“SEO today is no longer just about backlinks and keywords. Engagement, user behavior, and platform diversification are the new ranking factors.” – Ivan Palii
Ivan Palii is an SEO strategist specializing in B2B SaaS, technical SEO, and data analytics. With a background in law and digital marketing, he has spent over seven years refining his expertise, particularly in leveraging user behavior to improve search rankings. As a key figure at SiteChecker, Ivan experiments with innovative SEO tactics, including Parasite SEO, to adapt to the ever-evolving search landscape. His deep understanding of engagement-driven rankings makes him a valuable voice in the industry.
Episode Summary
In this episode of SEO Success Stories, host Russ Macumber speaks with Ivan Palii, a leading SEO expert from SiteChecker. Ivan shares his journey from law to digital marketing, his deep insights into B2B SaaS SEO, and the evolving role of user engagement in search rankings. The conversation focuses on Parasite SEO, a controversial yet effective tactic for ranking content on high-authority domains like LinkedIn, Medium, and Read.AI. Ivan breaks down his SEO experiments, including the impact of AI on organic search, Google’s changing landscape, and how businesses can adapt to these shifts.
Key Takeaways
- AI Disruptions in SEO: AI-generated content is reshaping search behavior, making top-of-funnel queries harder to rank for.
- The Rise of Parasite SEO: Ranking content on third-party domains like LinkedIn and Medium is an effective strategy to bypass domain authority limitations.
- User Behavior & SEO: Engagement signals, such as free tools or interactive content, play a crucial role in improving rankings beyond backlinks.
- SEO & Product Alignment: Successful SEO strategies in SaaS require strong collaboration between SEO, product, and marketing teams.
- Reddit & Search Trends: Read.AI and Reddit are becoming major sources of organic traffic, making participation in online discussions an SEO advantage.
Timestamped Summary
- 0:11-1:01 – Introduction to the podcast and guest Ivan Palii.
- 2:22-3:34 – AI’s growing influence on SEO and the decline of top-of-funnel organic traffic.
- 3:34-5:29 – The rise of Parasite SEO and its impact on traditional ranking strategies.
- 5:29-7:42 – Ivan’s journey from law to digital marketing and his expertise in SaaS SEO.
- 10:11-11:31 – How engagement signals influence Google rankings and why SEO teams need to align with product strategy.
- 17:56-20:15 – Definition of Parasite SEO and its distinction from guest posting.
- 20:40-23:45 – Experimenting with Parasite SEO: LinkedIn vs. Medium vs. authority sites.
- 27:41-30:30 – Sustainability of Parasite SEO and Google’s policies on site reputation abuse.
- 34:31-36:48 – Leveraging Reddit for SEO and ranking through comments rather than posts.
