Last Updated: 17 july 2025
Today’s guest on our interview series is Alexander StriJ – an SEO legend. From a fan site about “Cossacks” to the top ranks of the gambling industry.
Where did it all begin, where is SEO heading, and how do you become a successful SEO expert? Let’s find out in the interview.
– How did you start out and get into the SEO field?
I began my journey in 2003 by setting up a website on Narod.ru, using a dial-up modem. Initially, this was just a small experiment, but soon after, I created a site dedicated to the game Cossacks: Back to War, which I was deeply involved in at the time. It started as a clan page but eventually grew into a full-fledged gaming portal filled with useful content.
This attracted enough attention to generate the first advertising revenue, and the site gained popularity. Ultimately, I sold the project and shifted my focus to managing gaming traffic, redirecting it to various CPA networks.
By 2013, I expanded into the gambling industry, starting with a poker room ratings platform, and that’s where things really took off.
– Best advice you’ve ever been given?
Trust no one.
– Who can become a successful SEO specialist nowadays? What influences? Personal qualities, age, language?
Someone who is obsessed with it, spending days and nights reading, analyzing, and pursuing it with relentless passion. Neither age nor language has any influence.
– The most useful tool for an SEO specialist today?
Negotiation skills )
It’s difficult to overstate the importance of Ahrefs. However, the most crucial tools remain Google and Yandex analytics.
– The top 3 trends SEO is following today?
Behavioral factors, links, drops.
– What rake do all SEO specialists always step on?
Many newcomers mistakenly believe that simply creating and perfecting a website guarantees top rankings on Google or Yandex. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. =) Remember: Google doesn’t give a f*ck about your fantasies 😉
– If you had the chance, what would you change?
Thinking…
Yes, there have been personal moments, but I’ve moved on. I wouldn’t change anything—it’s tough dwelling on the past.
Better to keep moving forward without regrets. =)
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