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In this week's episode of the Niche Pursuits Podcast, Keval Shah and I discuss the growth of his SEO agency, how he’s built an inbound lead machine using the X platform (formerly Twitter), and how he’s navigating the future of SEO with AI. Keval is the founder of Inbound Pursuit, a boutique SEO agency that now earns $200K to $250K per month, all built without ads or cold outreach.
We dive into how he's used content to grow his audience and land high-quality e-commerce clients, what’s changed in SEO in 2025, and how AI is transforming both SEO strategy and internal agency operations. Let’s break down the major themes from our conversation.
Watch the Full Episode
From Personal Blog to a Thriving Agency
Keval's story starts over a decade ago when he taught himself SEO as a teenager, trying to drive traffic to his blog. After trying the traditional agency path and not enjoying it, he went solo and eventually launched Inbound Pursuit.
- Started learning SEO in high school, monetizing with Google AdSense
- Worked at a traditional agency, disliked their outdated strategies
- Launched Inbound Pursuit in 2019, focusing fully on growth
- Built his client base organically through content on X (formerly Twitter)
A turning point came when one of his early X followers booked a call and signed a $2,000/month contract. That single sale validated his content strategy and changed the way he approached marketing forever.
Building a $200K/Month Business Without Ads
Keval’s agency consistently brings in between $200K and $250K in monthly recurring revenue (MRR). What makes this especially impressive is that he’s never run ads or relied on cold outreach.
- No paid ads or cold email
- 100% inbound leads from X, LinkedIn, referrals
- Team built for boutique service, not massive scale
- Focused exclusively on SEO for e-commerce brands
He credits this growth to creating content that builds trust. He posts in-depth insights and SEO strategies that show prospective clients how he thinks, rather than trying to hold back “secrets” for sales calls.
Niching Down for Growth: Why Keval Only Works with E-commerce Brands
Initially, Keval worked with any client he could land. But when the pandemic hit and local businesses paused marketing, he naturally gravitated toward e-commerce brands. That shift became a pivotal decision.
- E-commerce brands were still growing during COVID
- X attracted e-commerce founders and marketers, making it a good fit
- Niche positioning built more trust and authority with leads
- Referral growth exploded as he became known for e-commerce SEO
Despite his initial hesitation about narrowing his target market, Keval now sees niching down as one of the smartest moves he made.
Mastering X (Formerly Twitter) as a Lead Generation Engine
Keval built his business by consistently sharing SEO insights and personal experiences on X. While he originally started posting for self-expression, he quickly saw that valuable, educational content could also drive leads.
- Grew to over 55,000 followers
- Posts daily long-form content focused on SEO and case studies
- Paid early on to have content promoted to jumpstart growth
- Today’s X algorithm favors long-form, high-engagement posts
- Engagement (likes + comments), not retweets, drives reach
He advises others starting on X to find small ways to boost initial visibility, whether by joining engagement groups or paying for shoutouts.
Why Content Strategy Has Changed in 2025
SEO has evolved rapidly, especially with the rise of AI and Google's generative AI search features. Keval’s agency no longer produces top-of-funnel blog content that doesn’t drive traffic or revenue.
- No longer focused on high-volume informational queries
- AI steals many top-of-funnel clicks
Focused instead on
- Brand vs. brand queries
- Alternative searches (e.g., “X alternative”)
- Product comparisons
- Optimized collection pages
These lower-funnel keywords often have less AI interference and result in actual conversions. In one example, a client generated $20,000/month just from blog content focused on product comparisons.
Links Still Matter: SEO’s Old Guard Stays Relevant
Even as content strategies shift, Keval says link building remains crucial, arguably more than ever. With content now easier to produce thanks to AI, links have become one of the few true differentiators in SEO.
- 70% of his agency's SEO effort goes to link building
- Links help both traditional search rankings and AI model citations
- Appearing on authoritative sites helps with Google and LLMs (large language models)
He also encourages clients to secure brand presence across Reddit, Quora, and social profiles to improve citations in AI-generated search responses.
Navigating AI and LLM SEO: What’s Real and What’s Hype
AI SEO is one of the hottest buzzwords in marketing right now, and clients are asking for it. Keval is clear-eyed about what it really means and what it doesn’t.
- AI SEO (AISCO) clients are coming in specifically asking for these services
- True AISCO is largely a mix of traditional SEO, brand visibility on authoritative platforms, and PR and brand mentions in places LLMs crawl (like Reddit and Quora)
- Being cited by ChatGPT often correlates strongly with high Google rankings
- Keval's clients are already seeing results, including $24K in sales from ChatGPT citations over a 12-month period
Despite hype from new SaaS tools promising “LLM domination”, Keval warns that many of these are just glorified keyword research tools with flashy branding.
Using AI Internally: Making the Agency More Efficient
While most of the conversation focused on client-facing SEO, Keval is also using AI tools to improve operational efficiency behind the scenes.
- Automated task tracking and onboarding using Google Sheets scripts
- Faster site audits using AI-assisted spreadsheet scripts
- Exploring tools like N8N and Google’s Opal for future automation
- Goal is to improve margins and free up time for strategy and creative work
The backend changes may not be flashy, but they’re making a meaningful impact on daily operations.
Final Thoughts
Keval wrapped the interview with advice that hits home for anyone working in digital marketing today. When AI and SEO started shifting dramatically, his first instinct was to ignore it, but that only created anxiety. What changed everything was embracing the uncertainty and deciding to get excited about the future.
- Resistance to change leads to anxiety and stagnation
- Excitement about change sparks creativity and motivation
- SEO professionals are historically great at adapting
- AI may be disruptive, but it’s also filled with opportunities
Whether it’s rebuilding his site to focus on AI SEO or testing new content formats, Keval is leaning into change rather than resisting it.
Keval Shah's second interview on the Niche Pursuits Podcast is packed with strategies, mindset shifts, and honest advice. Whether you're trying to land more clients, get found in generative AI results, or figure out where SEO is headed, this episode offers a masterclass from someone in the trenches every day.
Links & Resources
- Learn more about Inbound Pursuit
- Keval's X account
- His LinkedIn
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