Say no. Niche down. Deliver results.
In this SEO Party episode, hosts Timmy Walczak and Naveed Chinoy sit down with Paul Williamson (Pronto Marketing)—with co-guest Alex Alexakis—to break down how digital PR earns AI search citations (GEO), why process beats chaos, and how to show proof that moves the needle.
PR that ranks in AI: Earning citations/mentions in AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT, and why that matters for discovery.
From random to repeatable: Turning one thought-leadership piece into multi-channel assets (shorts, posts, pitches) without burning out.
Agency ops that protect margin: Saying no, niching down, setting expectations, and reporting like a pro.
Client comms: Delivering bad news with solutions, keeping trust intact.
Real examples: Industrial/B2B PR wins, hospitality realities, and measuring impact beyond vanity metrics.Paul Williamson: Pronto Marketing (PR, digital, SEO, copy). Focus on AI citations and data-driven campaigns.
Alex Alexakis: Agency owner (design/UX/web), sharing process, repurposing, and measurement playbooks.
Timmy Walczak
Naveed Chinoy
Who it’s for:
PR & SEO leaders, agency owners, and B2B marketers who want earned media to translate into measurable growth in an AI-shaped search world.
Chapters:
00:00 : Welcome & intros (hosts + guest)
01:12 : Paul’s path: microbrewery → PR/marketing → founding Pronto
03:03 : Alex’s route from design to marketing
04:38 : PR in an AI-shaped search world: positioning, thought-leadership, and a water-filtration case
08:46 : Measuring impact: long sales cycles, “In the Press” page, AI citations
12:34 : Repurposing content: one piece → many formats (TikTok, Shorts, posts)
14:58 : Quality over quantity; social-first search behavior & Amazon influencers
17:01 : Algorithmic shopping: Amazon recommendations & the “add-to-basket” nudge
19:32 : The same-day delivery baseline & retail habits
22:31 : Early agency challenges: saying “yes” to everything, capacity, new baby
29:23 : Processes, controlled growth, and building trust (PA hire, team ops)
34:05 : Red flags & walking away from a misfit client (time–energy imbalance)
36:34 : Keeping standards as you scale; long sales cycles; subjectivity in design
42:16 : Hospitality SEO realities; off-site levers; “sell the sizzle, not the sausage”
44:12 : Owning a USP; the contract-free, deliverable-first model
54:16 : Why PR matters for AI discovery; warming buyers before they click
55:41 : Delivering bad news: honesty + options + accountability
1:00:06 : Plot twist: Paul’s Fear Factor (live show) story
1:04:17 : Favorite wins: 588-page tourism site ahead of schedule (+ baby)
1:05:55 : Favorite wins: Mystery Fun House site & animation constraints
1:08:31 : How to reach Paul & outro