IGaming SEO is one of the most important marketing strategies within the branch. As marketing activities for iGaming are very strict in regulated markets, SEO is a vital means for generating a new player base.
But what is SEO marketing and how does it work within the iGaming branch? Read along and find out in this article from QMRA!
What is SEO? A short introduction
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Everybody that wants to find information and has internet access will use search engines. This can be platforms such as Google or Bing. It is estimated that around 90% of the world wide internet users uses Google in their life, meaning that more than 5 Billion people use it. Reaching this audience holds great potential for your business.
This is exactly what SEO does. It basically means that you use a website and make it the highest ranking website possible on a search engine platform. Websites that get on the top will receive more traffic. Using content or other strategies such as link building the platform will try to get as high of a ranking possible on the search engines.
IGaming SEO: The specifics
The iGaming business, consisting of online gambling with casino’s or (sports-)brokers, is one of the most competitive niches in the world. And as is the case with competitive markets, companies will always try to find a way to one up each other.
Gambling affiliates might not be particularly new, but are still very profitable. For that reason online gambling operators widely make use of this type of marketing strategy. Lets dive deeper in the strategies used with gambling affiliation.
Search word strategy
Using search words to optimize your SEO means writing content, lots of content. It can be a very good strategy, but will take a lot of time and thus patience. However, when preserverance is shown this strategy can be very effective. The key to a good search word strategy is to use search words that have a low to median level of competition. There are multiple tools available which can evaluate how search words operate, such as Semrush or Google ads. When search words have low to median competition this means that other parties have not overly used them, making it easier to penetrate the search results using these key words.
One of thos keywords strategies can be so-called ‘long-tail keywords’. These are keywords that typically range from three to five words. Examples of long-tail keywords are:
- Online casino soccer betting bonus
- UK Casino sports betting
- and, Online casino game bonus
These kind of keywords can be used to penetrate the search engine results by using them in your content. It is also possible to use high-competition keywords. This does require a different strategy all together, because you will need:
- A large budget, as more budget means more content and more likeliness of penetration
- Investments in high ranking backlinks, which will also cost money or great partnerships
- Have a lot of patience as results will take time
If you don’t have one of these than it is better to aim for using low competition keywords, as it is easier to score on these. The volume of scoring will be lower to when you score to a high-competition keyword, but the chances of penetration are higher.
The strategy of backlinks and domain authority
Incorporating backlinks from trustworthy websites will consequently make your website more trustworthy. When Google sees well-known sites linking to you, it starts to view your content as more credible. This helps build your domain authority, which plays a big role in how well your site ranks.
Getting high-quality backlinks in the iGaming space isn’t easy. Many big websites are careful about linking to gambling-related content because of legal or brand concerns. That means earning good links often takes a lot of time, relationship-building, and money.
Here are three things to focus on:
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Quality over quantity – One backlink from a respected, relevant site is worth more than dozens from low-quality ones.
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Stay relevant – Links from sites related to gambling, entertainment, or tech are more valuable than random ones.
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Be ready to invest – In iGaming, getting strong backlinks can take serious time, effort, and budget.
Even though it’s not quick or cheap, building a strong backlink profile is one of the best long-term strategies for growing organic traffic and staying ahead of the competition.
How a trustworthy quality mark helps iGaming affiliation
For all kinds of branches there are quality marks. This is also the case for iGaming affiliation. The Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates (QMRA) is the quality mark for the iGaming affiliate business. With thorough reviews of affiliates in around 20 markets it guarantees that affiliates uphold the local legislation of specific jurisdictions. Some of the jurisdictions are:
A recognized quality mark can actually be beneficial to your iGaming SEO endeavours. It builds trust and credibility with your visitors and the search engines you are trying to rank on. A trustworthy site is more likely to rank higher because it’s seen as reliable and authoritative. Consequently when your site is certified and viewed as reputable, media outlets, industry partners, and other websites are more inclined to link to it. These backlinks are crucial signals that help improve your domain authority and search visibility.
A visible and trusted label can increase your click-through rate (CTR). Users scanning through search results are more likely to click on a site that appears safe and credible, giving you an edge over competitors who don’t have that extra layer of trust. Trust also plays a role in keeping visitors on your site. When people feel confident in your legitimacy, they’re more likely to stay longer and engage with your content, ultimately reducing your bounce rate and improving user experience metrics.
Being audited and associated with a reputable quality mark can also open doors to new partnerships. Legitimate operators and organizations prefer working with trustworthy sites, so this could help you build valuable business relationships that might otherwise be out of reach.
Invest in your iGaming SEO strategy
The iGaming affiliation market is a fierce one to operate it. This makes it thus the more important to invest in well-thought-out strategies to make your iGaming affiliate stand out. It is simply not enough to just start and see where the ship strands. Using strategies such as low and median keywords and link building can greatly increase your search engine and traffic results. For any strategy to be successful it is necessary to make investments. How much you are willing to invest greatly depends on the strategy that is chosen, as we explained above.
If time is one of your biggest concerns, consulting an SEO strategist or specified marketing company can be a good bet. These businesses can range from building a strategy together with you, to completely taking over your SEO campaigns, letting you focus on other things. However, this can be a very expensive business model depending on your needs. There is at least one step you can already take, and that is joining a well reputed quality mark, the QMRA. Our reports also have proven results in increasing trustworthiness with search engines such as Google for their advertisements tools, making joining your worthwhile.
