We are back with a brand new season of Footprints in the Market | Influencing iGaming (and a brand new website to go with it).
For the first Episode of Season 2, we welcomed Emma-Elizabeth Byrne, Director of Publishing at Gentoo Media. Emma sat down with our host, Digital Footprints Managing Director Sharon McFarlane, for a fascinating discussion about the ever-evolving landscape of SEO in iGaming.
The Evolution of SEO in iGaming
SEO is a fundamental cornerstone of marketing in iGaming, among countless other industries. However, it has evolved significantly over the years, with algorithm updates and new content requirements constantly changing the way in which marketers need to think about and approach their SEO strategies.
Long gone are the days when systems could be gamed with keyword stuffing and similar tactics. Now, content needs to provide value first and foremost if it wants to be picked up by search engines.
Emma explains:
“The key word that I’m using with my team is ‘value’. That’s value for the users, more so than just trying to please Google. Before, there were lots of spammy tactics, like keyword stuffing, that weren’t necessarily providing the best value for the user. Now, with recent updates like the Helpful Content update, you need to be providing more value for users and ensuring that users are actually getting something from your content.
“So, if you’re writing a review, have you shown that you’re actually using the product or the service from the casino or the payment provider, not just saying, ‘this is a really good slot because…’”
User Testing
User testing is nothing new in our digital age, but it’s something that can offer real value for developers and providers. Direct feedback from users can help identify issues and highlight areas of opportunity. Crucially, user testing can offer a different perspective when compared to in-house testing.
Emma said:
“Your in-house testers are going to look at your product differently than how average Joe Blogs is going to look at it, because they’re not going to be as tech savvy or as tech smart. You’re testing it, knowing where everything is and knowing how the functionality should work. A user testing it, they’re just going to click every button, they’re going to type everything, they’re going to do things that you don’t expect, and that’s what you want and that’s what you’re going to get useful information out of.”
Navigating a Saturated Market
The iGaming space has enjoyed incredible growth in recent years. While growth is never something to complain about, this does mean the industry is now more competitive than ever. Emma touched on how affiliate platforms can stay ahead in an increasingly crowded market landscape:
“I think it’s about finding what niche you want to go for. Are you a bingo website? Are you a slots-focused website? Are you going to just go heavy on reviews, sports? If so, which sport or bonuses or new casinos? Because those are all different keyword options, different domain options. That gives you a niche focus. You can always build on that, but you need to make sure you have a solid foundation first rather than trying to do everything at the same time.
“If you start in casino, you shouldn’t try and do sports book straight away. Equally, if you are a sports book, you shouldn’t try and do casino straight away. It’s all about finding what your niche is and how you’re going to separate yourself out from all of the other products out there. You do see some new products or some newer domains coming up through the markets, and they do that from knowing their niche, investing in top quality content and building on that instead of trying to do everything at the same time.”
Emma and Sharon also discussed:
Essential SEO Tools (jump to 13.11)
Content Strategies and User Engagement (jump to 15.06)
AI in Content Creation (jump to 17.12)
A huge thanks to Emma for being our first guest on Season 2 of Footprints in the Market | Influencing iGaming. Watch this space for Episode 2!
