Welcome to a new WTSInterview edition, where we interview brilliant SEOs in our industry and share their stories with the world! WTS members are welcome to share their story by simply filling out this form; we encourage folks from all walks of life in our industry to do so.

Introducing Valeriia Verheles! Valeria is a SEO and Growth Strategist with nearly a decade of experience. Originally from Ukraine, but currently based in Warsaw, Poland.

Having honed her skills in agency environments across diverse niches and languages, she has also dedicated herself to mentoring SEO Juniors and training newcomers from the ground up. For Valeria, sharing knowledge is more than just a task - it’s a mission to open doors into the tech industry for others.

Beyond the SERPs, Valeria is a proactive explorer and a dedicated volunteer. For the past four years, she has coordinated a volunteer center weaving camouflage nets and has worked as a translator for international exhibitions focused on the rebuilding of Ukraine.

She is driven by a passion for delivering results that bring genuine satisfaction to both her and her clients.

How did you get into SEO?

This story always brings a smile to people's faces. For me, work is about satisfaction, so when I left a job I didn't enjoy, I looked for something that would truly ignite my passion. Having worked as an SEO copywriter during university, I decided to explore that path further.

I actually almost canceled the interview, that started it all, because it was on the other side of the city, but my friend practically forced me to go. As it turned out, despite interviewing for a copywriting role with no technical experience, the agency believed in my potential and hired me as an SEO specialist. They gave me a chance, and I haven’t looked back since.

What is your favourite SEO task?

I genuinely enjoy being helpful, so my favorite tasks are performing technical audits and building long-term growth strategies. I can literally feel my "karma points" increasing when I see a client's results improve as a direct result of my work.

What is your go-to tool or resource that you can't live without?

I value tools that provide a quick "big picture" of a site. Screaming Frog is my absolute favorite for technical health, while various SEO extensions, like AIOSEO, make my daily life easier by providing instant on-page insights.

What is something you learned in SEO that made you have an 'AHA' moment?

SEO taught me that you don’t always have to follow the "herd instinct." In my 10 years of experience, I’ve seen many sites where optimization was done just for the sake of doing it.

My "AHA" moment was realizing that SEO is pointless if it doesn’t drive actual business results. I don’t like working without a purpose; I put my best effort into projects to see tangible growth and in that moment I feel like I can move the mountains.

What is your proudest industry achievement?

While I am proud of many agency projects, especially those where I took sites with zero traffic to the first page of Google, but my greatest pride lies in my students. I taught them everything from scratch (just as I was once taught), and seeing them thrive today as Senior SEOs is a wonderful feeling. It makes me feel like I’m truly making the industry a better place.

What advice would you give those starting out in SEO?

I come from a humanities background; if someone at university had told me I’d work in IT, I would have laughed.

My advice is: don't be afraid and don't doubt yourself. Apply for jobs even if you think you don't fit perfectly, ask questions and be open to networking. Sharing experiences with colleagues is the most valuable asset you can have.

Give a shout out to a person of marginalised gender in the industry who inspires you and tell us why

I really admire Lily Ray. I love how she presents complex information and I find her deep-dive researches incredibly insightful.

What empowers you to be the brilliant person you are?

Constant and continuous self-development. I’ve always been a bit stubborn about following my own path, even when others tried to tell me how to do things "better." Of course, that path included mistakes and wasted time, but those were my best teachers.

That stubbornness is why I’m in SEO today, why I joined this community (even when I worried my English wasn't perfect), and why I’m writing this interview now. My driving force is the realization that no matter how scary it feels, you always have yourself - and you are your own best generator of your changes in life.

Finally, how does it feel being part of the Women in Tech SEO community?

I’m so excited! When I was setting my professional goals for the year and envisioned a professional community, I imagined exactly this: a space that is supportive, inspiring, open, and filled with brilliant experts.

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Thanks, Valeriia, for a truly insightful interview!

You can follow and/or connect with Valeriia on her Linkedin!

Check out our Interviews page for more interviews. If you've enjoyed reading this, we'd love for YOU to share your story with the world! Simply fill this form here, we welcome brilliant SEOs from all walks of life! 🙌🏽