SEO Tips and Tricks for iGaming and Sports Betting
Having a successful Online Casino or Sports Betting website is heavily reliant on where Google decides to put you in their organic search engine results. That is because of the visibility you can achieve in front of target users, who often become regular players.
SEO Techniques have changed dramatically in recent years because of the way that people search on Google. Gone are the days of merely implementing keyword-rich META data and buying some half-decent backlinks, and voila!
Organic Search is one of the most cost-efficient ways to generate user traffic for the iGaming sector. When it is done well, the volume of search engine traffic you can create often results in an extremely low cost per acquisition, enabling your casino or sportsbook to quickly become profitable and scale-up. If you want to achieve top-5 organic positions for the search terms that a) drive site traffic and b) convert users into players, there are numerous SEO activities involved, including:
1) Website Architecture and Navigation Structure
Google wants to see a website that has a logical structure, is easy to crawl, and provides a great user experience for potential players. This structure should follow the hierarchy of your page URLs.
Having worked with over 25 casinos and sportsbooks globally, our team discovered early on that several of the most popular iGaming platforms struggle to offer the kind of “out of the box” structure and page experience that help achieve first page Google results. Many of these operator platforms do not allow for the simple editing of individual gaming page content, information, and META data, e.g., a Slot Game or a Sports Bet.
Stack works closely with the most prominent operators and our clients to discover and implement development workarounds, ensuring that key webpages are indexed and appropriately placed in Google’s index. Using tactics like internal linking, for example, we can make sure that your casino or sports betting site is search engine friendly and provides the best possible user experience within your platform’s limitations.
2) Keyword Strategy, Research, and Competitor Keyword Analysis
The importance of understanding what your users / potential players and looking for when they search for your bets cannot be underestimated when you are trying to generate profitable revenue from your Casino or Sportsbook. This is because of the market’s sheer size, competitiveness, and the considerable range of keyword variations that punters use to discover your bet offering.
Brand Intent: Where users are previously aware of your company’s brand name and use it in the search string when they try and find your site.
Generic Intent: Where users type in general betting search terms, not really having too much of an idea of the market and what they are looking for, e.g., “Online Casino” / “Sports Betting.”
Promotion Intent: Where users may be aware of a specific football game or slot offer, they will use this in their search, e.g., “100 Free Spins”.
Games Intent: Where users search for a particular slot or table game, e.g., “Book of Dead Slot” or “Play Online Roulette.”
We recommend combining these sets of keywords and creating a holistic strategy that encompasses various search intent levels. Then, potential players will be shown to the most appropriate page/content areas to make their call to action through excellent site structure and user experience.
3. Handling Technical and On-Page Search Engine Optimisation
Technical Search is the cornerstone of any SEO strategy. It covers elements like Site Load Speed, Crawl Budget, Content Optimisation, META Data Writing, and many more.
There are around 200 technical search factors that Google looks at when determining where to rank a Sports Betting / Casino site. Fixing issues, including on-page errors, or improving technical aspects of a site can be an extremely effective way of giving your organic rankings a leg-up while generating more player traffic.
It is worth noting that not every Technical SEO issue will have a considerable difference in where you rank. What often happens is, by fixing a handful of technical problems, you will see gradual improvements that complement other SEO activities like content creation, META, and Link Acquisition.
Keyword Research discussed above ties this together by targeting the most relevant terms and phrases users type into Google to become players. By using Language Tags, you can also inform Google which countries your casino or sportsbook is targeting. You can even use Language Tags to geo-target local languages.
4. Acquiring and Earning Backlinks
Your Sports Betting site or Online Casino Platform will not achieve top-5 organic placement in a competitive territory, i.e., The US, without earning high quality, natural backlinks. This is because Google was created based on the premise that you are giving that website a thumbs-up if you link or reference another website. It is a crucial ranking signal to say, “Hey, you guys should check this site out.” Google was first to do this back in the late ’90s, and it’s one of the main reasons for the search engine’s success.
Many iGaming SEO’s go wrong because they will buy in low quality, high volume links using people who sell links. I was just this week by a large global casino and sportsbook that had recently been acquired in the US to “give me your best price on buying links.” This tactic comes with a very high risk because these links are often toxic and spammy, and you may well see either a significant drop in rankings or worse still, you can get your Casino / Sportsbook’s domain banned from Google’s index – not good!
Stack spends a lot of time on outreach tasks for our iGaming clients, earning high-quality natural backlinks from relevant sources using white-hat techniques from Guest Blogging and Broken Link Development, plus Online Press releases and Local Directories.
When we are acquiring links, we look to adhere to specific metrics, considering Domain Authority, Page Authority, Trustflow, and the third-party website/blog’s target audience.
Earning authoritative links by deploying a well-considered content marketing and outreach plan is a fantastic way of improving your Casino or Sportsbooks domain strength. As a result, Google will take a much more positive view of your site.
Is your Sportsbook or Casino ready to start ranking?
I am sure by now you will have a good idea of what is involved when it comes to achieving a top-5 organic position and driving online betting traffic to your platform.
Stack has recently partnered up with Stephen Crystal and his fantastic team at SCCG Management to help his partners achieve more online players and build further awareness in their casino and sports betting brands. This is super-exciting for us to get involved in such a vibrant market as the US, and we welcome the opportunity for further conversations. So, if you run a sportsbook or casino, and you want to discuss why your website is not ranking, then feel free to reach out to the Stack team on +44 01642 425 585 / info@stackdigital.co.uk
STEPHEN CRYSTAL TO PARTICIPATE IN BWG STRATEGY Q&A
Stephen Crystal, Founder of SCCG Management, will participate in the online “Live Casino & Sports Betting Outlook Q&A” on February 17, 2021 at 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time.
Stephen A. Crystal, Founder of SCCG Management, announced today that veteran casino gaming executive, Michael Silberling, has joined their Advisory Board to build upon its casino management practice.
VegasSlotsOnline Interview with Stephen Crystal, Part 1 of 2
VegasSlotsOnline News spoke with Stephen A. Crystal, head of Betfred Sports US and Canada development, to get his take on Las Vegas’s potential for recovery post-COVID-19.
- Betfred Sports US and Canada development head Stephen Crystal reacted to Nevada 2020 results
- While many predict a Vegas recovery in a minimum of two years, he argues it could come sooner
- Pandemic pushed operators towards sports betting and iGaming, according to the executive
- He described a “perfect storm” for sports betting in 2020, partly due to pent-up customer demand
