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- Stanislav Bakhariev
Stanislav Bakhariev
About Me
I’ve been doing SEO since 2015, helping businesses get found where their customers are searching: on Google, on Google Maps, and in AI search answers.
I specialize in SEO, local SEO and Google Business Profile, technical audits, and GEO/AIO, which means optimizing for Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT Search, and Perplexity. I’ve worked on projects in Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the US, and Canada.
Co-founder of Promodex, IT-Rating, and MapStars; CEO of IT-Rating.
My Journey
- Before 2012 — worked as a bartender and in freight trucking while teaching myself to code on the side.
- 2012–2015 — moved into IT as a PHP developer at NitraLabs (Kharkiv). That’s where I first saw digital marketing and search engine optimization from the inside.
- 2015 — co-founded Promodex and focused on SEO.
- 2017–2021 — specialized deeply in local SEO and Google Business Profile, working on projects across Europe.
- 2018 — became CEO of IT-Rating; the company entered the US market in 2021 and Bulgaria in 2023.
- 2022–2024 — GEO/AIO and multilingual SaaS projects.
- 2025–present — brand visibility in Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT Search, and Perplexity.
Areas of Expertise
- Website SEO
- Local SEO and Google Maps
- Audits and consulting
- AI content optimization
- PPC (Google Ads)
- GEO SEO strategy development
Achievements
- 547 SEO and digital marketing projects
- Projects in Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the US, and Canada
- 3 digital products of my own: Promodex, IT-Rating.ua, MapStars.co
- 5.0 rating in Google Maps reviews
Tools
- Ahrefs, Semrush, Serpstat
- Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4
- Google Business Profile
- PageSpeed Insights, Core Web Vitals
Diplomas and Certifications
Certifications from international learning platforms and academies in SEO, local SEO, web analytics, PPC, and generative AI.
On-Page SEO and AI Search Essentials
Semrush Academy, 2025
Semrush Academy, 2025
Local SEO Essentials
Semrush Academy, 2025
Semrush Academy, 2025
Career Essentials in Generative AI
Microsoft and LinkedIn Learning, 2026
Microsoft and LinkedIn Learning, 2026
How to Use Ahrefs
Ahrefs Academy, 2026
Ahrefs Academy, 2026
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) — Top Scorer
Ahrefs Academy, 2026
Ahrefs Academy, 2026
In the Media
- Forbes RomaniaIT Rating și fondatorul său, Stanislav Bakhariev, după 24.02.2022
- AIN.ua · 2022IT Rating and its founder Stanislav Bakhariev after 24 February 2022
- Hromadske RadioIncreased service traffic by 317%: how the digital ecosystem of IT Rating works after February 24
- MC.TodayHow IT-Rating’s CEO Went from Bartender to Founding an IT Company and His Own Product
- Speka · 2024Google Search for Local Queries in 2024
- CollaboratorGoogle Maps Promotion: How Not to Lose 70% of Your Customers from Maps
- CASES.mediaIT Company Rankings in Ukraine and the CIS: A Comparison and Their Shortcomings
- Interfax-UkraineHow IT-Rating’s CEO Went from Bartender to Building an IT Company and His Own Product
- Yahoo FinanceUkrainian Startup IT-Rating.com Inc. Takes Leading US Market Position in 6 Months
- DrukarniaA Successful SEO Case Study for IT-Rating.ua: From Analysis to Results
- MediumHow to choose a marketing specialist for growing business
What Clients Say About Working with Me
What real people say about my work — all reviews on Google Maps
Our audience is developers, which means comparison queries, documentation-style content, and almost zero tolerance for marketing copy. Stanislav picked up on that pretty quickly, so the content plan came out without any pointless “advertising for the sake of advertising.”
The most interesting result came from a place we hadn’t been looking at all: how our product shows up in AI answers. Developers really do ask ChatGPT to compare hosting providers now, and we either weren’t there at all or were shown with specs that were two years old. We had to clean up our structured data, comparison pages, and information on third-party sites. Now sign-ups from this channel can actually be tracked, and they’re growing steadily.
No sentimentality on the ads side either: we kept a small set of high-intent keywords and simply cut everything else.
The most interesting result came from a place we hadn’t been looking at all: how our product shows up in AI answers. Developers really do ask ChatGPT to compare hosting providers now, and we either weren’t there at all or were shown with specs that were two years old. We had to clean up our structured data, comparison pages, and information on third-party sites. Now sign-ups from this channel can actually be tracked, and they’re growing steadily.
No sentimentality on the ads side either: we kept a small set of high-intent keywords and simply cut everything else.
We have a project in Poland selling luxury wristwatches, and we wanted SEO without “cookie-cutter” solutions. Stanislav started with an analysis of the niche and competitors, then helped optimize the catalog structure, meta tags, internal linking, and content for commercial queries. The work is systematic, step by step, and you can see it in our search performance and in the relevance of the inquiries we get. For SEO, a very strong approach and sensible communication.
We were promoting the corporate website of a cleaning company in Canada and needed a specialist who understands local specifics and a “services / locations” structure. Stanislav sorted out the keyword research, gave us a clear work plan, helped optimize the service and location pages, and fixed the technical issues that were getting in the way of proper indexing. The result: better visibility and higher-quality leads. What’s especially valuable is that he explains everything in plain language and keeps the process under control.
We’re working with Stanislav on SEO for an insurance company project in Germany (the audience is older adults). He helped get the site ready for search: optimized the structure of the service package pages, handled the technical setup, gave recommendations on keywords and content, and set up basic analytics to track inquiries. Importantly, the approach was tailored specifically to our audience; everything was made as clear and "readable" as possible. We’re seeing positive momentum in GOOGLE visibility and in the quality of inquiries. We recommend Stanislav.
Before Stanislav, we’d worked with two other contractors, and in both cases we got nice-looking reports faster than real results. Here, for the first two months there was almost no "visible" work at all: cleaning up a bloated index, slow templates, filter pages competing with each other. Only once that was sorted out did rankings start to move. I liked that order of things much more than yet another batch of articles. My only complaint was about reporting: at first it was too detailed for me. We mentioned it once, they switched to a shorter format, and the issue never came up again. Now we plan organic and paid as a single budget, which makes a lot more sense.
With a catalog this size, SEO turned out to be a technical task first and a content task second: thousands of products, compatibility with different models, several languages. Stanislav started with the templates and internal linking so category and model pages could rank without separate copy for each one. The work isn’t fast, and for a while we simply had to wait. Interestingly, our Shopping campaigns improved at the same time: a cleaner feed and proper product data helped both channels at once. By the second season, organic is already covering most of the demand, and we keep ads for peak weeks.
Stanislav helped us get the INKCRAFT Prague tattoo studio to the top of Google for our main keywords. Before we started working with him, practically nobody found us through search – now we get a steady flow of inquiries from organic. The approach is individual: no "fluff," everything to the point, with transparent reports and real growth. You can tell he knows what he’s doing and genuinely wants to help the business
We’re working with Stanislav on SEO for our Barcelona tours website. He didn’t just optimize it — he completely rebuilt the structure and copy and gave clear recommendations for improving UX. Within a month, we saw growth in traffic and bookings from search. Everything is clear, competent, and
to the point. We highly recommend Stanislav as a specialist who delivers results.
to the point. We highly recommend Stanislav as a specialist who delivers results.
I’ve been working with Stanislav for over 5 years. He always responds quickly, even late in the evening or at night.
You appreciate it when someone tells you honestly what’s possible and what isn’t. And on top of that, he gets everything done much faster than he promises.
I’m definitely not switching specialists! Thank you!
You appreciate it when someone tells you honestly what’s possible and what isn’t. And on top of that, he gets everything done much faster than he promises.
I’m definitely not switching specialists! Thank you!
I’ve been working with Stanislav since 2023. As a freelance SEO specialist, he always completes tasks right on time, offers effective solutions, and explains everything in plain language. Thanks to his work, the site has climbed in search results and brings in steady traffic. I recommend him as a reliable partner for SEO and web development!
We spent a long time looking for a specialist to promote our online cosmetics store and settled on Stanislav because of his affordable prices and positive reviews. And we don’t regret it! He immediately proposed a clear strategy and explained in detail how everything would work. Within a few months, the site moved up in search results, and traffic and sales grew. We’re especially pleased that for this price we got excellent service and results. We recommend him to anyone looking for quality SEO!
We’ve been working together for over a year now, and the results are impressive. Thanks to his professionalism and deep understanding of SEO, our site reached the top 10 for high-volume keywords, which significantly increased traffic and led to sales growth. We especially value his analytical approach and ability to adapt the strategy to changing market conditions. I recommend him as a reliable and competent SEO specialist.
My Digital Marketing Projects and Initiatives
Key case studies, projects, and professional awards
Expert Articles and Insights on SEO and Local Marketing
Practical tips and case studies from real-world experience
October 24, 2022
How to Choose a Marketing Specialist for a Growing Business
July 22, 2022
All About Internal Website Linking
July 22, 2022
Key Features of SEO Promotion: Trends That Matter
