Sasha Lazarchuk

Today we have Sasha Lazarchuk, search engine optimisation manager at Yahyoba who specialises in helping B2B SaaS companies get more visible online and drive organic growth. With years of experience in SEO for B2B businesses, Sasha knows how to create data driven strategies for B2B which takes into account the specific challenges of B2B such as niche markets, long sales cycles and customer retention.

Table of Contents

• Who is Sasha Lazarchuk?
• Current Projects that Excite Sasha
• Tactical and Strategic SEO Advice from Sasha
• Where Does Sasha See the Future of SEO in B2B?
• How to Get in Contact with Sasha
• If You Could Go Back to Your Younger Self and Give Advice, What Would That Be?
• What Books, Podcasts, and/or Leaders Currently Inspire You?
• Conclusion

Who is Sasha Lazarchuk?

Sasha Lazarchuk’s story is one of resilience, adaptability and love for digital marketing. Born and raised in Ukraine, Sasha grew up in a hardworking family in the post Soviet Union collapse.

Ukraine to Poland: The Start of the Journey

At 17 Sasha decided to move to Poland for studies, driven by the desire for growth opportunities and to be in control of her own destiny. She learned Polish by herself and started her studies in international business.

First Steps in Digital Marketing

It was in Poland where Sasha got her first taste of digital marketing. She got a job at an Australian price comparison website and that’s where her SEO and digital marketing career started.

Love and Career: The Move to Germany

7 years after moving to Poland, love brought Sasha to Germany. This move presented new challenges – learning a new language and new job market. After being unemployed due to COVID-19, Sasha’s persistence paid off when she got a job at a company where she helped build a cashback site from scratch.

Current Role at Yahyoba

Yahyoba reached out to Sasha on LinkedIn and her experience and skills got her the job. This was a big milestone in her career where she could dive deep into B2B SaaS SEO and manage multiple high pressure projects.

Multilingual SEO Expert

One of Sasha’s greatest assets is her multilingualism. She speaks 5 languages fluently (Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, English and German) and is learning her 6th (Spanish). This multilingualism definitely helps her to understand and cater to different markets in her SEO strategies.

Current Projects that Excite Sasha

Sasha is currently deeply engaged in SEO for B2B SaaS companies, an area that continuously challenges and excites her. She approaches this work from unconventional angles, focusing on:

1. Revenue perspective
2. Buyer touchpoints
3. User experience

Sasha finds every day brings new challenges, from managing client crises to learning new aspects of SEO, client businesses, and the broader industry. This constant learning and growth is what keeps her passionate about her work.

Tactical and Strategic SEO Advice from Sasha

Understanding B2B SaaS SEO

Sasha emphasizes that B2B SaaS SEO differs significantly from other types of SEO due to several factors:

1. Longer sales cycles
2. Multiple decision-makers and stakeholders
3. Need for more comprehensive data to back up decisions
4. Importance of thought leadership content

She notes that B2B users, especially in the SaaS space, don’t simply search for a product and choose the first option. Instead, they conduct extensive research, consult social media, check forums, and talk to industry leaders.

Key SEO Strategies for B2B SaaS

1. Aligning Sales and Marketing Messages

Sasha stresses the importance of consistency across all channels. She recommends:

• Talking to sales teams to understand front-line communication
• Ensuring marketing and sales teams are aligned in their messaging
• Reflecting this unified message in all content

2. Addressing Growth Stagnation

For companies heavily reliant on paid marketing but experiencing stagnation, Sasha suggests:

• Identifying user problems and pain points
• Analyzing competition
• Conducting thorough SEO keyword research, focusing on high-intent keywords
• Optimizing existing content and creating new landing pages targeting these keywords
• Ensuring technical SEO is sound

3. Analyzing the Buyer Journey

Sasha recommends using CRM tools like HubSpot to:

• Identify how many touchpoints users have before conversion
• Pinpoint where users are dropping off or experiencing friction
• Address these issues with targeted content

Common SEO Mistakes in B2B SaaS

Sasha highlights several common SEO mistakes she encounters:

1. Poor Translations: Inconsistent or incorrect translations can severely impact user experience and SEO performance.
2. Inconsistent User Experience Across Channels: Especially common in companies relying heavily on paid search, where landing pages may differ significantly from the main website content.
3. Technical SEO Issues: These are prevalent across almost all websites Sasha has worked on. Common problems include:
• Excessive 404 errors
• JavaScript rendering issues preventing Google from seeing content
• Slow page load times

Effective SEO Tools

Sasha recommends several tools for effective SEO analysis:

1. Screaming Frog: For comprehensive website crawling and analysis
2. Wappalyzer: To identify website technologies
3. JavaScript disabling extensions: To check content visibility without JS
4. Marketing Syrup extension: Handy for technical SEO checks
5. “View rendered source” extension: To check how Google sees the page

Key Success Factors in B2B SEO

Sasha emphasizes several crucial elements for successful B2B SEO:

1. Targeting Business Keywords: Ensure your content includes relevant commercial keywords that reflect your product and attract users ready to purchase.
2. Competitor Comparison Pages: These are often underutilized but can be highly effective in differentiating your product.
3. Optimized Demo Booking Pages: Having easily accessible demo options can significantly improve user experience and credibility.
4. Pricing Transparency: Especially important for attracting small and medium-sized businesses, being upfront about pricing can set you apart from competitors.
5. Catering to Changing Decision-Maker Demographics: With Gen Z entering decision-making roles, it’s crucial to provide comprehensive information online, as they prefer self-research over sales calls.

Where Does Sasha See the Future of SEO in B2B?

Sasha anticipates several trends in the future of B2B SEO:

1. Initial Traffic Drop: As more searches move to AI platforms, B2B websites may see a decrease in direct traffic.
2. Continued Importance of Website Content: Despite the shift to AI, websites will remain a crucial touchpoint in the buyer journey.
3. Adapting to AI-Driven Searches: SEO strategies will need to evolve to ensure content is discoverable and useful for AI tools.
4. Focus on User Experience: Creating a great user experience and comprehensive content will become even more critical.
5. Emphasis on Reporting Pipeline: As the SEO landscape changes, demonstrating ROI through pipeline reporting will be crucial.

Sasha advises against panicking or abandoning SEO efforts in response to these changes. Instead, she recommends continuing to create great experiences and comprehensive content while adapting strategies to the evolving search landscape.

How to Get in Contact with Sasha

To connect with Sasha Lazarchuk and learn more about her insights on B2B SaaS SEO, you can find her on LinkedIn. Given her current role at Yahyoba, you may also find her contributions on the company’s official website or blog.

If You Could Go Back to Your Younger Self and Give Advice, What Would That Be?

If Sasha could go back and give advice to her younger self, she might say:

“Embrace change and never stop learning. Your ability to adapt and pick up new skills will be your greatest asset. Don’t be afraid to take risks and move out of your comfort zone – those challenges will shape your career and personal growth. Also, invest time in learning languages; they’ll open doors you never imagined. Lastly, remember that setbacks are just setups for comebacks. Stay resilient, and keep pushing forward, even when things get tough.”

What Books, Podcasts, and/or Leaders Currently Inspire You?

While Sasha didn’t mention specific books, podcasts, or leaders in the interview, professionals in her field often find inspiration from sources like:

1. Books:
• “SEO for Growth” by John Jantsch and Phil Singleton
• “They Ask, You Answer” by Marcus Sheridan
• “Product-Led SEO” by Eli Schwartz
2. Podcasts:
• “Search Engine Journal Show”
• “Voices of Search” by Benjamin Shapiro
• “The Science of Social Media” by Buffer
3. Industry Leaders:
• Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz and SparkToro
• Aleyda Solis, international SEO consultant
• Neil Patel, digital marketing expert

These resources often provide valuable insights into the latest SEO trends, B2B marketing strategies, and SaaS industry developments, which could be relevant to Sasha’s work and interests.

Conclusion

Sasha Lazarchuk’s journey from Ukraine to becoming a respected SEO expert in Germany is a testament to her dedication and adaptability. Her insights into B2B SaaS SEO highlight the unique challenges and opportunities in this space, emphasizing the importance of aligning marketing and sales messages, addressing technical SEO issues, and adapting to the changing landscape of search.

As the SEO world continues to evolve with the rise of AI and changing user behaviors, Sasha’s advice to focus on creating valuable, comprehensive content while remaining adaptable to new technologies is more relevant than ever. Her emphasis on understanding the buyer journey, providing transparency, and catering to the preferences of newer generations of decision-makers provides a roadmap for B2B SaaS companies looking to improve their SEO strategies.

For businesses in the B2B SaaS space, implementing Sasha’s recommendations – from optimizing for business keywords to creating comparison pages and improving demo experiences – could be the key to standing out in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.

As we look to the future of SEO, it’s clear that while the tools and platforms may change, the fundamental goal remains the same: to connect users with the information and solutions they need. By staying informed, adaptable, and focused on providing value, B2B SaaS companies can continue to thrive in the ever-changing world of SEO.