The UK Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) latest regulations introduce strict limits on online slot stakes, with a maximum of £5 per game cycle for players aged 25 and over and £2 for those aged 18-24. These changes will have significant implications for PPC strategies across the iGaming industry, requiring recalibration across automated bidding channels, CRM, and cross-sell strategies. Here’s how operators should adapt their paid search approach to stay competitive and maintain profitability.
As a paid search manager, your first priority should be gathering data from your casino team. You need to match the average spin amount with the acquisition keyword, allowing you to assess the potential impact of the UKGC changes on your paid search KPIs.
1. Automated Bidding Adjustments Across Casino and Sports Terms
Automated bidding models will require major adjustments, not only for casino-related terms but also for sports betting, particularly football. Given that under-25s are a key demographic for football betting, the reduced cross-sell potential into online slots needs to be factored in.
The £5 game cycle limit will also impact older players and in some higher-value players reduce the likelihood that they will continue to play.
Operators should:
Adjust automated bidding strategies to account for lower potential value from younger customers.
Monitor football-related terms more closely to evaluate shifts in player behaviour. They are likely to skew younger than horse racing.
Implement bid adjustments based on age-related segments (manual campaign experiment).
2. Table Games & Live Casino Considerations
While the new regulations directly impact slot play, table games and live casino games may also be impacted.
Spin limits reduce play across all games
Slot players may be open to try other games more frequently.
It’s crucial to:
Analyse search term data to see if players shift from slots to alternative products.
Adjust PPC strategies to optimise for high-value table game and live casino players.
Identify opportunities for retention marketing to engage affected slot players.
3. Impact on Bonuses, Offers & CRM
Bonuses and offers will likely see a knock-on effect due to changes in slot play behaviour. With lower stake limits reducing overall player value, CRM teams need to reassess retention and engagement strategies:
Refine promotional strategies to maximise lifetime value (LTV) under the new rules.
Consider targeted bonuses for high-value players who may shift preferences to Live Casino.
Evaluate the impact on loyalty programs and tailor messaging accordingly.
4. Demographic Targeting Reassessment
For example, high-value female slot players represent a significant segment that will be impacted by these stake limits.
To mitigate risks:
Operators should run 50/50 campaign experiments with manual targeting and bidding.
Allocate 50% of the budget to manual bidding while allowing automation to adjust over time.
Closely analyse performance to determine the most effective bidding strategy for different demographics.
5. Recalibrating Conversion Tracking
With shifting player behaviours, conversion tracking needs an overhaul. Additional conversion points should be integrated to capture meaningful engagement signals, such as:
Time spent on site and session depth.
Engagement with alternative casino products.
Deposit behaviours following slot play.
6. Adjusting Projections to Reflect the New Landscape
Operators must revise revenue and player value projections to reflect these changes. Key actions include:
Updating LTV models to accommodate lower stakes per game cycle.
Adjusting CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) benchmarks based on new player value calculations.
Refining budget allocation between acquisition and retention campaigns.
7. Conducting Competitor Analysis
To stay ahead of the competition, it’s essential to analyse how other operators are adjusting to the UKGC’s new regulations:
Monitor ad copy changes to detect shifts in promotional messaging.
Track competitors’ keyword strategies and bid adjustments.
Benchmark performance data to identify emerging trends in player behaviour.
Conclusion
The UKGC’s stake limit regulations will fundamentally alter the UK iGaming market, requiring a complete re-evaluation of paid search strategies.
By recalibrating automated bidding, adjusting KPIs, refining conversion tracking, and closely monitoring market trends, operators can navigate these changes effectively.
A proactive approach will ensure sustained profitability and long-term growth in an evolving regulatory landscape.
We can help with our detailed igaming and sports betting paid search audit service.
Find Out More About Our Detailed iGaming & Sports Betting PPC Audit
When launching a sweepstakes casino, it’s hugely beneficial to get your ducks in a row from the start.
Doing so will help you gain traction post-launch and position you to scale more quickly.
In this post, we’ll look at the core areas you need to consider when launching a sweepstakes casino.
Introduction Sweepstakes Casinos
Sweepstakes casinos have seen explosive growth in the United States, achieving an estimated 75% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2024, and reaching a market valuation of approximately $4 billion. This surge is largely attributed to their innovative business model, which allows players to enjoy casino-style games without direct real-money wagering, effectively navigating complex gambling regulations. Prominent brands in this thriving sector include Stake.us, WOW Vegas, High 5 Casino, and Luckyland Slots.
The appeal of sweepstakes casinos lies in their ability to offer legal, risk-free gaming entertainment, coupled with the potential to win real prizes through sweepstakes entries.
Concurrently, real money gaming (RMG) arcade competitions and social casinos are also experiencing increased popularity. Social casinos provide free-to-play games where players can purchase in-game currency without any real-world monetary value, delivering an engaging gaming experience devoid of financial risk. These platforms often incorporate arcade-style features, such as daily bonuses, tournaments, and competitive leaderboards, to enhance player engagement and retention.
The lines between RMG and social gaming are increasingly blurred, as operators explore strategic partnerships to integrate real-money elements into social gaming experiences. This convergence aims to attract a wider audience and foster greater player loyalty.
So, it is understandable that sweepstakes casinos are one of the most popular discussion points at igaming conferences.
Many people from both the mobile gaming and igaming spaces are looking to establish their own sweepstakes casino.
Here is an overview of this, especially focused on the marketing planning side of your launch.
Platform and Games
Selecting the right platform and games for a social or sweepstakes casino in the U.S. requires careful planning, market research, and regulatory considerations. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the right choice:
1. Understand Regulatory Compliance
Sweepstakes casinos operate under unique legal frameworks, often using “sweepstakes” models to allow players to participate without direct gambling. To ensure compliance:
Research state laws on sweepstakes gaming.
Choose a platform that adheres to legal requirements (e.g., offering free entry methods).
Consult legal professionals for compliance verification.
2. Choose the Right Platform Provider
Selecting a platform provider is crucial for backend functionality, security, and scalability. When evaluating providers, consider:
Customization & Branding – Can you white-label the platform to fit your brand?
User Experience (UX) – Is the interface intuitive, mobile-friendly, and engaging?
Game Variety – Does the platform support a diverse range of games?
Security & Payments – Secure transactions and compliance with sweepstakes cash redemption models.
Marketing & CRM Tools – Loyalty programs, referral bonuses, and analytics to retain players.
Scalability – Can it handle growth as your user base expands?
iOS and Android Apps – This makes both user acquisition and retention much easier and increases your chances to grow rapidly.
Top platform providers for sweepstakes casinos include:
Pragmatic Solutions (iGaming platform for social and sweepstakes casinos)
SoftSwiss (known for crypto and sweepstakes gaming solutions)
White Hat Gaming (offering turnkey casino solutions)
BetConstruct (supports virtual casino and sweepstakes models)
If you want to learn more about which platform is best for you, we are happy to have a discussion.
3. Select High-Quality Game Providers
Offering popular and engaging games is key to user retention. Look for providers that specialize in social and sweepstakes gaming. Key criteria include:
4. Define Your Game Mix
Slot Games: Players expect a strong slot selection with various themes and bonus features.
Table Games: Blackjack, roulette, and poker add variety.
Live Casino Games: High engagement and interactive experience.
Arcade & Crash Games: Increasingly popular, especially for younger demographics.
5. Test & Optimize Before Launch
Conduct beta testing to ensure smooth gameplay.
Gather user feedback and refine the platform.
Implement a robust customer support system.
It is key to do your preparation work in order to avoid issues down the line.
Marketing Your Sweepstakes Casino
So, you have your sweepstakes casino live now you just need to market it. Well, it’s not that simple. Your marketing preparation should have started before you launched. There are two key areas that you should have started before launch.
They are:
Marketing Tech and reporting integration
SEO audit and technical set-up
Marketing Tech and Reporting Integration for Sweepstakes Casinos
1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System A CRM is vital for tracking user behavior, automating engagement, and personalizing experiences.
Your CRM Platform Should Have:
Automated email and SMS marketing
Player segmentation (VIPs, frequent players, inactive users)
You should consider a platform like Xtremepush, Optimove, Customer.io or Symplify.
We can give you some pointers based on your unique requirements. Just drop us a note and we will respond to start the conversation.
2. App Attribution Platform
This is overlooked by so many new sweepstakes casinos. Basically, in order to optimize your app ad campaigns you need a fully integrated app attribution platform.
Examples are AppsFlyer or Kochava. In 2025 these should be non-negotiables.
3. Full API integration with Ad platforms and Reporting Dashboards
In reality, in today’s environment optimizing outside the ad platform is just as important as optimizing on the ad platform. As a result, integrating conversions across the marketing mix is essential. You need to have a clear picture to assess ROI and make campaign decisions.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your Sweepstake Casino
SEO is a massive opportunity for sweepstakes casinos. Especially considering ad policy across networks. Ranking well on a state by state basis can deliver significant growth alone.
So, before you launch, you should complete a technical SEO audit, as well as begin building out your site structure and the number of crawled and indexed pages.
Each platform has a different policy across each state for sweepstakes casinos. As a result, you should ensure compliance in order to get accounts/ads approved and live. In some cases, you should consider a number of online ad networks, depending on state-level policy.
For example:
Meta/X
Google Ads
Microsoft Ads
Apple Search Ads
Programmatic
Native
The key to success is ensuring best practice MarTech and reporting is put in place. This is essential as AI targeting and creative continue to increase in prominence.
So, if your MarTech is not up to scratch you are at a serious disadvantage.
Again your approach will depend on how your redemptions are set up, the type of games you offer and if you are 100% skill based or not (so not a true sweepstakes casino, there is a different approach for 100% skill-based arcade sites).
Conclusion – Launching Sweepstakes Casino
Building a thriving sweepstakes casino in the U.S. demands a meticulous blend of regulatory adherence, strategic marketing, engaging player experiences, and cutting-edge technology.
Navigating the Regulatory Landscape:
Compliance is paramount. Operators must meticulously structure their platforms to align with sweepstakes laws, ensuring free entry methods and appropriate virtual currency frameworks. Seeking expert legal counsel and staying abreast of evolving regulations are crucial for avoiding costly legal pitfalls.
Driving Player Acquisition:
Effective advertising and acquisition strategies are vital for attracting a robust player base. While platforms like Meta and Google impose restrictions on traditional casino advertising, savvy operators leverage social media ads, app install campaigns, influencer collaborations, and affiliate marketing. Crafting compelling, compliant messaging that resonates with the target audience is key.
Enhancing Player Retention:
Retaining players is just as critical as acquiring them. Personalized promotions, VIP programs, push notifications, and gamification elements foster sustained engagement. A robust CRM system enables seamless segmentation, automation, and tailored experiences that maximize player lifetime value.
Leveraging MarTech for Success:
Integrating advanced analytics dashboards, chatbots, and automation tools provides invaluable insights and enhances the overall user experience.
SEO optimization is essential for organic discoverability. Targeting high-intent keywords, creating compelling content, and optimizing on-page elements drive long-term traffic, reducing reliance on paid advertising.
Ultimately, success in the U.S. sweepstakes casino market hinges on a data-driven approach, unwavering compliance, innovative marketing, and a laser focus on player retention. By executing a comprehensive and well-rounded strategy, operators can cultivate a sustainable and highly profitable gaming platform.
With regulations varying at both the country and state level, ad platforms have remained cautious about allowing sweepstakes casinos to advertise.
Traditional regulated online casinos are pressuring governments worldwide to ban sweepstakes casinos. As a result, running ads and promoting your brand can be challenging.
Recent actions in several U.S. states, most notably in Florida, have reinforced this trend.
SEO The Foundation of Sweepstakes Casino Marketing
However, as in most cases where approvals on traditional digital ad networks are dubious SEO provides the opportunity to build your customer base in specific geos.
SEO Tactics for Sweepstakes Casinos
There are several tactics you can use depending on your budget. However, at a minimum, you should ensure your website is optimized from a technical SEO standpoint.
SEO: Open Your Digital Front Door to New Customers
The first and most important objective is to get crawled and indexed. Many sweepstakes casinos are built on JavaScript frameworks like Angular and React.
These frameworks can be challenging for search engines to render and index. Unlike traditional HTML-based sites, JavaScript sites require multiple passes from web crawlers to fully process and index content. As a result, out-of-the-box JavaScript frameworks present inherent SEO challenges. Recently, we’ve observed an increase in crawling issues specifically affecting JavaScript sites.
Additionally, JavaScript-based websites often suffer from poor Core Web Vitals scores, a major ranking factor in 2025. This issue arises from client-side rendering, which increases load times on the first visit.
Since JavaScript frameworks render content on the client side rather than the server side, search engines must execute the JavaScript before processing the HTML. In contrast, server-side rendered sites offer a major SEO advantage because the HTML is pre-rendered on the web server, making it instantly accessible to search engines. This improves indexing, enhances performance, and strengthens SEO rankings.
Sweepstakes Casino SEO – HTML Rendering for Search Engines
When optimizing a sweepstakes casino website for SEO, you have two main options:
Render for SEO crawlers
Render HTML server-side
Render Your Site for SEO Crawlers
Rendering specifically for SEO bots is not the ideal solution, as it does not address Core Web Vitals issues that can impact rankings. However, if this is the only viable option or if a temporary solution is needed to get the site indexed, it can be used.
Tools such as Prerender.io and frameworks like Rendertron can help facilitate this process.
Render HTML Server-Side
We strongly recommend server-side rendering. This approach improves user experience metrics, enhances Core Web Vitals scores, and allows for faster indexation of changes while reducing the resources required for rendering by search engines.
To implement this effectively, planning is essential. If you have control over your platform, deciding on the best approach before launch ensures a smooth transition and optimal SEO setup.
Your options include:
Edge SEO
Running an HTML version of your site in parallel for logged-out users
Edge SEO for Sweepstakes Casinos
Ideally, this is the best solution. With Edge SEO, your site is rendered on Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), allowing you to modify the HTML directly at the CDN level. This means you can optimise title tags, meta descriptions, and keyword-focused content without altering the core platform.
Since sweepstakes casino sites are mostly static (unlike sportsbooks), this approach is highly effective.
Edge SEO Requirements
To implement Edge SEO, you need:
A CDN like Cloudflare or Amazon CloudFront
Serverless applications to modify HTML for technical SEO improvements
Tools like Cloudflare Workers to insert SEO-friendly copy, metadata, and structured data
Build a Server-Side Rendered HTML SEO Site in Parallel
Another approach is to build a separate server-rendered SEO site that runs in parallel with your sweepstakes casino. This is particularly useful if you are using a white-label provider.
By creating a site for logged-out users and search engines, you can implement effective SEO strategies while maintaining your platform’s existing structure. This method has been successfully used by traditional casino sites that faced technical SEO challenges due to platform restrictions.
If you are considering a white-label provider, we recommend consulting with us first to optimise your domain and URL structure.
Pros and Cons of This Approach
Pro: Easier to implement
Con: If hosted on a subdomain, it won’t be as powerful as Edge SEO, but it will still be effective in driving new customers across multiple regions
Content and Localisation for Sweepstakes Casinos
Proper localisation is critical for success. Your sweepstakes casino should be optimised for three levels:
Country
Language
State
Country and language targeting requires hreflang tags, while state or city targeting involves embedding location-based content in SEO tags and on-page copy.
A well-mapped geo-strategy ensures that your SEO content aligns with user search intent and improves visibility across multiple territories.
Off-Page SEO for Sweepstakes Casinos
Link building is a crucial element of iGaming SEO, including for sweepstakes casinos. However, with the increasing popularity of sweepstakes casinos, additional off-page tactics such as parasite SEO and domain acquisition have become essential strategies to consider.
Currently, affiliates have the advantage in off-page SEO. As an operator, studying the approaches used by the top-ranking sites in your target territories can provide valuable insights. In some cases, you may discover opportunities to grow your backlink profile quickly. However, when facing aggressive parasite SEO tactics, it may be challenging to outrank well-established sites. In such cases, Google’s ongoing trend of favoring operators in rankings could work to your advantage.
Sponsoring local sports teams and blogs can also help improve your SEO rankings, particularly for state-specific search terms. However, keep in mind that off-page SEO requires a dedicated budget. Start by auditing your backlink profile and identifying high-quality backlinks that can enhance your search engine rankings. Prioritize quality over quantity, ensuring a diverse yet relevant selection of domains. Avoid excessive link-building tactics that appear spammy, as this could result in a Google manual action penalty.
Sweepstakes Casino SEO – Conclusion
Some platforms are optimized for indexation and rendering, while others overlook these essential SEO factors. As a result, having a structured SEO plan is crucial.
Ensure your site is properly indexed and ranked.
Develop content focused on target keywords that drive conversions.
Track SEO-driven customers throughout the user journey and attribute cohorts to this channel.
Understand the off-page SEO requirements and choose the right approach based on your business model.
There are multiple strategies available to enhance your sweepstakes casino’s SEO. If you need guidance on the best approach for your business, feel free to reach out—we’re happy to point you in the right direction.
Today, Google opened up Meridian, their new Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) tool, to the general public. This is an interesting development, to say the least. It had been in closed beta for a while, so it’s great to finally see what’s under the hood.
As a former marketing student, I remember when Media or Marketing Mix Modeling was seen as something done by old-school agencies and marketing departments before the rise of the Internet.
However, the more practical experience you gain running campaigns, the more you see the need for a deeper understanding of performance. Simply put, attributing results to the “halo effect” is a lazy explanation.
According to Google’s documentation, “Meridian uses a Bayesian framework and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms to sample from the posterior distribution.”
So, why has Google built an MMM tool?
In summary, to make it easier for marketing teams to secure more budget for YouTube and Google ATL ad products.
Essentially, marketing teams must build a case for ad spend, which is particularly challenging for video and programmatic channels. The reason for this is that users typically view ads and convert at a later time.
Even in 2025, many financial decisions are still made based on measuring clicks, even though this does not account for the entire marketing mix. Marketers need more advanced tools to justify budgets for upper-funnel ATL campaigns.
Search and Other Google Owned Platforms
Some campaigns and sectors see research and upper-funnel terms deliver strong performance when modeled correctly. Even high-cost generic search terms can drive direct or in-store sales without registering conversions on the ad platform or online tracking tool.
The Problems with MMM and Regression Analysis
The core issue that typically arises is the age-old correlation versus causation question.
Additionally, measuring the long-term impact of advertising frequency combined with organic social marketing is extremely challenging.
For example, it could take five or more years of continuous campaigns to reach the critical mass needed to build a brand that generates significant conversions from direct website traffic or point-of-sale (POS).
In theory, using MMM data and incorporating correlation test groups could provide clearer insights into the effectiveness of each channel. However, in practice, the time horizon of marketing effectiveness will likely blur the results.
Advertising is a Subset of Marketing – Paid Media Is Only a Part of Marketing Success
A viral video, a founder with millions of followers, a brand with strong consumer trust that doesn’t advertise, organic marketing, SEO, and other non-paid strategies can sometimes be more impactful than paid media in the marketing mix.
MMM often struggles to account for these factors. There are countless case studies of brands driving revenue through non-paid media sources, but measuring their impact alongside paid media remains challenging.
As a result, MMM cannot provide a complete picture.
The Broad Marketing Mix – Self-Service Platforms
Real-time self-service platforms do require a degree of MMM, as it helps marketers get closer to the truth. The marketing mix available to most companies has never been this large.
Brands now have access to Spotify, YouTube, social media, programmatic ads, native ads, push and pop notifications, app install ads, VoD, TV, radio, search, and even outdoor advertising—all on demand. MMM is a valuable method for evaluating channels, but it’s important to remember that it’s not the be-all and end-all.
Ultimately, you are optimizing the thought process and emotions of your customer.
As experienced advertisers say: your product or service is not the product—your customer is.
Meridian from Google Conclusion
Hopefully, this will help marketers secure more budget for upper-funnel campaigns. However, if this works as intended in an ideal world, lower-funnel ad auctions on Google Search might become less competitive—though this is unlikely.
You can check out Meridian on Google’s developer site or GitHub.
Overall, because Meridian is backed by Google’s credibility, marketers can use it to justify decisions and request additional budget—even from the most risk-averse and cautious C-suites.
The kind of thing your CEO, CFO, and COO will appreciate.
With legalised sports betting sweeping across the United States and more and more countries globally regulating the sector, Sports Betting SEO has never been more important.
SEO in 2025 is quite a bit different to SEO in 2010. This applies to sports betting sites. A large number of on-page and off-page variables contribute to your SEO rank.
However, many sports betting sites fail with their onsite SEO. This is the foundation of your SEO strategy. It must be considered “revenue critical” and be prioritised if you are to become a market-leading betting site.
Here are some of the important points that you should make sure you have covered.
Technical SEO is The Key Foundation To Sports Betting SEO
The platform used by the operators is the most important item for SEO. Yes, you can optimise off-page SEO and drop a WordPress site on top of your “functional” betting site but this is not ideal. The core reason is conversion and leveraging true long-tail betting terms.
As a result, the gold standard is to ensure your odds/market feed, page structure, titles and meta descriptions as well as on-page content are tied together on functional SEO-focused pages.
These need to load fast and provide a great user experience.
On top of this, you should also put your business hat on and ensure that conversion from both new customers (registration/FTD) and returning customers (bet/deposit) are optimised.
Essentially, your betting platform could be a significant inhibitor of SEO performance, or if set up correctly, a key competitive advantage.
Common SEO Mistakes made by Sports Betting Sites
urls are not “readable” – The urls look like yoursportsbettingsite.com#ui=204524524524534535&hu=23423423452523452345 when they should be yoursportsbettingsite.com/basketball-betting
One title tag and meta description for all pages. Yes, a surprisingly high number of betting sites do not have proper titles and meta descriptions.
No structured data is built into the CMS template. Much of the page content on sports betting sites is feed based. This can be turned into structured data which will help get rich snippets featuring upcoming fixtures etc.
No Brand or PR. In this day and age, most links to your site will come from affiliates. However, most well-run sites will have similar affiliate link profiles (yes I know they are “no follow” links but with brand mentions etc. and given the sector profile your affiliate footprint does affect SEO). The key difference is your brand and pr. This can differentiate you through brand ranking signals. Basically, you want to get more people searching your brand term. This will give Google confidence to rank you higher on generic searches.
UX issues – This is a major issue. People have a low tolerance for poor UX in the betting sector. They will pogo stick back to SERPs if your UX is not up to scratch. Also, core web vitals is crucial for SEO in the sports betting sector.
Too many subdomains. This is another common issue. With multiple providers across sports and casino products quite often each product is siloed in its own ecosystem which sit on separate subdomains. This is bad for SEO.
Unattractive pricing – Yes your trading department can impact SEO. Better prices mean a longer time on site which is a UX signal for google. Bad prices mean quick bounce backs to the search engine which is really bad for SEO.
Product – If you don’t have a good product SEO will be difficult as user metrics will suffer. More and more user metrics will become the most important part of technical SEO. In summary, optimise your user metrics and Google (and other search engines) will notice.
SEO Approach – Online Sports Betting Sites
There first thing you need to do is answer the two questions below. Clarity on both answers is key to successful SEO (and marketing as a whole).
Define your brand – how are you positioned?
What is your content strategy?
Generally, there are six distinct areas for sports betting SEO.
Market Pages
Event/Tournament Pages
Sport Pages
Betting Education Pages
Free Bet/Promo Pages
Blog/News Event Preview Pages
SEO Sports Betting for Market Pages
These are pages that contain specific betting markets such as first goalscorer or over-under markets.
Typically these contain content from a feed with teams/competitors and odds.
Opportunity:
Include specific text 200+ words relating specifically to the two teams (in the case of a 1 X 2 market).
Structured data of the market.
Ensure that odds are included in the title and description. Example: Page Title: Liverpool v Man City First Goalscorer Odds.
SEO Sports Betting for Tournament Pages
World Cups, Premier Leagues, Cheltenham, The Super Bowl, The Stanley Cup, NBA Championship and Conference Championships are all tournament pages.
These pages should include popular markets or races in a prominent position.
Also, structured data for “events” should be used.
Essentially these are a level up the hierarchy than market pages. So, a similar approach is required.
Opportunity:
Include specific text 1200+ words relating specifically to the tournament/event.
Structured data for key races/fixtures.
Ensure that odds are included in the title and description. Example: Page Title: Premier League Odds – Current Round of Games.
SEO for Sport Pages
Sport pages and a level up from events. The approach to these can vary but generally, we would suggest you include relevant events and a description of top markets. These should involve an FAQ component that can be included in structured data.
Opportunity:
Include specific text 12+ words relating to betting on the sport in question.
Structured data for key races/fixtures.
Ensure that betting is included in the title and description. Example: Page Title: Football Betting – Live Betting Great Odds.
SEO for Betting Educational Pages
A number of sports betting sites have been very successful in ranking for educational style pages. For example, Asian Handicap Football Betting.
The page should include FAQ structured data along with detailed information on what the market is and how to bet.
Internal links should also be used.
Opportunity:
Include specific text 1200+ words relating to betting on the sport in question.
Structured data for FAQ.
Ensure that the title and meta description are correct.
SEO for Free Bet/Promo Pages
Now, this is one to think about. Do you want to rank for free bet terms?
Talk to BI and Trading and see if they do. Ranking for these terms could actually cost the business. So there are two options. However, remember the matched betting sites will find you anyway.
1) Rank as normal
2) No index (I am serious)
If you opt to rank as normal then include “offer” structured data on the page.
Like “Betting Education” pages you need to have a substantial amount of content.
As a result, we recommend including offer terms and conditions on the page as well. UK sites have to do this anyway as UKGC requirements.
Note: For jurisdictions like New York and South Africa where you must run offers through the commission as well as Ontario (Canada) that doesn’t allow advertising offers on third-party sites.
SEO of Blog/News Preview Pages
We recommend using WordPress and Yoast (or similar SEO plugins) for this. Quality of content for this is key and the social reach of authors can make a difference.
So, if the preview is good you may get backlinks.
Increasing interaction is key. A great way to do this is to include interactive banners and contextual widgets within your post. These will provide up-to-date odds and the ability to easily place a bet on a relevant market.
If you post regularly, consider leveraging Google News.
Also, embedding videos and tagging the page with the correct Schema.org structured data can help with search results.
Google Publisher Center has been deprecated so you can’t submit and manage your news site through that anymore. Instead you must signal to Google that your news/blog site should be included on Google News. Again, proper formatting and structured data can help.
Changes to Sports Betting SEO – What You Should Understand
In an article on upcoming changes to Sports Betting SEO we covered some key changes in the pipeline that you should be aware off and outline how it could impact both Operators and Affiliates.
AI will change how results are displayed with early tests by Google posing some interesting strategic questions for search engine optimisation within the sector.
Differences – Sports Betting SEO and Online Casino SEO
Sports Betting includes ever-changing events and betting markets while Casino is more static and relates to game availability onsite.
Hub pages are used for evergreen sports content with time-specific market pages while most casino content is evergreen.
Head terms dominate both but longtail in sports requires smart use of “market pages” and google news functions with sports articles while casino focuses mostly on slot games and niche games.
All in all, sports betting and casino technical while both adhering to SEO best practice have their own quirks. However, the core technical SEO philosophy remains the same.
Relevant content for target search terms that are:
Easy to Index
Easy to Understand
Easy to Use
SEO on the Edge for Sports Betting Sites
SEO on the edge can help JavaScript client side rendered sites across a number of SEO metrics.
They are as follows:
Core Web Vitals – CLS, LCP and INP issues can be resolved by rendering on a CDN.
Text and SEO friendly content can be added to a modified page on the CDN. This can get around platform issues.
Perform SEO tests and experiments.
Conclusion – SEO Sports Betting
We have only scratched the surface. The following topics deserve articles in their own right.
International SEO for different territories.
Leveraging sponsorships and outreach for brand mentions and links.
SEO automation and AI.
However, the core focus. Step one of the program is onsite SEO. Get this right and you will be well on the way of increasing traffic.
Remember, the ROI of an SEO program for Sports Betting is massive. Especially if you can cross-sell to Casino (outside Germany).
Start measuring the value of traffic on two criteria.
a) The value of customers acquired
b) The saving SEO has delivered versus Paid Search
All in all, you should prioritise SEO above most other development requirements. With the high cost of paid search keywords in regulated jurisdictions, you can build a solid case for SEO investment within the sports betting space.
Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) can deliver remarkable improvements to the performance of each marketing channel.
Ultimately, it delivers revenue growth and increases ROI.
However, despite the overwhelming benefits, especially in the online betting space, the majority of websites do not apply CRO processes to improve conversion.
Conversion Rate Optimisation – Where to Start
So, where to begin?
Ok, so I am going to start with some sports betting and casino issues you should be aware of.
Your bonus can make a bad funnel look good. A generous price boost in your sportsbook or a no deposit bonus on your Casino will make even the worst landing pages and registration forms convert well.
Page speed is a factor. Outside of the page design, page speed has a massive impact on conversion rate. Always check the load times of variations in your tests to make sure there are not huge differences. This can invalidate your test.
Segment your results by device type.
Proximity to an event can affect conversion rates. For example, ten minutes before a race you will see a smaller percentage of people drop from the conversion funnel. Therefore, conversion rates tend to be naturally higher just before an event starts (PPC Managers – bid modify)
CRO Pre-Test Research
The first step is to look at your user journey and identify problem points. Then depending on the areas identified you may want to roll out a test on live traffic or do some preliminary user testing first (on staging environment).
If it is something like moving the “Join Now” button above the fold the releasing the test straight to the live environment should be ok.
However, in the case of changing the registration form, you should do some user testing on the changes before deploying to your live environment to test.
A/B Tests
On the face of it, A/B tests are simple. Just test two variations against each other and keep the winner. Rinse and repeat by replacing the losing page and letting evolution create the ultimate conversion machine.
However, it’s not that simple. Each test should have a hypothesis.
You need to do preliminary research in order to identify where users are dropping off and what might be causing issues with conversion. This will give you insights which you can use to create your hypothesis.
For instance, after reviewing Google Analytics Click Events, looking at heat maps and viewing recordings of user actions you see that many users do not click on the “Call to Action” button because it is located below the fold on mobile devices.
So, your hypothesis is – The “Call to Action” button located above the fold on mobile devices will get a higher click-through rate than the control (button located below the fold on mobile devices).
A/B Test – How do you know what is the best version?
The accepted standard is that if a version has a conversion rate and the test shows 95% significance (1/19 favourite) then you should select it as the winner.
Now, we have all seen 19/1 horses win a race so just because your A/B test shows 95% significance doesn’t mean that it is the best version for sure. It means that there is a good chance that it is the best version, but there is a 5% chance that the difference between pages was down to natural variance.
Try running a series of A:A tests and see how that will mess your head up. This is when you run identical pages against each other. (Sometimes an identical page will convert better than it’s twin!)
On a lot of occasions, you don’t reach 95% confidence. There is just not that big of a difference between the two pages. Some practitioners recommend dropping the significance threshold or designing your tests so that there are likely to be large differences between variations.
Because of this, you should try getting the biggest possible sample size for your A/B tests. Now, this can be difficult if you are testing single marketing channels or expensive if you are testing online casino PPC traffic.
Multivariate Tests
Multivariate tests require a lot more traffic. As a result, it can take a long time to get significant results. Because of this, for most tier 2/3 bookmakers A/B testing is the best approach.
Look at Multivariate tests as A/B/n tests. You are testing multiple “static” versions against each other. It is sort of like a league format with a number of teams and multiple games to determine the champion, compared to the one on one boxing style “if you beat the champ you are the champ” of A/B testing.
Affiliates Will Appreciate You More
By implementing a conversion rate optimisation programme your affiliates will also benefit. They will see better value in sending traffic to your site than to your competitors.
When affiliates are looking at driving revenues from their website real estate, you will be eligible for improvement in position. Or, in the case of a CPA affiliate, can compete for better CPA deals.
Cost of Implementation Versus Benefits
The cost of implementing findings from tests must be considered.
What are the potential benefits of implementing the changes?
What resources are required to implement the changes?
Am I likely to see a positive ROI?
What am I “saving” in ad spend?
Online Betting – Using Conversion Rate Optimisation to Get the Most from Your Advertising Budget
Paid Search is hugely expensive with some of the highest cost-per-clicks in any industry.
I believe that Conversion Rate Optimisation should be compulsory for any paid search programme in betting. The costs of implementation are often dwarfed by the improvements in CPA that can be achieved even with modest changes to landing pages and registration forms.
Below is an example of how after a cycle of conversion tests throughout the conversion funnel resulted in an improvement of 7% on landing page CTR, 20% on form completion rate and a 16% deposit rate improvement can reduce CPA per depositing customer by £175.
So, in this example, the operator saves £175 in ad spend every time they acquire a new customer (based on their old pre-test CPA).
Budget – £
100,000
Average CPC – £
65
Old Version
New Version
Improvement
Number of Clicks
1,538
1,538
Landing Page Conv. Rate
70%
75%
7%
Web Form Visits
1,077
1,154
Form Completion Rate
35%
42%
20%
Registered Customers
377
485
Deposit Rate
50%
58%
16%
Depositing Customers
188
281
49%
CPA – £ (Depositing Customer)
531
356
-175
Saving on Customer Acq. (1 month)
49,143
Above The Line/Sponsorship Campaigns and Conversion Rate Optimisation
Sponsorship, T.V., Print and In-Shop campaigns are expensive. Spending all that money to get people to visit a website with gaps in the conversion funnel is crazy.
Optimise conversions from “Direct” traffic to make the most from your ATL and sponsorship spend.
Most of the time this traffic class will land on your homepage. You will find that you can achieve substantial increases in registrations and revenue by optimising the home page.
However, patience is required and you must resist the temptation of testing everything all at once. Remember that you are optimising a thought sequence and not a website design.
Conversion Rate Optimisation – Well Known Brands Convert Better
An important thing to note is that a strong brand can improve a poor conversion funnel. Branding increases conversion and in many cases papers over the cracks.
Be aware of this whenever analysing funnels of Tier 1 operators.
Tier 2s and 3s along with start-ups have to work much harder.
Conclusion
In summary, Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is the best way to increase revenue and increase new customer numbers.
On top of this, it is also a great way to help improve customer retention metrics. Ultimately, Conversion Rate Optimisation should be a priority for your marketing team.
Edge SEO is about to become the go-to setup for many igaming sites sports betting sites.
The core issues igaming and sports betting sites face using Javascript frameworks like React and AngularJS are 1) indexation/rendering and 2) failing core web vitals metrics.
Client-side rendering is the prime culprit. As a result, you require a solution that delivers a pre-render site to the user’s browser.
Solutions:
Prerendering only for Search engines
A rendering tool like Pretender.io to render the side server side for search engines. However, this does not fix core web vitals issues because these are measured using a sample of real people using Chrome.
SEO on the Edge
Render the site on a CDN. This can address Core Web vitals and rendering/indexing issues.
On top of this, there are other benefits.
Improved Load Times: improving the user experience and associated SEO ranking factors.
Faster and Deeper Indexing: Search engines use fewer resources crawling, rendering and indexing pages server or CDN rendered than client/browser rendered (HTML) pages.
Edit HTML Content Outside of the Platform: Many platforms are not configured to contain SEO copy. As a result, text and SEO tags can be injected into the page on the CDN.
Typical CDNs used in the sector are Cloudflare, Cloudfront and Akamai. There are different set-ups required for each of these.
Competitive Advantage of SEO on the Edge in iGaming and Sports Betting
The majority of sites use a platform built by third-party suppliers. In a lot of cases, these are white labels. As a result, there are issues when custom work is required on the front-end.
SEO on the edge solves this by enabling front-end edits on the CDN outside the core platform. From an SEO standpoint, this work is essential for both SEO content and improving core web vital metrics.
On top of this, many React/Javascript sites have problems being rendered by Google. So, essentially Google doesn’t have the proper information to index the pages.
Rendering on the edge solves this issue and ensures optimal indexation and by proxy more SEO traffic.
Conclusion – Edge SEO
We can help you get over SEO indexing and core web vitals/site performance hurdles.
In conclusion, contact us for a chat about how you can implement SEO on the Edge for your gaming or sports betting site.
There are a number of variables to consider such as your CDN and your platform. However, we can appraise your requirements and deliver a roadmap for you to achieve increased revenues from organic search.
Paid Search is a major part of the marketing mix of most online bookmakers. It is the cornerstone of many online gaming sites’ marketing strategy.
Many C level executives love it because you don’t have to buy multiple placements in advance. You can turn it on and off as you please. However, there is a worrying trend, the cost per click keeps increasing year on year especially on the keywords that deliver the best return.
Increasing CPC – Customer Knowledge is Key
It is not uncommon to pay over £60 per click for a top sportsbook keyword and over £120 for a top casino term. When done correctly PPC delivers good quality customers that add to the overall value of the company. There are different approaches that can be taken depending on the company size, years in existence, retention marketing performance and Above The Line (ATL) activity.
Internal Reports and Processes Make the Difference
As time goes by, Paid Search for online gaming becomes more and more complicated. In the Gaming sector, a successful paid search campaign depends on many interlinking parts, many of which sit outside the paid search team and in some cases outside of the marketing department altogether.
As Google bidding becomes more automated, the internal analysis and business process become increasingly important to paid search.
1): Get your fundamentals in order
It is essential that you have accurate Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) figures across all products for the top head terms. You can’t effectively manage PPC without this.
For Sportsbook PPC accounts it is essential that you include casino revenue from sportsbook acquisitions in your CLV calculations.
In many gambling marketing departments, the Retention and Acquisition teams sit separately. Budgets are divided along rigid lines and both teams have little or no interaction.
This might make it easier for the HR department to manage, but it doesn’t reflect the complexities of today’s customer journey.
Retention versus Acquisition
Ask yourself this question.
Is your PPC Brand Campaigns an Acquisition or Retention channel?
Now, check Google Analytics and (I hope you have ecommerce set up – If not we can help you). Surprised?
Unlike many other sectors, the gambling sector has been left at a serious disadvantage by Google. Restrictions on RLSA mean that techniques and audience segmentation that are fundamental to paid search strategies in other industries are not available.
As per Google’s gambling policy. We can’t use business data ad customizer to craft different offers for new and existing customers. We can’t bid modify returning customers down on expensive generic terms. We can’t use Google Analytics behaviours to create unique customer segments and manage bids accordingly. We can’t create similar audiences based on user behaviour and VIP level.
So how can you control this when you don’t have any control? In general, your Brand, Competitors and Generic campaigns will have different functions. Your Ad Copy and offers should reflect this.
For example, if you only want new customers include “New Customers Only” in your ad copy. Be prepared to sacrifice CTR for conversion rate. There are quality score implications for this.
3) One generic CPA target doesn’t work
Having one generic CPA target for all campaigns doesn’t work. Typically the overall CPA is too low to get the best quality customers who typically come through core head terms (remember we should be factoring in revenue from all products).
You should set CPA targets for keyword clusters. Keep an eye on cross sell to online casino and other products while watching bonus abuse.
A good way to view this is the difference in intent between a customer searching for “online betting” and one searching for “free bet.”
Which one do you think will have the higher lifetime value? Pretty obvious huh.
4) To Brand or not to Brand? That is the question
Many C-level executives ask this question. It can induce a sense of paranoia about spending budget unnecessarily. The same C-Level executives then spend money on sponsorships and partnerships without the same rigorous analysis.
PPC Betting Sites: Always Advertise on Brand
This is known as the “Google Tax” and if you don’t want your customers being wooed by your competitors who are offering them free bets or boosted odds, you should maintain position one on your brand. Also, traffic that previously came through those £60+ generic head terms often revisits the site through a brand search to sign up.
Don’t Allow Your Competitors to Steal Your Customers
All in all, by not ranking position one for your brand term on the paid search listing you will haemorrhage customers. Your brand will take a hit in the eyes of your customers. It doesn’t give that VIP who wants to deposit a quarter of a million pounds this month any confidence in your brand if you are being outmuscled out of position one on your own brand term.
Our advice is to advertise on your brand terms. Owning page one of SERPs for your brand term is essential, being active on Paid search particularly on mobile is key to achieving “above the fold” dominance for your brand and push competitors down the listings.
5) Returning Customers – Click a Sitelink
On Brand terms, the main headline may be geared towards new customers. Some operators will include a sitelink for existing customers that brings them to the homepage and not a landing page.
This is good practice from a UX perspective. However, it is not as simple as that. If you are only working towards acquisition KPIs you will be wasting budget and increasing your Brand CPA by attracting clicks from current customers.
6) Cheltenham
You can get payback on ad spend when you specifically target Cheltenham but expect it to be over at least 24 months. Generally poor quality customers.
My advice – allocate more budget towards regular day to day horse racing campaigns. Don’t get caught up in the rat race Cheltenham week.
Remember the Champions League fixtures that week. Don’t be afraid to push budgets in the evening.
7) Grand National
Pause all campaigns until after the race on Saturday (best advice on this article). Oh and remove your standard sign-up offer across the site until after the race.
The Grand National attracts punters who bet once a year. It is an exceptional event and rarely delivers in terms of new customer acquisitions. Most of the new customers who sign-up on the day of the Grand National will bet a fiver or less on the race then never bet again. Needless to say, these are not the type of customers you want to acquire at typical PPC CPAs
8) Premier League Saturdays
Now we are talking. This is the ideal time for aggressive bid modifiers.
During National Hunt season you have both Channel 4 racing and the Premier League. You will get good quality customers if your mobile site/app is up to scratch.
Is Your Betting Site up to Scratch?
This is where PPC can build a decent customer base. However, your product both sportsbook and casino must at least match the industry standard. If you have a better offering than the industry standard you will do very well.
9) Ad Customizers for Online Betting – [The Feature Has Changed For Responsive Search Ads]
For online sports betting and casino sites, ad customizers are essential. You should be using them. It does mean changing how you manage offers and ad copy but in the long run it is worth it.
With welcome offers changing and different price boosts every weekend changes to ad copy on gambling accounts is inevitable. Editing text the standard way removes the previous ad and it’s associated performance data and replaces it with a fresh ad.
*Please note the information on ad customizer files is outdated. They have changed with responsive search ads. See more about the updated ad customizers for responsive search ads here: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10711524?hl=en
Using ad customizers enables you to keep the original ad and all its data and just change dynamically the ad copy according to your ad customizer file in the business data section of your account. Therefore it is important for two reasons. 1) Keep data in one place. 2) Maintain quality score of ads. Information on Ad Customizers How to Use Ad Customizers
Conclusion: PPC Sports Betting Sites
Essentially the success of PPC in the online betting space comes down to the product quality and backend data just as much as PPC account management.
It is important that the PPC team works in line with both the customer retention and the above the line teams to deliver a consistent message with the objective of increasing revenue. Let your first-party data to the talking. Don’t listen to the Cheltenham hawks in your office. Invest budget based on what is giving you the best return.
Don’t fear the Sportsbook CPA. With healthy revenues from cross-selling to other products, a seemingly high Sportsbook CPA can actually represent the best ROAS.
We haven’t touched on UX and conversion optimisation which are major factors, especially on mobile devices. Don’t worry we will cover these in a later article. The core message is to get the product in line and PPC revenue will follow.
If you would like to discuss PPC for Sports Betting or Marketing for betting/gaming let us know.
The single biggest mistake PPC managers make when managing PPC across online casino and sports betting campaigns is only focusing on First time depositors. Especially for sports betting but also for online casino PPC campaigns all FTDs are not equal.
The massive swing in individual customer value must be factored into how you manage campaigns. As a result, it is essential to go beyond the first deposit and into more detailed customer segmentation.
Approach to Optimising Player Value from Paid Search (Google Ads)
There are three key elements in successful PPC management for both igaming and online sports betting. These are:
Identifying negative conversions – such as bonus abuse, self excludes, non-profitable customers
Identifying VIPs
Identifying who has played through the free bonus and continues to play/bet with real money
This can only be achieved by assessing player activity and analysing your player database. Ideally you should be able to attribute an estimated player lifetime value to each player.
Once you have done this the next step is to assess likely retention and additional promo costs.
Essentially, you want to map revenues and costs across the full duration of a players lifecycle using discount rates to calculate the Net Present Value of a player.
This can be leveraged across multiple bidding methods and campaigns depending on your specific goals. You can set a target CPA or a target ROAS (based on aggregated NPV) etc.
How to Include Player Analysis on Google Ads
There are three approaches but, they are the same. You can upload manually or use an API or refer to a Google sheet at a preset schedule. We recommend starting manually before looking at using the API or Google Sheet.
How to Tag Your Conversions on the Offline Conversion Sheet
You can set this up in a manner that matches your CRM approach. For example, use your VIP tiers and whenever a customer reaches a new tier flag this as a conversion. If you are confident in your predictive analysis, you may also add the Net Present Value (NPV) of your expected Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) and use this as an anchor metric for automated bidding.
Negative Conversions – Essential in Sports Betting and iGaming
This is a core element in the success of your PPC strategy in the space. Including self-excluded customers and customers who have failed AML and KYC checks is important. On top of this trading categories can be imported including bet factored customers.
This will help optimise towards longer term lifetime value and avoid as much as possible customers who may lean toward self-exclusion. As responsible gambling should be a primary focus of your acquisition campaigns you should do all you can to identify keywords/time of day etc. that attracts a higher percentage of self-excluded customers and apply budget elsewhere.
The Key Approach to Managing Paid Search for Betting and iGaming
As we know all customers are not the same. Paid search is a VIP collection operation where a small number of customers contribute the vast majority of the revenue. As a result, your budgets and timeframe of analysis must be large enough for you to find these VIPs.
Quite often they may only be acquired once per quarter. As a result, monthly analysis of paid search ROI is for optics only. However, using micro indicators of how campaigns and keywords are performing is key to maintaining position on the terms a VIP is more likely to come through on.
Put it this way, you will lose money on your median number for CLV but make money on your mean CLV number as VIPs skew this upward.
Avoiding “bad” customers is probably the most important element of PPC management. This will shut down keywords that may be performing well from a CPA standpoint but do not have the customer indicators to show that medium or high value customers are part of that cohort.
Essentially, with Paid Search in the betting and igaming space you are a trapper and not a hunter. Having multiple conversions can help you focus on the areas where you are more likely to trap a quality customer while avoiding places where unwanted customers will be caught.
Conclusion
There are multiple criteria that can be flagged at the initial stages of a customer’s lifetime which are proxies for potential CLV. Reducing bonus abusing customers, fake accounts, AML and KYC rejected as well as reducing self-excluded is essential for the successful manager of a Paid Search campaign in this space. As a result, if you can leverage multiple early-stage conversions to refine campaigns you will be in a good position to drive ROI on your Paid Search campaigns.
