Where to focus your SEO strategy this year?
2WinPower experts have analysed the dynamics of development in the field of online casino promotion.
We will talk about the benefits of using this marketing tool, key trends, and important changes in search algorithms.
What Is SEO Optimisation of an iGaming Project
Search Engine Optimisation is a set of actions aimed at improving the position of a gambling platform in the top search results.
Where to Advertise an Online Casino
Marketers are guided by Google, Yandex, Bing, Yahoo!, Baidu, and other systems.
- The promotion of gaming sites among the Russian-speaking audience is aimed at Google and Yandex services since they provide 98.2% of the market coverage.
- Advertising of iGaming projects in Southeast Asia, in addition to requests from Google, should take into account the local systems: Baidu (China), Naver (South Korea), and Yahoo! Taiwan (Taiwan).
- Gamblers from North America most often search for information using Google and Yahoo!
SEO rarely acts as an independent method. It is an important component of the overall advertising strategy along with social media targeting, affiliate promotion, and other options.
Operators can optimise their gambling projects without any help or outsource this task.
Key Benefits of SEO
The solution has the following advantages:
Wide audience coverage
SEO advertising drives organic (real) traffic to your website.
For the gambling field, these are men aged 25–40 with a stable income above average, the availability of free time, and a loyal attitude towards casino games (their consideration as a way to have fun, not to earn money).
Democratic price
The publication of links on external sites, although not for free, costs 2–3 times less compared to contextual or SMM advertising. For entrepreneurs, this is a great way to optimise marketing costs.
Formation of customer loyalty
Google and Yandex analytical services carefully check the authenticity of published data and often block those websites that spread false information.
If a casino managed to get to the top of the results of user requests, then it is guaranteed to receive an inflow of a new and loyal audience.
High conversion
The percentage of transition from a simple view to a target action (registration, making a deposit) is traditionally higher for SEO marketing.
Gamblers deliberately enter a specific query into the search box in order to play casino entertainment.
Stable results
With the right approach, SEO brings high conversions and an increase in the income of managers over the long term. The gaming site remains at the top of requests, and all operators need to do is monitor the results properly.
The task of a marketer is to raise the casino website in search engines as high as possible.
To achieve the result, specialists:
- increase the relevance (correspondence of pages to the most frequent user requests);
- adjust the structure of gaming sites;
- optimise content (fill it with links and publish up-to-date information);
- increase the validity of the program code;
- increase external factors of significance and popularity of the iGaming project (interact with specialised internet editions and influencers).
The work on search engine optimisation can be divided into 2 types:
- Internal. It involves the qualitative improvement of a gambling resource to increase its relevance in search engines. This includes the compilation of the semantic core, the refinement of the internal structure, the elimination of technical errors, and the implementation of linking between pages.
- External. The buildup of the reference mass from third-party sources — thematic non-spammed pages. These are forums, blogs, specialised internet resources, and rating portals.
For a gambling platform to be relevant, it is important to use different types of content:
- unique texts (reviews, articles, news, research);
- infographics (tables and diagrams);
- videos;
- interactive maps;
- thematic calculators, etc.
Regular Update of Algorithms Is the Main Trend of 2024
Optimisation rules are set by search engines. Each of them is constantly improving algorithms for ranking sites and releasing updates for existing tools and analytical services.
To achieve maximum efficiency from online casino SEO, it is important for specialists to constantly monitor the planned changes. It is also necessary to respond quickly to the latest releases. Ideally, a gaming site should be ready 2–3 months before the next update of the search bot algorithms.
Let us take a look at which of Google's updates are the most popular in 2024:
Core Web Vitals
The casino’s quality assessment procedure was presented in the summer of 2021, and its update took place in March of this year. The solution helps online locations meet the basic technical requirements and be competitive.
The evaluation of a gambling project is carried out according to 3 parameters:
- LCP — loading speed of the main page;
- FID — speed and convenience of interaction with the website;
- CLS — a smooth movement of the layout in the case of scrolling.
Passage Indexing
Update for the indexation of text fragments and individual parts of the web page.
The solution increases the relevance of long but well-structured texts and better displays useful data during the ranking process.
Page Experience
The new algorithm is focused on the improvement of user experience and contains several requirements:
- honest content without virus software and malware;
- the absence of annoying advertising banners that cover the working area;
- data transmission via the HTTP protocol;
- certification according to the SSL method;
- high valuation of Core Web Vitals metrics.
Adaptation of Content for Mobile Devices
Mobile First is a trend of the last few years that is still relevant for the iGaming industry in 2024. Statistics show that the share of organic traffic from smartphones for the B2C niche reaches 80%, while only 20% is accounted for by native devices.
Gamblers prefer to play directly on mobile platforms. They download and install applications much less often: it is done only by regular visitors.
In 2024, SEO promotion is focused on the optimisation of mobile casino sites. Moreover, in the spring of 2021, the long-awaited release of the Mobile First Index algorithm from Google took place. Now, the program primarily indexes not the desktop (as it was before) but the mobile version of the portal.
To achieve better relevance of the platform, all changes must be made first in the mobile casino and then moved to the desktop.
Nuances of SEO optimisation according to the Mobile First algorithm:
- Emphasis on fast loading. Pages of mobile sites load slower than desktop versions. Specialists need to reduce the “weight” of mobile casinos so as not to scare away potential customers.
- Responsive design. Buttons, sections of the menu, texts, video clips, and conversion elements should be placed at a convenient distance between them. Users should feel comfortable visiting the website without the need to look for information “under a microscope”. Do not place content in the form of tabs or carousels. These interface elements are more suitable for desktop versions.
- Functional testing. Not all options work equally well on smartphones and desktop products. It is necessary to check each function and correctly place accents. In stationary versions, the emphasis is often laid on the beauty of perception, while the main thing in mobile casinos is the benefit for the clients.
In November 2021, Google announced that a new Desktop Page Experience algorithm would be released in February 2022.
The essence of the update is the growing importance of the adapted mobile design (for iOS and Android) for better ranking in the search engine. It is also worth remembering the development of easily downloaded apps that will be very beneficial.
Effective Text Optimisation for Search Engines
In 2024, the actions of SEO specialists are aimed at:
- working with backlinks;
- internal optimisation.
The Use of a Backlink Profile on External Resources
This is interaction with links that are posted in specialised online communities, on rating sites, and thematic platforms. They bring a double benefit to the growth of web casino traffic.
Users follow direct links to the gambling portal and search engines better index such a resource, which also increases conversion.
Successful link profile management in 2024 consists of the following elements:
- Analysis of competitors. It is worth focusing on top iGaming projects that have a developed link mass and are consistently published on specialised internet platforms. In the future, this will make it easier to choose the best promotion strategy: use a lot of cheap links or a more expensive placement.
- Outreach scheme. This is the publication of links on resources that are not part of the formal promotion channels. Operators can collaborate with influencers, bloggers, and YouTube content authors. Thus, entrepreneurs will receive qualitative internet traffic, high places in search engines, and improved image indicators.
- Useful tools. Google Alerts and Ahferts are used to track traffic and current news on a given topic. The performance of already existing links can be checked using Link Checker Pro and Sitechecker. Some Google programs are also designed to add new links to old publications.
Internal Optimisation
The process means working directly on the gambling platform with such materials as texts, infographics, video content, and a reference base. The better the resource is filled (according to the requirements of search engines), the higher it is indexed.
In 2024, it is worth paying attention to the following aspects:
- Design of the page. These are the title, description, keywords in URL and tags, reliable source links, as well as images with a good extension. For relinking, it is possible to use Streaming Frog and Content King free tools.
- E-A-T compliance. The essence of the concept lies in the authenticity, authority, and expertise of the published materials. It must be used by platforms related to medicine, law, and finance. As for gaming sites, the E-A-T requirements are advisory. To improve the search positions of the casino, business owners need to fill out the “About the company” section, add some reviews and provide information about the experts who wrote the articles.
- Data structuring. Google ranks pages with micro-markup much better than without it. For the correct implementation, Schema or Open Graph specialised tools are used.
What Else Is Popular in 2024
Let us consider the most important SEO optimisation trends:
- Voice search. Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa virtual voice assistants are actively used in gadgets. In 2024, the share of their users increased by 20%. These tools are much more comfortable compared to manual typing. SEO optimisation in this field is focused on keywords and phrases with additional wording.
- SEO with video. The number of views on Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitch exceeds millions, which makes the websites in demand for SEO promotion. Twitch is the leader among streaming platforms, and it is worth noting that gambling ads are allowed here.
- Artificial intelligence. YATI, Yandex's new search algorithm, was developed on the basis of AI. The program gives results not only based on key phrases but the meaning of the texts as well. The search bot has learned to look for given information, understand the content of texts, and distinguish good materials from low-quality ones. The algorithmic rules of YATI need to be taken into account by those operators who are focused on the Russian-speaking audience.
The Main Things about SEO Promotion of Online Casinos
SEO marketing is a set of measures aimed at optimising the content of gaming sites for their better ranking by search engines: Google, Yandex, and others.
- The advantages of the solution include a wide audience coverage, affordable price, formation of customer loyalty, high conversion, and stable results.
- Search engines work according to preset algorithms that are constantly being improved and modified. The task of marketers is to keep track of all updates in order to prepare the website for upcoming changes. The latest Google configurations are aimed at improving the platform’s performance and user experience.
- Adaptation of content for mobile devices is one of the main trends of 2024. SEO optimisation following the Mobile First algorithm from Google takes into account the resource’s loading speed, adaptability of the design, and excellent functionality.
- SEO trends include the use of voice search and artificial intelligence, effective internal and external optimisation, as well as cooperation with opinion leaders.
The 2WinPower aggregator studio provides comprehensive online casino promotion services, including:
- SEO marketing;
- targeting on social networks;
- contextual advertising;
- collaboration with affiliates.
We can develop a unique
marketing strategy for the iGaming business, taking into account all market conditions and the wishes of a client.
From our team of specialists, it is also possible to buy such services as a turnkey online casino, the launch of a project under the White Label scheme, the installation of payment services, and much more.
Place an order in a few clicks.