iGaming is a lucrative business as it is always popular among the players. Internet gaming gives a chance for everyone involved to feel the thrill of a game, get rid of routine, and possibly, have some profit. iGaming seems to be an easy business to set up, as there is always a ‘readily-available’ audience, which is willing to try new games. However, igaming is one of the toughest spheres to get into, as the level of competition goes above and beyond any expectations.
The online gaming market is growing exponentially, causing a major problem – the inability to be seen by the users, who rarely check further than the first page with search results. Besides, search engine algorithms aren’t in favor of the gaming sphere, which led to the development of a specific SEO and link building for igaming. The implementation of a foolproof SEO strategy will propel the rise of the search ranking, and thus, will make the platform visible to the audience. Let’s look into all the aspects of the techniques, and see the benefits they offer to an igaming sphere.
SEO for iGaming
SEO (search engine optimization) is the most helpful tool for reaching a high ranking in the search. iGaming SEO requires a bit different strategy, as the competition is fierce when money is involved. As a rule, the igaming platform will benefit from cooperation with SEO link building agency, as implementing everything with ‘in-house’ attempts will just lead to a waste of time.
- Unlike conventional SEO, ‘keyword hunting’ will not do the trick, as new ones are being coined every year, therefore, it’s important to continuously update the marketing strategy.
- Competitor’s analysis is a ‘must’, as you need to be aware of every step they do, and what links and keywords they use to stay atop.
- Backlinking may be a real challenge, as reputable websites with high rankings try to stay away from all the betting due to their notorious fame.
Despite the difficulties, it is possible to make the igaming platform reach the top searches and thus, win more customers’ attention.
How to build an SEO strategy for iGaming?
iGaming Seo strategies require a decent knowledge and deep understanding of search engine algorithms, as they are the ones to define your placement in the search list.
1. Opt for an ‘aged’ domain
When you start with an old domain, the platform will gain more trust from the algorithms and generate better traffic for your business. A suitable ‘aged’ domain is one with a good link profile, no spammy links, and belongs to a specific niche.
2. Proper keyword search
As long as igaming is extremely competitive, the keywords are always evolving, requiring link building agencies to change their marketing approach. It is always best to look for the keywords in the specialized niche, and check their performance – search volumes, competitive level, and CPC rates.
Between longtail and medium keywords, it is better to go for the latter ones, as they offer a balance of profitability and challenges.
The implementation of the keywords should be as natural as possible, without making content overstuffed with them, as it can lead to the platform being penalized.
3. User experience
The user’s experience is one of the cornerstones of success, as gamers need everything to work smoothly and without interruptions; besides, the intuitive layout benefits the overall experience as well. (1)
4. Informational benefits
Your website should offer informative content for the users. The articles must be well-written, with clear instructions or recommendations, and strategies for games. It will increase chances for better ranking in SERPs and will make the platform look more authoritative. It is better to avoid simple and rewritten texts, as they will have no value for the players. The language of the writing matters as well, as it must be well-recognized in the gaming sphere, including local slang.
5. Backlinking
Backlinking is an integral part of igaming SEO, used by the majority of professional link building agencies. By getting natural backlinks from authoritative websites, your platform will have a higher chance of ranking in the search engine ranking pages. Obviously, the more backlinks you get, the better chances you have for a higher authority scale. However, quantity should not win over quality. One link from a high-authority website is better than numerous links from low-authority ones.
Among the best techniques to use for linking are writing guest posts and niche edits.
Linkbuilding for iGaming platforms
Link strategy requires proper planning and execution. By establishing proper connections, you will boost your gaming platform visibility.
1. Define the target audience
The target audience defines the style and choice of content. It is important to consider the age of the audience as well because it will influence the language used for the proper implementation of igaming SEO strategies.
2. Guest posts
Guest posts are a popular choice among igaming SEO tactics, it is a tried-and-tested method to make a difference in website performance. This method refers to creating articles of your specialty, with links back to your website.
Can iGaming benefit from guest blogging? Certainly, yet the content must be original and well-written, especially if you want to target a high-end society.
Such posts should be placed on the platform with high authority and ratings, otherwise, the effectiveness of such collaboration will be lost. When the user read the article and trusts the website enough to follow the link they share, you get better traffic.
Such a tactic is effective yet it typically shows the results in a long-term perspective and is a part and parcel of your online presence.
Another good option is sharing your links on social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as they typically have a better reach with the audience due to the length of posts.
3. Collaboration with niche websites
Scan the network for related to your niche websites, and analyze their profiles with the tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush, which will present an insight into the traffic and authority scale. Once the list of the most ‘efficient’ igaming websites is ready, you need to outreach the web admins and offer them collaboration – they can insert the backlink to your website into their content, or you can just swap the backlinks.
Niche edits for igaming show their effectiveness sooner than the guest posts, as the websites you reach have good and steady traffic, which will lead to more traffic to your platform – all the link juice you get will increase your level of authority and traffic, raising your position in the search list.
4. Mutually-beneficial linking
When you write content for your website, you typically link other websites as references. After posting your content, it’s worth contacting the owners and asking them about an exchange of igaming links. As a rule, they agree on the cooperation, provided you have a high audience outreach. If you cannot boast with a high level of traffic yet, it is just a good way to start a ‘friendship’.
When considering the platforms to connect with, pay attention to video and audio resources (like podcasts), as people are more willing to get the information from such sources, rather than just read long and educational articles.
The takeaway
Internet gaming niche expansion knows no limits, as it is highly profitable under the proper implementation of promotion strategies. With the number of platforms appearing on a daily basis, it is a real challenge to reach the top of the search list and hold this position steadily. Successful optimization of the platform performance can only be ensured with the proper SEO strategies.
Link building is one of the best methods to use for increasing website outreach. However, it may be challenging due to the high level of competition and a rather distrustful attitude of society towards gaming.
Therefore, it is highly recommended to hire an SEO link-building agency with a team of professionals, who are already aware of the websites to collaborate with, and all the ins and outs of the process. (2)
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