25,000 Backlinks, Zero Paid — How AI Took His Margins from 13% to 37%, Greg Heilers

Get Your Free SEO Audit and 30 mins consultation at https://www.pagetraffic.com/request-quote.phpWhat does it take to build a million-dollar SEO agency without paying for a single backlink?Greg Heilers, co-founder of Jolly SEO, has sent over 250,000 pitches, earned more than 25,000 media placements on sites with an average DR75 — and never paid for a single one.But that's just the beginning.Greg also used AI to slash his cost of services by 80% — taking his agency's net margins from the teens all the way to 37%. And now he's building an investment fund for acquiring businesses from retiring owners and injecting AI into them.In this episode of The Agency Insider Show, Navneet Kaushal sits down with Greg for one of the most honest and tactical conversations we've had on the show.🔥 What You'll Learn In This EpisodeHow Jolly SEO built a done-for-you earned media machine with zero paid linksThe exact 3-step pitch formula Greg used to land placements on Forbes and CNBCWhat killed HARO — and how Jolly SEO adapted and survivedHow AI cut their cost of delivery by 80% — and what that actually means for marginsThe Peter Principle mistake Greg made three times that cost him key relationshipsWhy Greg initially told his team "you'll be terminated if we find out you use ChatGPT" — and what changedThe #1 mistake agency founders are making right now in 2025–26What breaks when an agency crosses the million dollar markHow hiring an operator gave Greg his life back — working under 40 hours a weekBacklinks vs brand mentions for AI search — where should your budget go?🎙️ About the GuestGreg Heilers is the co-founder of Jolly SEO, a link building agency that has never paid for a single backlink. His team has sent over 250,000 pitches and earned more than 25,000 media placements on high DR sites. He has spoken at Brighton SEO, been published on Ahrefs and Backlinko, and is now pioneering AI-first operations inside his agency.🎙️ About The Agency Insider ShowHosted by Navneet Kaushal, Founder & CEO of PageTraffic — one of the world's leading SEO agencies with 23 years of experience and over 10,000 clients across 36 countries. Every episode features deep, unfiltered conversations with the world's top SEO and digital marketing leaders.