Founder & President, Prospect Genius
Overview
Alex Pelli is a digital marketing strategist and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in search marketing, lead generation, and online growth strategy. He is the Founder and President of Prospect Genius, a U.S.-based digital marketing agency established in 2008 that has helped thousands of small businesses across the United States and Canada generate qualified leads and grow sustainably.
Alex is best known for bringing enterprise-level search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search (SEM) strategies, once primarily used by Fortune 500 companies, to small and mid-sized local businesses.
Early Career in Digital Search (2003 to 2008)
Alex began working in the digital marketing industry in 2003, during the early evolution of online directories and search advertising. At Innovectra, a software and services company serving large telephone directory publishers, he worked closely with telecom partners as they transitioned from print yellow pages to digital directory platforms.
During this period, he gained direct experience in:
- Digital directory publishing
- Early search engine marketing (SEM)
- Online lead tracking and performance measurement
- Scaling digital advertising systems for large organizations
This foundation gave him a front-row seat to how large corporations structured and optimized digital advertising campaigns at scale.
Founding Prospect Genius (2008 to Present)
In 2008, Alex founded Prospect Genius with a clear mission: make high-level digital marketing accessible to small businesses.
At the time, many small business owners were being sold generic, templated marketing packages that failed to produce measurable results. Alex built Prospect Genius around a different philosophy:
- Custom marketing strategies tailored to each business
- Transparent reporting and measurable performance metrics
- Long-term SEO strategy rather than short-term gimmicks
- Ethical, sustainable digital growth practices
Under his leadership, Prospect Genius has:
- Served thousands of small businesses
- Generated millions of qualified leads
- Built specialized systems for local SEO, paid search, review management, and reputation optimization
- Operated continuously for more than 15 years in a rapidly changing digital landscape
The agency focuses primarily on service-based businesses, helping them compete in highly localized and competitive search markets.
Areas of Expertise
Alex Pelli’s professional expertise includes:
- Local SEO strategy
- Search engine marketing (SEM / Google Ads)
- Lead generation systems
- Online reputation management
- Digital performance tracking & analytics
- Small business marketing strategy
- AI-influenced search visibility (AEO & GEO optimization)
He has extensive experience adapting to major algorithm changes, platform shifts, and emerging AI-driven search experiences.
Philosophy: Marketing Built for Real Business Owners
As an entrepreneur, Alex understands firsthand the pressures small business owners face (managing payroll, delivering services, handling customers, and trying to grow) often without the budget or internal team of larger competitors.
That perspective shapes Prospect Genius’ approach:
- No cookie-cutter solutions
- No inflated promises
- Focus on real calls, real leads, and real revenue
- Marketing that fits the operational reality of small businesses
His passion lies in helping businesses that are often overlooked by large agencies, the local contractors, repair companies, and service professionals who keep their communities running.
Continuing Leadership
Today, Alex continues to lead Prospect Genius with a focus on:
- Ethical digital marketing practices
- Data-driven strategy
- AI-ready content and visibility optimization
- Long-term client partnerships
He regularly contributes thought leadership articles on topics including local SEO, review strategy, AI-driven search changes, digital marketing myths, and small business growth strategy.
