SEO in Ukraine
– what do you need to know?
Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe, after Russia, in terms of area. It has 44 million inhabitants and over 60% of them have access to the Internet. Our eastern neighbours have great potential and opportunities for economic development, especially on the basis of rich natural resources. For many entrepreneurs, this is the information that shows it is worth becoming interested and establishing themselves on the Ukrainian market.
Ukrainians use the web using the following devices:
- phone (68.38%),
- computer (27.79%),
- tablet (3.37%).
It can be seen that the vast majority of Ukrainians surf the web on mobile phones, almost every fourth of them sits in front of a computer for this purpose, while a marginal number of people browse the web on tablets.
As in the Russian market, considering search engines, Yandex is present here as well, although its market share is much lower (less than 5%). Google is the clear leader and in the first stages of SEO activities, the SEO strategy in Ukraine can be based in particular on the California giant.
Ukrainians use the Internet most often on smartphones, and as a result, social networking sites are also popular, among which we can mention:
- Facebook (56%),
- Pinterest (20%),
- Twitter (7%),
- Instagram (6%),
- YouTube (6%).
Complementing the above information, it is also worth mentioning the operating systems used. Android leads the way (62.19%), followed by Windows (25.62%) and Apple OS (11.32%).
As for the e-commerce market in Ukraine, despite all the geopolitical turmoil, it can be said that it has huge potential and should grow. Taking into account data from 2018 and 2019, Ukrainian Internet users’ spending on online shopping grew by 30 and then 25 percent, respectively. Such statistics provide arguments for acquiring new customers from this country.
44 million
Ukraine’s population
60 %
of the population has access to the Internet
26,5 million
million Internet users
93 %
of users use Google
Search engines in Ukraine
Although Ukraine is naturally associated with the Russian-speaking market, Yandex is in a significant minority among search engines. Google rules absolutely, with over 12 million users. The share of search engines in Ukraine:
As for browsers, taking into account the use of the Internet by phone, computer and tablet, the popularity of browsers is as follows:
As can be seen, Google-owned Chrome is used by nearly 70% of Ukrainians accessing websites. A significant share of mobile browsers, i.e. those used on smartphones and mobile phones with access to the web, is noticeable.
E-commerce market in Ukraine
The percentage of Internet users in Ukraine who shop online has stabilised in recent years. Currently, it is estimated that nearly 45% of our neighbours who use the Internet put products into virtual baskets. The value of the e-commerce market alone is more than 160 billion hryvnia, or about 5 billion euros a year. The total turnover of goods and services online in 2018 reached €2 billion, which gives an average spending of €286 per person annually.
Ukrainians who choose to shop online expect in particular: convenient delivery methods (including pick-up points), matching payment methods (card and cash), an accessible website design and a product that matches the description. Among concerns, they most often mention non-compliance of the product with expectations, incorrect information in the description, price of the assortment and high cost and time of delivery.
What do our eastern neighbours buy online? Let’s see:
- clothing, shoes and accessories (59%),
- consumer electronics (57%),
- gadgets (57%),
- transport tickets (54%),
- computers (51%),
- cinema and theatre tickets (48%),
- books, music, films (36%),
- reservations (36%),
- cosmetics (35%),
- medicines (31%),
- sportswear (31%),
- toys (30%),
- furniture, decor (25%).
As far as popular e-commerce sites are concerned, the local “Rozetka” retail company selling mainly consumer electronics rules (6.7 million users), second is Ukraine’s OLX.ua (5.5 million users), and third is the broad assortment site Prom.ua (4 million users). Among foreign e-commerce sites, AliExpress has a similar level of interest as the above-mentioned portals, where nearly 4 million Ukrainians do their shopping.
Users
How do Ukrainians pay for online shopping? The methods are quite diverse, namely:
Online shopping
It is also worth paying attention to the chosen delivery methods:
Internet users across our eastern border appreciate, apart from convenient payment and delivery methods, the possibility to return the product, especially, of course, when it does not meet their expectations or significantly differs from the one presented on the e-shop website.
Which domain should you choose?
In Ukraine, the basic domain is “.ua”. It is a national extension of the website of Ukraine, which, importantly, is an associated state and also a member of the free trade zone with the European Union. It is advisable that our website has a national domain, in this case “.ua”, which will give us more credibility in the eyes of the client. However, if we plan to enter several foreign markets, it is worth considering global domains such as “.com”. Then, when creating subsequent language versions, expand them by individual countries, i.e. mypage.eu/at, mypage.eu/de, mypage.eu/fr, etc.
Why should you start promoting your business in Ukraine?
A large potential and still undeveloped market are the factors proving that it is worth looking for clients across our eastern border. In 2020, the growth rate of e-commerce in Ukraine reached 41%, adding a large brick to the global growth (26%). All the time, additional factors are noticed, which may further boost these results. These include the influence of a growing middle class in East and Southeast Asia and the limited infrastructure of brick-and-mortar shops.
The growing value of the e-commerce market, the increasing number of Internet users and therefore online shoppers, in addition to natural resources, are all elements that are urging a presence in this market. If it were not for the geopolitical turbulence, high rate of corruption and underdeveloped transport infrastructure, economic development in Ukraine would probably be at a different stage. However, the opportunities to develop your business here are considerable, particularly when you consider the expectations, habits and local conditions of the local population. Ukraine is open and worth making friends with!
Link building in Ukraine
When starting SEO activities in Ukraine, you should pay attention to quality link building. In the “eyes” of both Google and Yandex, it is a significant ranking factor. In addition to the value of the incoming links, their number and profile also matter. It is good that they are thematically related, but also lead to different places on our site.
It is also worth using the following advice:
- Domain of links – it is good that they come from a local extension, i.e. “.ua”,
- Diversification of links – these do not have to be only sponsored links, hyperlinks directing to our website may also come from: reviews, guest articles, interviews, own SEO background or Buzz Marketing,
- Quality of links – one link from a strong Ukrainian domain can be more beneficial than thousands of links from poor-quality websites.
SEO activities in Ukraine definitely require commitment, persistence and quality. However, with a well-prepared strategy, defined areas of activity and chosen niche, above-average results are literally at your fingertips.
The most comprehensive service
SEO360® ensures the most comprehensive service among other similar on the market, such as SEO or SXO, which has been confirmed by research.
Guaranteed sales increase
The service provides a guarantee of the final effect, an increase traffic and revenue / leads.
Hybrid settlements based on success fee
Once 100% of the original target is achieved, any results above are based on a success fee.
Guaranteed link maintenance
We do not remove acquired links even after the end of cooperation.
We work all over Europe
Under one contract, we can carry out our work for all European countries with the support of a network of quality partners.
Individual strategy
We prepare a comprehensive, extensive strategy in which we examine the real needs of consumers (customer insights) before starting any actions.
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SEO360®
regular SEO
How does the SEO process work in Ukraine?
Strategy
It is the starting point for SEO360® actions, individually priced and created on the basis of the customer’s needs and expectations included earlier in the brief filled in by the customer. As part of our conceptual work, we establish the KPIs necessary for successful implementation of further stages of the project, in particular analysis, content marketing plan and estimations, which are the components of the strategy.
Analysis
In this step, we carry out all the activities verifying the current state of the selected website in terms of SEO and its potential in a given country when compared to the competition. At the same time, we analyse the full user path based on the customer journey. The result of the analysis is a large amount of data that can be used to implement further SEO360® steps.
Content Marketing Plan
Individually prepared for the industry represented by the Client and for the given markets where SEO360® activities will be conducted. It includes a scenario concerning the type of created content and the way of its distribution in order to reach the consumers with it precisely and to be one step ahead of the competition. Content Creators guarantee the successful implementation of this plan.
Estimations
An extremely valuable and final component of the strategy, where we estimate individual values related to the visibility of the website in the most popular search engine of a given country, taking into account the increase in traffic and, more importantly, the increase in conversions over a specified period of time.
Technical SEO
When starting proper SEO activities, one of the necessary steps to achieve final success is technical SEO, also called technical analysis or technical optimisation for SEO, i.e. the part of optimisation that does not concern content. It consists of all activities that affect the architecture and code of a website in such a way as to make it as friendly as possible to the most stringent search engine requirements and, at the same time, to stay one step ahead of the competition.
Content optimisation
Part of optimising a website for SEO, in addition to technical SEO, is content optimisation. Valuable content for the user is one of the key elements that will help to achieve high search engine visibility as well as increase conversions and thus revenue.
UX + CRO
As part of the SEO360® service, we provide analysis and optimisation of User Experience metrics with a particular focus on heuristic experiments and A/B testing as well as Conversion Rate Optimisation. In this way, we analyse consumer activity at each stage of their purchase process, increasing sales effectiveness.
Link Building
We conduct link building using the highest quality permanent links acquired from external sources or services, from reliable publishers with a guarantee of their maintenance even after the end of cooperation. As part of this process, we take care of the correct link profile, which brings end benefits.
Ongoing Data Analysis
In SEO360®, through advanced tools supervised by the Client Success Manager, we constantly measure the progress related to the evaluation of conducted activities, and on their basis, our customers have access to extensive reports 24/7.
Increase in traffic and revenue
The ultimate value of SEO360® is the increase in brand awareness, traffic, conversions and revenue generated from the service, which is significantly higher than in the case of ‘regular SEO’ and above all, it is long-lasting.
Data source:
- http://ranking.gemius.com/ua/
- https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraina
- https://ain.ua/ru/2017/12/25/kak-ukraincy-pokupayut-v-onlajne/
Let’s stay in touch
+48 500 050 939
office@seogroup.pl
FAQ
What should you do to improve your website’s visibility in Ukraine?
Increasing the visibility of your website naturally involves the multiplication of traffic to your website. In order to do this, it is necessary to optimise it properly, both for search engine robots and user expectations and preferences. This includes adjusting the content on the homepage, subpages, creating relevant categories, providing a wide assortment and product descriptions, increasing the number of backlinks (preferably qualitative), promoting yourself and being active on social media. It is also extremely important, especially when operating in Eastern Europe, to present the offer in the language of the region. This is an important factor for the local community, often ultimately determining purchasing decisions.
What are the differences in SEO activities between Poland and Ukraine?
Although Google is the most popular search engine in Ukraine, it is a good idea to combine some optimisation elements that are important for increasing visibility with factors that are also important from Yandex’s perspective. This will give us the opportunity to reach users who use Russian-speaking tools. The most important thing is to increase the overall traffic. This can be done, for example, through search engine advertising campaigns, social media, as well as ad hoc actions like sending newsletters and bulletins. It is also important to have a wide and extensive product range with many brands on offer. Above all, it is important to be consistent in your efforts to reach the top of the search results. Over time, your website should gain credibility and thus climb up the SERPs.
SEO in Ukrainian or Russian?
Officially, Ukrainian is the official language, while Russian is a regional language (i.e. spoken by more than 10% of the population). The latter is most common in the eastern regions of Ukraine. Thus, it is a good idea to choose the website language based on the area you want to reach with your offer. Of course, we can always prepare two language versions. On the other hand, we can create a universal translation, as both languages use the Cyrillic alphabet, have similar grammar and a common alphabet. This solution is quite risky, because over the years, these languages have moved away from each other, i.e. some words in Ukrainian are derived from Polish, while in Russian they may have a completely different meaning.
