Alex Melen shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Alex, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?

One of the biggest misconceptions about digital marketing is on the SEO side. Too many still believe that SEO is some kind of mysterious black box. Too many agencies still sell it that way: vague promises, unclear deliverables, and a lot of smoke and mirrors. But the truth is, SEO isn’t magic. It’s work. Real, measurable, strategic work.

At SmartSites, we’ve built our reputation by demystifying that process. SEO is about putting in the hours—consistently and intelligently. It’s content creation that actually answers what people are searching for. It’s link building that earns trust and authority. It’s fixing technical issues that prevent search engines from even seeing your site properly. There’s no shortcut, no secret sauce—just a relentless focus on doing the right things, the right way, over time.

What’s misunderstood is that SEO isn’t a one-time fix or a plug-and-play tool. It’s a long-term investment in visibility, credibility, and growth. And when done transparently and strategically, it delivers results that compound. That’s what we do at SmartSites—and that’s why we’ve stayed ahead in an industry that’s constantly evolving.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?

Hi, I’m Alex Melen—an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and digital marketing enthusiast who’s been riding the wave of online innovation since the dial-up days. I co-founded SmartSites with a simple mission: to build a digital agency that actually delivers results, not just buzzwords. What started as a small team of digital visionaries has grown into a global force—over 400 full-time employees across six offices, serving clients in virtually every industry.

SmartSites has been recognized by AdWeek and the Inc. 5000 for multiple consecutive years, and we’re proud to be America’s top-rated digital marketing agency. What makes us different? We’re relentlessly data-driven, obsessively customer-focused, and we believe transparency beats gimmicks every time.

Over the past three decades, I’ve had the privilege of keynoting nearly a hundred conferences and being featured in outlets like Forbes, Bloomberg, NPR, and Business Week’s Top 25 Entrepreneurs. But what drives me most is helping businesses grow—whether it’s through smarter SEO, sharper paid media, or simply making digital work harder for them.

Right now, I’m focused on scaling SmartSites while continuing to push the boundaries of what digital marketing can do. It’s an exciting time to be in this space—and I’m grateful to be part of shaping its future.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?

Honestly, for me, it was quite the opposite. It wasn’t someone seeing my potential early—it was the overwhelming number of people who didn’t. Back when I was diving into digital in the late 90’s, most people didn’t understand the space, didn’t believe in its future, and certainly didn’t see what I could build within it. That skepticism, that lack of belief, became fuel.

It pushed me to prove what digital could do—not just for me, but for businesses everywhere. It’s what drove me to co-found SmartSites and grow it into one of the fastest-growing digital agencies in America. Every time someone underestimated the power of SEO, or dismissed digital marketing as a trend, it reinforced my belief that I was on the right path.

So while I didn’t have someone who saw me clearly before I saw myself, I had something just as powerful: resistance. And that resistance helped me sharpen my vision, build resilience, and ultimately create something that speaks for itself.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?

I’ve never been someone who gives up easily—there’ve been very few moments in my life where I seriously considered walking away from something I believed in. But one moment stands out clearly: the early days of my first startup, T35 Hosting.

Back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, the internet was still the Wild West, and the legal system hadn’t quite caught up to the digital age. One day, I was forced to temporarily shut down the entire business because of content a client had hosted on our servers. It was a gut punch. I was young, building something from scratch, and suddenly it felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me.

I was only out of the game for a few weeks, but in that time, I had a chance to reflect—on how far I’d come, what I’d built, and what I still believed was possible. That pause didn’t break me. It recharged me. I came back stronger, re-launched T35 Hosting, and scaled it even further. It’s still running today, decades later.

That experience taught me that setbacks aren’t signs to quit—they’re signals to reassess, refocus, and come back sharper. And that mindset has carried through everything I’ve built since, including SmartSites.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?

Absolutely. I’ve never seen the point in putting on a persona. Every personal interaction I have—whether it’s on stage, in a meeting, or just grabbing coffee—is always the real me. I don’t have a curated version or a filtered facade. What you see is what you get.

Even in my book, Automotive Search Marketing, I laid it all out—no secrets, no fluff. Just straight-up me and the exact steps I’ve taken to help hundreds of dealerships improve their digital marketing. Whether I’m writing, speaking at a conference, or working with clients day-to-day, I bring the same energy, the same mindset, and the same transparency.

Honestly, it would be way too much effort not to be myself. And in this industry—where trust and authenticity matter more than ever—I think being real is the most valuable thing you can offer.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?

If we’re talking strictly ROI, then a lot of what I do outside of work probably won’t “pay off” in the traditional sense—and I’m perfectly okay with that.

I’m a huge automotive enthusiast. I follow car news religiously, dive deep into forums, track model releases, and obsess over engineering details most people overlook. Same goes for travel—I’ll go out of my way to book specific flight paths or aircraft types just for the experience. It takes time, planning, and a lot of nerding out. But it’s what I love.

These passions might not directly impact SmartSites or my next business move, and they probably won’t pay off in 7–10 years. But I believe you have to spend at least part of your time doing something that fuels you—not because it’s strategic, but because it’s fulfilling. That energy, that curiosity, that joy—it spills over into everything else I do. And in the long run, that’s a kind of payoff too.