5 Lessons For Surviving Crises From SE Ranking’s Ukrainian Team

This publish was sponsored by SE Ranking. The opinions expressed on this article are the sponsor’s personal.

With over half of our workers hailing from Ukraine, SE Ranking confirms that by way of teamwork, you may climate the best of storms.

Despite the disaster, lack of clients, withdrawal from the Russian market, large workers relocation, and warfare zone work setting (for many who stayed in Ukraine), we not solely managed to outlive however to evolve past our pre-war stage as a enterprise.

Through this text, the SE Ranking group want to share how we not solely survived however thrived, regardless of the unspeakable circumstances.

1. Put People First. They Are Your Lifeline.

Each considered one of our group members ran the additional mile within the midst of this disaster.

Their onerous work and dedication are what saved this firm afloat.

No business-related ideas and tips may ever make a distinction with out them, which is why SE Ranking centered on offering as a lot safety to the group as potential.

SE Ranking Moved The Office From Kyiv To Wroclaw, Which Helped The Team Relocate To Safer Places.

In the primary days of the warfare, your entire Ukrainian group obtained a relocation allowance.

Then, the a part of our group that arrived in Poland first helped others with transportation, lodging, authorized facets, and so forth.

Not A Single Person Was Laid Off. No Cuts Were Made To Salaries.

Keeping the group financially secure grew to become the corporate’s first precedence.

After solely a number of weeks into the warfare, all bonus packages and private improvement coverages have been restored.

We Began Group Therapy Sessions To Help Us Process What Was Happening.

Although our SE Ranking household was territorially divided and morally damaged, identical to hundreds of different Ukrainian households, we supported one another.

We organized particular on-line conferences in order that the group may synchronize emotionally. We additionally invited an expert psychologist who helped us work by way of the traumas of the warfare.

We Began Showcasing Our Team Members On Social Media & Sharing Their Stories.

After studying the right way to modify to the brand new present actuality, we felt that the voices of our group must be heard throughout. We launched a sequence of posts the place our teammates talked about themselves and their experiences.

This motivated our workers and revealed SE Ranking’s human aspect.

Respecting and appreciating your workers is the important thing to their loyalty and, consequently, the important thing to any enterprise’s success.

This strategy to folks has at all times saved SE Ranking robust, no matter exterior circumstances.

People have been, are, and would be the biggest worth to us as a result of they’re those behind our product – a product that tons of of hundreds of individuals worldwide love.

Lesson realized: Value the folks behind the product, they usually’ll reply to you in type.

2. Stick To Your Plans To The Best Of Your Ability.

The warfare turned our lives the wrong way up.

Many of our plans have been ruined, and full uncertainty grew to become our “best” good friend. Every member of our group felt this.

We all wanted some stability, and our job grew to become one thing like an “island” of certainty for us. We determined to not swap to vitality preservation mode, however to comply with our roadmap as a lot as we may.

And it labored!

Our onerous work resulted in 4 model new AI and NLP-based instruments:

• On-Page SEO Checker analyzes any internet web page by checking it for 94 parameters that have an effect on search rankings.
• (*5*) helps you construct briefs and create Search engine marketing-friendly content material quicker with much less effort.
• SERP Analyzer reveals prime SERP gamers and measures their pages by checking them for 110+ on-page and off-page parameters.
• Backlink Gap Analyzer reveals domains and URLs linking out to your opponents however to not you.

We’ve gotten as near our authentic plan as potential and even managed to hitch the brightonSEO convention for the primary time in October.

We don’t simply really feel like we’re shifting ahead. We are shifting ahead.

Lesson realized: Even while you really feel damaged and misplaced, do your job. It might grow to be your supply of reliability in a altering and scary world.

3. Stay True To Your Values – Regardless Of Short-Term Business Risks.

Integrity is considered one of SE Ranking’s prime values.

No matter how a lot we wish to say what folks wish to hear, we stick with the reality.

The fact is that the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, and we couldn’t hold supporting purchasers from Russia as a result of it meant supporting companies that have been paying taxes and sponsoring their military.

Although Russia accounted for 15% of the entire variety of SE Ranking purchasers, we ceased offering providers to them on the finish of February.

Since then, new Russian customers couldn’t and can’t register with SE Ranking, and we don’t settle for funds from present Russian purchasers.

To overcome the difficulties attributable to the withdrawal from such a big market, we needed to:

• Redirect our sources to draw new purchasers from different international locations.
• Review deliberate actions and add new platform promotion channels.
• Slightly change the pricing coverage.

We communicated our place to clients in an sincere manner, as we at all times do, and it resonated with them.

We might have misplaced 15% of our clients, however SE Ranking attracted 20% extra since then; our firm stays worthwhile, and our revenues proceed to develop.

This yr, we hit 1,000 opinions on G2! We even have the highest-ranking Search engine marketing software program resolution in the marketplace. We couldn’t be extra grateful to our customers for supporting and inspiring us alongside the best way.

Lesson realized: When you keep true to your beliefs, it should repay regardless of the preliminary losses.

4. Never Skimp On Security. Issues Can Cost You Dearly.

Crises are downright unpredictable.

Worse but, not having the ability to guess what’s going to occur subsequent is among the largest the reason why crises are so damaging.

There are one million and one potential issues that may catch you abruptly and knock you out in the event you don’t take preventative measures early on.

Your largest insurance coverage coverage is sorting by way of all of the potential dangers after which discovering methods to beat them.

SE Ranking did simply that. We diversified all potential dangers from the beginning in order that our providers may stay in impact, even by way of a disaster.

How To Increase Business Security

SE Ranking carried out a number of ways to make sure that processes and knowledge keep secure, below any circumstance.

• Our servers originated in a number of safe places: Germany, Finland, and the USA.
• We’ve constructed a dependable product infrastructure, and the system continues to work even when some crashes happen.
• Teams, not only one individual, coordinate processes. Each group member can deal with issues after they come up. That’s why when a few of us couldn’t work (as a result of they needed to transfer to a safer place or cover in a bomb shelter), different group gamers may cowl for them.
• All communication occurs in a single place. In our case, it’s Slack. We have separate channels for every undertaking, division, and even for promo campaigns. This manner, everyone seems to be on the identical web page and has entry to modifications and updates in seconds.
• We hold our communication as clear as potential, from C-level administration to particular person group members. All pressing selections are carried out at once and with restricted paperwork. Remaining clear braced us for the robust instances forward. Our providers continued working, even by way of the start of the warfare when plenty of modifications needed to be utilized instantly.
• We have operational guides for all departments in Confluence. We describe processes intimately so that every group member is aware of what to do when preparing for some activity or exercise.

Lesson realized: Be diligent and ready for the worst-case situation since you by no means know when a disaster will strike.

5. Don’t Be Afraid To Say What Must Be Said.

From an operational viewpoint, we wanted to verify our clients didn’t really feel the impression of the disaster on the corporate’s work and the product.

But on an ethical degree, we needed to handle the elephant within the room – the warfare.

Despite the ocean of content material on the market in regards to the invasion, we discovered our voice among the many digital advertising and marketing neighborhood and flew with it. We nonetheless couldn’t be extra grateful for the help that also comes from this neighborhood to today.

We additionally launched a series of posts and articles discussing other ways you may help: Ukraine, Ukrainian ladies in the course of the warfare, Ukrainian Search engine marketing specialists who grew to become volunteers, and our unbelievable group.

Later this yr, SE Ranking was shortlisted for the Global Content Awards as the perfect Crisis Response Content Campaign for this sequence of publications.

We are particularly grateful to Miranda Miller who was among the many first to help us as we voiced what wanted and nonetheless must be stated.

SE Ranking additionally organized a Charity Search engine marketing Webinar with Aleyda Solis, Barry Schwartz, Barry Adams, And Kristina Azarenko, which was attended by greater than 1,100 folks.

The occasion raised $4,000 for the Save the Children basis, which offers safety to each little one affected by the warfare in Ukraine.

With all this help, we have now been satisfied as soon as once more that the Search engine marketing neighborhood is an actual household that’s at all times there to face by and with you throughout probably the most difficult of instances.

Lesson realized: Make your voice heard and your neighborhood will help you.

Be Secure. Be Sincere. Be Honest. Be Supportive. Be Strong.

These ideas solely work when paired with transparency and honesty.

We imagine that these virtues are foundational to each enterprise’s success. You should be crystal clear about what your applied sciences and processes provide, and be absolutely open to the wants, opinions, and well-being of your workers and purchasers.

• Safe information needs to be persistently secure.
• Transparent communications should at all times be – clear.
• If you provide full help, be absolutely supportive.

This strategy proved and nonetheless proves efficient for us and is unlikely ever to vary.

And keep in mind: crises elevate distinctive challenges that require distinctive approaches. One-size-fits-all methods haven’t any place right here. So, use our ideas as benchmarks and adapt them to your small business technique as you discover your personal approach to success.