iGaming SEO Strategies You NEED for Higher Rankings in 2025

Want to rank your gambling site in 2025? In this podcast, SEO expert Ivana Flynn shares actionable iGaming SEO strategies, link-building tips, and insights on adapting to evolving search trends.

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Oleksandra Khilova [OK]: Welcome to our new podcast episode — New Season 2025. This is a place where we gather with amazing guests, share our experiences, and help guide you in the right direction for your strategy.

Today, we have an incredible guest joining us — Ivana Flynn. Ivana is a dynamic SEO speaker, thought leader, and expert in the iGaming SEO field. With a wealth of experience in SEO, marketing, Reddit, and iGaming, she has helped countless individuals and businesses navigate the ever-changing and competitive SEO landscape.

Beyond her expertise, Ivana is known for her engaging storytelling, actionable insights, and ability to simplify complex ideas into practical strategies. Whether you're looking for a fresh perspective or want to level up your iGaming SEO skills, this conversation will be incredibly valuable.

Ivana, thank you for joining us today — I'm excited to hear your insights.

Ivana Flynn [IF]: Hello, everyone! Thank you very much for inviting me — I'm glad to be here.

A little about me: I'm Ivana, as you mentioned. I have 16 years of SEO experience, nine of which have been in iGaming, covering esports, sports betting, casino betting, slots, and more. It's an incredibly competitive niche, and we have to be very clever to make sure that we rank. So I guess that's what we're going to be talking about today.

[OK]: I’d like to start with one of the most common questions people ask at the beginning of the year: Which strategies are outdated for 2025, and which ones should we focus on this year?

[IF]: One strategy that is definitely outdated is focusing solely on optimizing for Google.

For the first time since 2015, Google's search market share has dropped below 90%, and it continues to decline. Why is this happening? Because people search differently, look for results in new ways, and interact with search results differently.

We've seen the rise of ChatGPT — we all use it. When you need an answer, you go there. So, you need to learn how to optimize for it. LLMs (large language models) are growing, and Google is working on AI Overviews — another LLM-powered feature you must be prepared to rank for. Meanwhile, Reddit and YouTube are growing, changing how users consume information.

What’s truly outdated? Not diversifying your strategy.

My number one tip for 2025 — and I say this over and over again: Diversify. Learn how to optimize for different platforms, adapt to new ranking factors, and ensure you stay relevant.

If you’re focusing only on Google, you’re missing out. Yes, 90% of the market is significant, but it's not everything — and it keeps changing. Gen Z is entering their 30s, they have money to spend, and they expect video and visual content that grabs their attention in just a few seconds. If you don’t capture their attention, someone else will.

Always ask yourself:
✔ Have I optimized enough?
✔ Am I engaging my audience?
✔ Am I where my customers are?

So, my advice? Diversify, diversify, diversify. And keep learning, because SEO has changed beyond recognition.

[OK]: What do you think about affiliate marketing in the iGaming industry? Is it still relevant for people who want to enter this field?

[IF]: Absolutely. Affiliate marketing is here to stay, though it may evolve over time.

Affiliates are highly resourceful and always discover new ways to drive traffic, so they don’t rely solely on their websites. They were the ones who popularized parasite SEO, understanding its value and how to leverage it. They are actively using Reddit, YouTube, and Twitch to promote iGaming products.

So yes, affiliate marketing remains a highly viable business — but to succeed, you need to be clever and creative. People will always want to compare options, find deals, and learn more about gambling services — and many operators don’t provide that. Operators mainly rank for branded keywords (for acquisition and retention) and short-term search terms like online casino or sports betting, but they rarely offer comparisons, insights, or educational content.

That’s where affiliates fill the gap, attracting high-value clients by providing detailed comparisons, expert reviews, and valuable insights.

Affiliate marketing isn’t dying — it’s evolving. Affiliates are always the first to adapt, and they are already leveraging new channels and trends. Simply put, they know what they’re doing.

[OK]: How should we focus on the right content approach?

As you mentioned, we now have AI, videos, and images changing how content is consumed. Traditional content strategies — such as "how to" guides or "how to bet" articles — are still widely used, but are they still effective?

My main point is that creating high-quality articles for affiliate marketing in this niche is expensive. First, it’s challenging to find skilled writers with experience in iGaming, and good content doesn’t come cheap. You can use AI tools to assist in writing, but don’t rely on AI to generate full articles from scratch — especially if you’re not an expert in the field.

In general, iGaming is an extremely competitive niche. We’re constantly chasing new keywords, new topics, and new pages. But is it really worth creating thousands of pages this year?

[IF]: No, I would say that the strategy has changed. You need to understand your target market and product first, and then build your strategy accordingly.

If you're creating a website from scratch, you can’t rely on outdated methods. Keyword research isn’t just about using two tools, copying and pasting results, and calling it a day. Instead, you need to test results on different devices — for example, searching on your phone to see mobile-specific suggestions.

Additionally, you should use ChatGPT to explore keyword opportunities. ChatGPT processes search intent differently than Google, so optimizing for ChatGPT visibility is becoming just as important. Try asking it questions as a user would, such as:

"What is the best online casino for Poland?"

The results and recommendations you get will give insight into how to rank across different platforms.

You need to think outside the box. You can’t just rely on traditional SEO tools — you have to dive deep into market trends. For example, if I’m based in Malta but researching the Romanian market, I won’t rely solely on VPNs — I’ll also use local proxies to see search results as a domestic user would.

[IF]: I'm going to use not just a VPN, but also a local proxy to see exactly what a domestic user experiences in that market.

You need to be strategic and adaptable. It’s also important to understand which platforms dominate search results — is it YouTube? Reddit? Maybe those platforms aren’t relevant in your market at all. But if they are, you need to be present and know how to optimize for them.

Once you've completed your keyword research, it's time to plan your strategy:

• What are your pillar pages?

• Which supporting pages will help build authority?

As an affiliate, your goal is to generate traffic and rank for multiple keywords — but which keywords should you target first?

The easiest way to start is by targeting brand names of your partners, offering bonuses, features, or reviews. This initial traffic growth acts as a ranking signal, helping your site gain visibility.

Once you build momentum, you can expand into more competitive keywords, such as:
✔ Casino games
✔ Table games
✔ Live casino games

Once you’ve mastered these, you can go after even bigger keywords, like "new online casinos South Africa" and other high-traffic search terms.

[IF]: But don’t expect to rank for "online casinos" right away. In the first few months, with only a handful of pages, your site won’t compete for highly competitive keywords. If you want to run a blog, you need to optimize everything strategically.

I’m not against blogs, but they shouldn’t be filled with generic content like "How to Win at X" or "How to Bet" — because everyone is already doing that. Instead, a blog is a powerful tool where you can be creative and use it to send strong relevance signals.

For example, let's say you're working on a crypto casino. Crypto casinos are booming, popping up everywhere — like mushrooms after rain. With so much competition, you need to stand out as an expert. That doesn’t just mean reviewing crypto casinos or explaining what Bitcoin is — that’s too basic.

Instead, use your blog strategically:
✔ Interview crypto experts and get their insights.
✔ Talk to payment specialists about how crypto transactions work in casinos.
✔ Discuss the pros and cons of using crypto in gambling.

By publishing expert interviews, you create high-value, unique content. You’ll naturally link to their profiles and websites, and in return, they’ll likely link back to you or mention your interview on LinkedIn, boosting your authority and visibility.

Now, you're building a highly valuable resource because you're establishing expertise on your website through blogs, expert interviews, and niche content. This doesn’t have to focus solely on payments and crypto experts — you can also interview game providers integrating crypto into their platforms. By doing this, you can carve out a unique niche for your blog.

As your blog grows, it will naturally attract outreach opportunities. Additionally, you can support it with highly relevant backlinks, as off-page relevance plays a crucial role in rankings. Obviously, you wouldn’t link from a fashion blog, but there are many quality crypto-related blogs where you can acquire relevant links to strengthen your authority.

However, the key is relevance. A major crypto website isn’t going to link to a generic "How to Play in a Crypto Casino" article. Instead, your content — whether an interview or a deep dive into crypto gaming trends — must be highly relevant and insightful.

This approach allows you to build a strong authority without needing millions of pages. Even publishing one high-quality expert interview per month can help you cover both on-page and off-page SEO factors effectively.

[IF]: Social media, engagement, and blogging will all make sense without requiring an extreme budget. As you mentioned, iGaming is expensive, so your content strategy needs to add real value and convert effectively. Instead of just saying, "Click here and deposit with our partners," this approach will bring long-term stability through Google updates and enhance your niche relevance.

This strategy isn’t limited to crypto casinos — you can apply the same principles to sports betting. Sports is a fantastic niche with endless content opportunities. For example, you can engage with fans by asking:

• Why do you love this club?

• Why are you loyal to them?

Fans love sharing their opinions, whether it’s about betting on their favorite team or why they prefer a specific provider. There’s a huge amount of organic content available — you just need to be creative.

It’s time to move away from outdated content strategies like "How to Play Roulette", "What is American Roulette?", or "What is European Roulette?" — because everyone has already done that.

Instead, think differently. Diversify. Be creative. Because SEO today is all about innovation and adaptability.

[OK]: Yeah, yeah, I totally agree. As an example, I’d like to share a screenshot of a well-known website — Gambling.com. If you don’t mind, I’d like to use this as a reference.

Looking at Gambling.com, we can see operator-generated content such as "How to Bet on Horses," "How to Play Roulette," and "How to Play Poker." This aligns exactly with what you mentioned — traditional "how-to" articles that have been done countless times.

But do these articles still work today? Personally, I think this approach is outdated.

Google crawls billions of pages daily, so when creating new content, we need to ask ourselves:

• Does this page truly answer user intent?

• How does it compare to thousands of other pages on the same topic?

Simply repeating what’s already been done isn’t enough anymore.

[IF]: That's a good question. I wouldn’t invest in this approach if I were building a new website.

However, you can’t compare a massive website like Casino.org or Gambling.com, which have been around for 10–20 years. They built their authority from the start, and at the time, their content was original. They continue to expand because that’s their established model, and they are known for it.

For them, this strategy works — but for new websites, I would take a more original approach.

If you want to create an educational resource, I’d focus on videos instead. Embedding YouTube videos to explain concepts in an engaging way is far more effective because, let’s be honest — people don’t like reading long articles.

Additionally, Google trains its AI models using data from YouTube, Wikipedia, and Reddit. These platforms play a huge role in shaping AI-generated search results, so it makes sense to be present where Google is learning from real user-generated content.

That’s why I’d prioritize video content — it’s more entertaining, engaging, and effective than a 2,000-word article buried in text.

The same applies to casino reviews. I’d still include detailed explanations — covering bonuses, payment methods, and key features — but I’d also incorporate video reviews. Most websites don’t do this, even though video content is more engaging and often easier to consume than text.

Personally, when I’m learning something new, I prefer watching a video first, then reading about it if I need more details. That’s why video content is an essential part of modern SEO strategies.

[IF]: But for me, it’s easier to understand content through video, especially because English is not my first language. Many times, listening is easier than reading and processing written content.

That’s why I believe videos are a fantastic way to both deliver and consume content — yet, we’re still missing out on this opportunity. If you look at most affiliate websites, you’ll rarely find:
✔ Video reviews
✔ Expert interviews
✔ Gameplay demonstrations (e.g., how a bonus works or what different game features mean)

Yet, this is exactly what users would love to see! Instead of reading long, text-heavy content, they’d prefer a visual, interactive explanation.

If you’re creating an affiliate website in 2025, you need to serve content differently — because that’s how users interact with information today.

We also know that soft metrics (user engagement, dwell time, and interaction) are crucial for Google rankings. So, ask yourself:

• Are people staying on your page?

• Are they engaging with your content?

• Are they following the intended actions — watching a video, reading, clicking through, or depositing with a partner?

If users aren’t engaging, then you’re not meeting Google’s expectations for a high-quality search result, and your rankings will drop.

That’s why understanding your product and your audience is critical. Find ways to connect the two. Because in 2025, those 2,000–3,000-word blogs alone just won’t cut it anymore.

[OK]: Totally. I completely agree.

Going back to keywords and keyword research, I’d like to ask about cost per click (CPC).

Do these metrics really help us focus on high-value keywords that can drive affiliate revenue and increase conversions? Does this strategy still work today?

When conducting keyword research, we often come across low- or mid-volume keywords with a high CPC. For example, take a keyword like "no deposit bonus casino" — even if you rank at the top, the page might not perform well. It looks like a high-intent keyword, but in reality, users don’t engage with the content — they just bounce away.

So, my question is: Should we incorporate PPC data into our keyword research? Would this help us fine-tune our strategy, focus on the right keywords, and optimize our content budget more effectively?

[IF]: Absolutely. Keyword Planner plays a huge role, and if you have a good PPC partner, they should be sharing valuable insights with you — trends, data, and performance metrics that SEOs don’t have direct access to. After all, Google keeps SEOs in the dark, right?

If you work in PPC, you have access to Keyword Planner data, which provides insights like:
✔ How certain keywords perform in your market
✔ How much each keyword costs

That’s why I always recommend collaborating with your PPC team. Understanding what each channel is doing allows SEO and PPC to support each other effectively.

Focusing on lower-volume, long-tail keywords is also crucial. These keywords convert better, are easier to rank for, and align better with user intent. If a keyword appears in "People Also Ask", it often comes directly from Keyword Planner insights, which are paid PPC tools — something SEOs don’t naturally have access to.

So, work with PPC, use their data, and build your SEO strategy around it — but also be careful not to cannibalize their efforts.

At the end of the day, SEO and PPC operate in the same space. Yes, PPC results will always be above us — they pay for that. But if both teams target the same keywords, they could end up competing against each other, which isn’t productive. Alignment is key.

[IF]: Aligning with your PPC team is essential for a strong SEO strategy. However, as SEOs, we don’t work in isolation — we need to align with every marketing channel.

It’s important to understand how your SEO efforts fit into the bigger picture. If your company is running a PPC campaign, social media ads, or programmatic campaigns, those efforts create demand and influence user behavior. As an SEO, you need to know what’s being promoted so you can align your content strategy, landing pages, and keyword targeting accordingly.

You can’t just launch SEO campaigns blindly — if you do, you risk a massive disconnect with the rest of your marketing efforts.

For example, let’s say your affiliate site covers both casino and sports betting. You decide to focus on casino SEO because it typically generates higher revenue. However, your social media, programmatic ads, and PPC teams are heavily promoting sports betting — yet your site has no optimized landing pages, no link-building efforts, and no ranking strategy for that niche.

As a result, potential customers who are engaging with sports-related campaigns won’t find you organically — instead, they’ll go elsewhere. Even if your company is spending hundreds of thousands on other marketing efforts, your SEO strategy is disconnected, and you're missing out on valuable traffic.

So, yes — collaborate with everyone. Gather data from all channels, align your strategy with theirs, and create a cohesive, data-driven SEO plan. That’s the only way to build a truly strong and effective SEO strategy.

[OK]: Now, it’s time to move on to the most interesting part — how to build backlinks for the iGaming niche without breaking the bank.

I mean, how can you avoid overspending on links when the cost is sky-high? Let’s be honest — links cost money, especially in iGaming, because no one wants to link to you for free. Of course, you can create a great digital PR campaign, but even that requires strategic planning and investment.

I’d like to share something I heard from Victor Karpenko during one of the SEO streams. He mentioned an interesting backlinking strategy where they conducted a survey or interview with football club fans, published the findings as an article, and then ran PPC campaigns on that article to push it to the top of search results.

Why did they do this?

Because when journalists look for quotes, citations, or sources to link to, they often click on the top results — which in this case, were PPC-sponsored articles. As a result, journalists were more likely to link back to their content, creating organic, high-quality backlinks.

This is a smart trick to organically promote digital assets in the iGaming niche.

But coming back to the main question — what types of backlinks should we focus on, and how should we approach link building, especially when dealing with different licensing regulations across various countries? This is a common challenge, and many people lack clarity on the best strategies.

Now, it’s time to move on to the most interesting part — how to build backlinks for the iGaming niche without breaking the bank.

[IF]: First of all, links are still important.

Many people claim that links are losing relevance or that Google no longer values them. Google itself often says, "Links aren’t as important anymore," but let’s be honest — we don’t always take Google’s statements at face value. Links remain a key ranking factor, and they are one of the easiest elements for Google to measure when determining the quality and credibility of a website.

That said, it’s not just about having links — it’s about having the right links.

Recently, we’ve seen a surge in link abuse. I’ve been researching this trend, and I’ve noticed a pattern: a brand-new website appears, and within two months, it suddenly has a DA/DR of 70 and thousands of visitors (5,000–6,000+), all out of nowhere.

This is pure manipulation.

There are automated tools that artificially inflate domain authority, along with bot-driven traffic tools that simulate engagement — but it’s all fake.

If you’re just chasing high DR and traffic numbers, you’re wasting money on bad links. These links will disappear in a few months, and then the same link sellers will create new ones with the same artificial metrics.

So, if I were to give one key piece of advice about link building, it would be this:

✔ Focus on relevancy.

This is especially easy for sports betting because sports content is naturally engaging. People love to talk about sports, and there are many sports media sites that provide legitimate backlink opportunities. Nearly every newspaper has a dedicated sports section, making it easier to secure relevant, high-quality backlinks.

Getting quality links for sports betting is relatively easy because sports content is naturally engaging. However, when it comes to casino-related content, link building becomes more challenging.

You need to ask yourself:

• What types of websites are relevant to casinos?

• Can I naturally acquire a link from a technology website? → Yes, if it's relevant to innovations in online casinos.

• Is finance a good niche for casino backlinks? → Yes, as it connects to payments and transactions.

• Would a mommy blog be relevant? → No, it wouldn’t make sense.

It’s important to determine relevancy based on your specific strategy. What works for affiliates may not work for operators, and vice versa. In general, building relevant backlinks for casino content is trickier than for sports, but relevancy should always be the top priority.

At the same time, it’s not just about metrics. Of course, nobody wants to see a site with zero traffic or zero authority. However, what really matters is long-term growth.

For example, if I’m building links for the UK market, my goal might be to target sites with at least 2,000 monthly visitors from the UK. But if I come across a site with only 1,370 visitors — yet it has been growing steadily over two to three years — then it's still a strong prospect.

The key is consistent, organic growth. You don’t want a site that suddenly gains a ton of traffic and then collapses. Instead, you should focus on websites that:
✔ Are real, well-maintained, and actively growing
✔ Are managed by webmasters who care about long-term success
✔ Show healthy traffic trends, even if they fluctuate slightly due to updates

Fluctuations are normal — as long as a site shows consistent growth over time, it can still be a valuable backlink source.

That’s normal — a typical traffic trajectory.

Of course, I also analyze metrics, but what matters is whether they are growing steadily. I ask myself:

• Did this website have low metrics yesterday, and suddenly they skyrocketed overnight?

• Is the growth organic and consistent, or does it look artificial?

I like to assess the overall health of a website — because the real question is:

• Will this site still exist in a year?

• Will it still be linking to me?

• Will that link still hold value?

These are the first things I consider when evaluating link opportunities.

Now, this process becomes especially problematic in iGaming, particularly if you're working with casinos operating in unlicensed markets. Many high-quality websites won’t link to such sites, leaving you with fewer natural link-building options.

As a result, some turn to risky alternatives like PBNs (private blog networks) and link farms. Sometimes, in this industry, you don’t have much of a choice. But whenever possible, you should prioritize high-quality links and work with reputable providers.

These days, LinkedIn is full of people offering to sell links. Many of them will:
✔ Take your money and never deliver
✔ Sell you links that disappear after a few months
✔ Place your links on sites that get deindexed

That’s why you need a trusted link-building partner — someone who will:
✔ Ensure your links remain live
✔ Help you if a link is deindexed
✔ Provide real, long-term value

Having a reliable partner to manage and monitor your links is one of the most important aspects of successful link building.

[OK]: Yeah, thank you! I just want to add a small announcement.

By the way, in Collaborator, we have around 8,000 + websites that have verified Google Analytics and Google Search Console data. Unlike most link providers, who cannot give you access to real Google Analytics data, our platform ensures transparency and reliability.

As you mentioned, many websites manipulate their metrics, making it difficult to verify their actual traffic and authority. With our solution, you can confirm the authenticity of websites and ensure that you're getting high-quality links from legitimate sources.

Now, back to the topic of backlinks.

I’d like to ask: How do you manage link indexation, and how do you monitor your links?

A common issue is that some link providers place a link, but after a while, you suddenly see competitors appearing in the same article.

This is a huge problem for many businesses that pay for exclusive links — only to end up sharing the space with competitors.

So, my question is:

• How should we structure this process to avoid such issues?

• Are there tools we can use to monitor backlinks?

• What’s the best approach to ensure link exclusivity and maintain link value over time?

And this is where a good partner makes all the difference.

A reliable partner is someone who actually knows what they're doing when it comes to link building. They won’t ruin your investment by inserting 20 competitor links into the same article where you paid for exclusivity.

I’ve seen this happen, I’ve experienced it, and I’ve warned others about it repeatedly.

As you mentioned, link indexation is crucial. Just because a link is placed doesn’t mean it will be indexed — Google is very selective about what it includes in its index.

Again, this is where a good partner comes in. They have your back by:
✔ Ensuring the link gets indexed
✔ Only charging you once the link is indexed (or continuously working to get it indexed)
✔ Following up with webmasters to request manual indexing via Google Search Console

However, if you’re working with someone who just wants to make a quick profit, they won’t care if your link isn’t indexed. They won’t follow up, and they won’t help you.

This is especially true when dealing with AI-generated content or low-quality sites — Google often ignores these pages, and your link may never get indexed at all.

And even if your link does get indexed, the last thing you want is competitors appearing in the same article — but unfortunately, this happens all the time.

What can you do?

Work with a trusted partner.

For example, when I work with link builders, I only collaborate with agencies and well-established names in the industry. I work with big names like you because everyone knows Collaborator — you’ve been in the space for years, providing quality and reliability.

On the other hand, I’d never work with someone who randomly messages me on LinkedIn offering "amazing" links for a suspiciously low price. Those people are often selling:
✔ Low-quality links that will disappear in a few months
✔ Spammy sites that won’t get indexed
✔ Links placed alongside tons of competitors

The bottom line?

Choose your link-building partners wisely.

[OK]: Yeah, I just want to add a final note and wrap up this discussion about link sellers on LinkedIn. I’ve noticed that many people are extremely frustrated with them — and for good reason.

If you see someone suspicious following you on LinkedIn, just copy their spreadsheet and add those backlinks to your blacklist to avoid any potential risks.

[IF]: Yeah, and that’s exactly the problem with these spammers — they all send the same spreadsheet with the same low-quality links.

There’s no real value in what they offer because, somehow, they all manage to get hold of the same list and spam it to everyone.

Sometimes, I’ll get 20 different people messaging me, all saying, "Why don’t you buy my links?" — and when I check, it’s the exact same list. One seller might have offered it yesterday for a lower price, and today, another seller is pushing the same links at a higher rate.

If someone is mass-spamming a list of links, that’s a huge red flag. If everyone has access to these links, then Google knows they are being sold, and they won’t carry much ranking value. In fact, buying these links could even lead to a penalty.

The right approach?

✔ Focus on original outreach.
✔ Work only with trusted partners.

This is especially important because links in iGaming are expensive — and even if a link isn’t initially costly, the moment you say "I work with casinos", the price skyrockets.

Many platforms inflate link prices with a casino industry multiplier — for example, a link that originally costs €200 suddenly jumps to €700 just because it’s for an iGaming site.

[IF]: Wait, is my math correct? Hopefully.

So, the price jumps to €700, and you’re thinking, "Oh, I’m getting this amazing link for €200." But then, when you receive your invoice — surprise, surprise — you’re actually paying 3.5 times the original price.

That’s just how the iGaming industry is treated, and unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about it. Everyone has the freedom to set their own prices, so your options are:
✔ Take it and pay the inflated price
✔ Leave it and look for alternatives
✔ Do outreach yourself, which is time-consuming and often just as expensive in the long run

The best solution?

Find a trusted partner.

That’s my number one takeaway — because a reliable partner will:
✔ Avoid selling you spammy links
✔ Ensure you’re not sharing articles with five competitors
✔ Be transparent if changes happen with your link placement

The biggest value in link building?

✅ A trusted partner.

[OK]: Regarding backlink quality, I have a question.

Recently, I’ve noticed that not many people check a website’s history before placing backlinks — especially using Web Archive. Is this really important?

For me, it definitely is.

For example, when I check a website in Ahrefs and see that its traffic was steadily growing, then suddenly dropped, then spiked again, it raises a red flag. To me, that signals that the site might be a dropped or expired domain — which could be a risky backlink placement.

So, my question is:

• What are your key requirements when evaluating backlinks?

• How do you train your team to quickly, easily, and effectively check backlink quality?

• What are your top five criteria for choosing backlink placements in iGaming?

[IF]: Well, as I mentioned earlier, relevancy is key.

If a website has been online for a while, it’s usually a good sign. However, I avoid new websites that suddenly appear as a dropped domain with redirects and manipulated metrics — I don’t trust that.

When training my team, I always tell them:
✔ Visit the website — don't just rely on metrics.
✔ Open the site and check its content — because you don’t want to buy from a link farm.

If a domain was previously dropped, chances are it was purchased just to resell links or used as part of a PBN. These sites don’t offer real value — they’re just selling, selling, and selling.

This is a major issue in competitive markets like Finland, Sweden, and Australia. Often, when you visit a website, every single article contains outbound links to random sites — which instantly devalues the link for you.

So, my main advice is:
✔ Visit the website and assess its quality.
✔ Is it a real, legitimate site, or was it built just to sell links?
✔ Is it relevant? Has it been alive for a long time?
✔ Is there a genuine effort to grow the website and provide valuable content?

When it comes to metrics, of course, I don’t want to see zero traffic. But metrics are secondary — what truly matters is long-term organic growth.

A website with real, high-quality traffic might have a DA of only 20, while a manipulated site might show a DA of 30+ but provide zero real value. If you only chase higher metrics, you risk missing out on genuinely good opportunities.

So, my first and most important rule when evaluating backlinks is:
✅ Make sure it’s a real website.

[OK]: What’s your opinion on niche edits or link insertions?

How do you approach this strategy? Do you think it’s an effective way to improve rankings?

It seems like a quick and easy method — just pay for a link insertion on a ranking page with relevant keywords. But is this a sustainable and reliable strategy, or are there risks involved?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this approach.

[IF]: Okay, so a solid SEO strategy is never just about off-page SEO.

Off-page SEO is crucial, and a good PR campaign can be extremely valuable if you can execute it well in your niche. However, everything starts with on-page SEO.

Google first crawls your website, and if, for any reason, it can’t access your pages due to technical issues, you simply won’t rank.

If you don’t have content, if you’re not answering search intent, or if your pages are thin or empty, then ranking will be impossible.

So, for me, the first priority is always:
✔ Do I have a well-optimized website?
✔ Is it technically stable?
✔ Can users and Googlebot access it without issues?
✔ Have I set up proper caching to optimize crawl efficiency?
✔ Am I wasting my crawl budget due to technical errors?
✔ Is Googlebot able to crawl and index my pages without restrictions?

Once these technical checks are done, the next priority is content.

Right now, the content landscape is chaotic due to AI-generated content. While AI can be a useful tool, you shouldn’t rely on it entirely because AI-generated content still lacks the quality and depth needed for top rankings.

And even if you manage to produce high-quality AI-assisted content, it’s not cheap. The best AI tools require advanced prompting, and every request costs more, making the process expensive over time.

[IF]: So the real question is: Is AI-generated content actually worth it, or is it more expensive than using human writers?

Regardless of how it’s created, content needs to be high-quality, relevant, and valuable — that’s what Google keeps emphasizing. But I’m not just saying this because Google says so.

When I visit a website, I want to make sure that:
✔ The content is well-written and optimized
✔ There are no spelling mistakes
✔ It’s relevant to me as a user

At the end of the day, I’m a human looking for information or considering a purchase. If I don’t find value in the content, why would Google?

This is why SEO optimization isn’t just about technical, on-page, and off-page factors. You also need to consider soft metrics:
✔ Does your content align with user expectations?
✔ Are you answering the user’s intent?
✔ Can Google confidently rank your page, knowing it satisfies search intent?

If users interact positively with your page, Google will recognize that it made a good recommendation, reinforcing your ranking.

And this doesn’t apply only to Google — the same principles matter in Bing, Yahoo, and even ChatGPT. When users ask ChatGPT for information, it provides sources — so if your content is high-quality and authoritative, you increase your chances of being referenced there as well.

[IF]: And when you check the source, ask yourself — was it actually a good source, or was it completely unreliable?

Optimizing all aspects of SEO and understanding how people interact with your pages — then continuously improving that interaction — is how you rank better.

Of course, there are tons of Black Hat SEO tricks that can help you rank faster, but they won’t last — and in the long run, they can seriously harm your website. That’s why I don’t recommend them.

I constantly get people asking me, "Can you do Black Hat SEO?" They request cloaking, bot traffic, and other shady tactics — but I always tell them no. If you want someone to do that, go elsewhere. I’m not risking my reputation or ruining your business with short-term tricks that will eventually get penalized.

That said, I’m not suggesting that you should blindly obey every single Google rule. If you followed everything Google says, you’d never rank — because Google constantly tells us, "Don’t do this, don’t do that."

However, you should moderate your approach and understand what Google allows and what it strictly penalizes.

For example, link building — Google says that manipulating links is against its guidelines. But let’s be real — without backlinks, you won’t rank.

So, there are SEO strategies you can implement safely, and there are high-risk tactics that will eventually cost you all your investments. The key is knowing where to draw the line.

[OK]: I’d like to ask you a few more questions about link building and anchor text strategy.

What anchor strategy would you recommend for newly built websites?

• What tactics should we follow?

• Should we focus on brand mentions, or is it better to target keyword-rich anchors?

• How can we find the right balance between the two?

[IF]: Do your research before launching a website.

Understanding the market landscape is crucial — yet many people overlook this step.

For example, if you're opening an operator or affiliate website in a specific market, ask yourself:
✔ Will I be blocked or shut down for operating without a license?

This is something many people don’t consider.

Take Slovakia, for example. If I were launching an affiliate website there, I wouldn’t do it. The country has a strict regulatory list, and they block new sites daily.

You could invest heavily in a beautiful website, spend a lot of money, and within a week, two weeks, or a month, the authorities will find you and shut you down — resulting in a complete loss of investment.

So, the first question you need to ask yourself is:
✔ Is it even worth entering this market?

Then, consider market competition:
✔ Is this market oversaturated?
✔ Should you target a regulated market like the UK?
✔ Would Australia be a better option?
✔ Should you explore smaller, less competitive languages/markets?

For example, some markets may have lower CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) rates or less attractive revenue share (RevShare) models, but fewer competitors.

You might research Portugal and realize that crypto casino reviews are missing — which could be a great niche opportunity.

[IF]: If you check what's ranking for crypto casinos, you'll often find parasite SEO tactics and blogs about crypto payments — but no real authority sites in the niche.

So, the first step is to find a niche and market where you can:
✔ Make money
✔ Avoid regulatory shutdowns
✔ Stay compliant with the rules
✔ Protect your investment

If you enter a highly saturated market, it will be expensive and nearly impossible to compete.

For example, if I were starting today, I wouldn’t target "Sweden online casinos" — the competition is just too intense. But if I looked at South Africa, I might consider it because it's a growing market that’s not yet oversaturated. In one or two years, it could be highly profitable.

The key is finding where you can still make money.

Then, choose your niche within that market:
✔ You don’t have to focus on online casinos — you could specialize in sports betting, crypto casinos, or even a sub-niche like live casino games.
✔ If you're passionate about live casino games, focus on that — you’ll create better content and a stronger product.
✔ Build a website around your niche, rather than creating just another generic affiliate site.

Once you've defined your niche, follow this process:

1️⃣ Conduct keyword research to find high-potential opportunities.
2️⃣ Develop a content strategy based on your findings.
3️⃣ Start with 20 core pages and add five new pages per month, based on your time and budget.

By following this structured approach, you avoid wasting resources and ensure steady, long-term growth.

[IF]: There’s nothing wrong with that, but have a plan.

Everything starts with understanding your market, budget, and product. Once you have clarity on these, you can make informed decisions.

There’s always a way to make money and enter a market, but you need to identify the right opportunities. A common mistake people make is jumping into a trend without proper research.

For example, many think:
"Oh, Ontario is booming — let’s launch an affiliate site there!"

But they don’t realize that ranking in Ontario is extremely expensive because everyone has been targeting it for the last five years.

So, instead of entering a highly competitive space, look for a market where you can make money faster.

Think strategically about the market you’re entering.

Many SEOs miss the bigger picture — they focus solely on:
✔ Keywords
✔ Links

But even if you optimize keywords and build links for one or two years, if the market is oversaturated with massive websites like Gambling.com, you’ll struggle to recoup your investment.

My #1 piece of advice?

✅ Understand your space before entering it.

[OK]: Yeah, totally agree.

I think the biggest challenge in affiliate SEO within the iGaming industry is that people aren’t open about sharing their tips, tricks, and recommendations. Everyone is protective of their niche keywords and strategies, which makes it difficult to learn from others. Affiliate SEO specialists tend to be especially secretive when it comes to sharing insights.

So, thank you for being so open and sharing your story, experience, and truly valuable tips. I wish I had known some of these things when I was just starting out!

✅ Don't copy strategies from massive brands like Gambling.com or other big industry players — if you have a new website, those tactics won’t work for you. Be creative and find your own approach.

✅ For link building, work with a reliable and stable partner who will take care of your links and budget to ensure long-term success.

✅ Don’t rely on AI-generated content unless you are an expert in this field. If you’re not, it’s better to hire an experienced writer who understands the niche.

✅ Adapt your strategy to Gen Z ("Zoomers"), as they now have disposable income and are actively spending. Focus on engaging content tailored to younger audiences.

✅ Use visual content — videos, infographics, podcasts, YouTube, etc. — to stand out and engage your audience.

✅ Avoid doing what everyone else is doing — if you follow the same generic strategies, you won’t win this game.

I hope this episode was useful for you! If you enjoyed it, please like and subscribe.

You can also reach out to Ivana for help, recommendations, or consultations.

That’s all for today — see you in the next episode! Bye-bye👋