7–10 days after month-end).
Frequently asked questions
What if you trigger no bonus in month 1?
You pay only the fixed retainer of EUR 3,950. Month 1 typically has no citations — they ramp from month 2.
Can bonus accrue across months?
No. Cap and reset run per calendar month. Over-cap citations are not held back.
What if AI platforms make tracking harder?
We refine verification methodology with the client. If a platform becomes unverifiable, it leaves the bonus schema (transparent contract).
Is Performance better than Growth at similar volume?
Only with high lead values. With low lead values you pay more under Performance than under Growth.
Ready for a discovery call?
30 minutes, no commitment. We pull your real AI-search visibility live, name two quick wins, and you decide whether the right package is here.