Online Casino SEO Guide

We are an Online Casino SEO Agency with extensive experience in the igaming and sports betting sectors.

The online casino space is highly competitive with a premium placed on obtaining head term traffic from search. Looking at Paid Search Cost Per Clicks across multiple jurisdictions we regularly see CPCs of over $150 for many top terms. This shows the value placed on these top search terms.

Onsite Casino SEO

Online casino SEO involves two core branches.

  1. Technical/Onsite SEO
  2. Offsite

Technical SEO refers to onsite optimisation revolving around indexability for value terms, onsite content, and user experience (UX) including load times.

Offsite SEO involves building a backlink profile outside of affiliate sites. This includes sponsorships, guest blogging, appearing at conferences, podcasts and also generating traction on social media.

JavaScript Site – React/AngularJS

Many online casinos are built using React or Angular frameworks; this is not ideal for SEO for the following reasons.

  • Java script is a nightmare for Bing to index.
  • Google must do two passes to index javascript
  • Core web vitals – issues with CLS and LCP as the entire website loads in browser
  • URL structures
  • Unique SEO content may require additional set-up
  • Depending on metrics

Unique URLs

A core element is the need for unique URLs covering the important head terms. These must include the target keyword and ideally be linked from the main navigation. If this is not possible then it is essential to have links with anchor text from the homepage either in the footer or within the main content.

In the context of online slot games, each slot should have its own page with information on pay tables, RTP and general gameplay. This is essential to rank for specific slot game searches.

All in all the URL structure should contain the focused SEO pages in a directory as close to the top level as possible.

A detailed SEO audit will map URLs structures that best fit your online casino platform considering SEO.

Core Web Vitals – Online Casino SEO

This is a major issue for Online Casinos. again, the reason is through client side rendering. Google uses a live sample of users who load a page in chrome to measure all core web vitals metrics. These are real world users. So there are variables like connection speed and device type etc. to consider.

This is an area where most online casinos fall down. However, there are a number of solutions that can be recommended after a detailed SEO review and audit.

Depending on the territory core web vital numbers can vary. As a result, it is important to be aware of localisation and the unique aspects of each market your site is targeting.

Tracking SEO Users – Online Casino SEO

It is important to capture your user IDs on a platform like Google Analytics. These then can be used to identify SEO users and appraise the value of the traffic. Unlike in the past where you could set up brand terms in Universal Analytics you cannot do this in GA4.

As a result, an alternative approach to separating revenues into brand and non-brand must be looked at. How you do this depends on a number of factors. However, the key is setting up User IDs in GA4.

This gives you the freedom to analyse user cohorts thoroughly giving you a clear understanding of the value of online casino SEO traffic.

Appraising The Value of Your SEO Program

There are two methods of looking at your SEO program from a value standpoint.

  1. Return on Investment
  2. PPC cost savings

Return on Investment Approach

There are several requirements you need. These are:

  • Capture USERIDs on Google Analytics.
  • Identify SEO traffic through Google Analytics
  • Run USDERIDs through your internal database to get player value
  • On top of this assess where SEO appears on the just journey by analysing the path to conversion

Unique Content – Head Terms

The core objective should be to rank for head terms such as online casino, online slots, online casino [TERRITORY], online roulette etc.

As a result your main navigation should include links to these pages. Each page targeting a head term should not be in a directory.

For example ideally they should look like this:

sampledomainexample.com/online-casino

Unique Content – Games

Slot games should have a crawlable URL. Some popular slot games have a dedicated player base who want to know what sites.

Content to include:

  • Pay tables
  • Bonus rounds
  • RTP
  • Game overview and theme

SEO on the Edge – Online Casinos

Many online casinos are built using a framework like React or Angular. As a result, they require JavaScript to be rendered as HTML. This is typically done client side. However, usually when this is the case Core Web Vitals do not meet Google’s criteria.

Rendering server side is not an option for many technical and security reasons. However, there is a middle ground. This is known as SEO on the Edge. In the case of Online Casinos it may be a viable option. If you use a CDN like Cloudflare or Amazon CloudFront.

Essentially, your website renders as HTML on your CDN. So it loads quicker from a user perspective. Secondly, you can make changes to the webpage on the CDN which may help get around limitations on adding content directly on the platform.

However, it is essential to plan any implementation “on the edge” as there are a number of unique factors to consider.

Many online sportsbook development projects can also leverage SEO on the edge.

Usability Metrics – Online Casino SEO

Core Web vitals is an important ranking factor. Ideally your pages will have a “good” rating across all URLs. It is essential to achieve a “good” rating across top pages. Depending on your platform provider there will be a specific approach to maximising these scores.

All in all, you should focus on maxmising page performance according to these metrics. Also you should monitor competitor performance and ensure you are competitive in comparison.

Offsite SEO

Once you have your technical SEO in order you should focus on offsite SEO. In the Online Casino sector this is different to many other sectors given the following:

  • Prominence of “no follow” affiliate links
  • Reluctance of high quality publications to link to online gambling
  • Innovative Digital PR approached are required

There are two approaches that should be looked at.

  1. Industry conferences and publications: However it can be difficult to get no follow links
  2. Sports sponsorships
  3. Fan blog sponsorships – There are some high quality sites that you can find

Approach to finding links – We recommend looking at affiliates to find sites for backlinks.

Purchasing Sites and 301 Redirecting

A technique for getting rankings fast is to acquire sites that are ranking and redirecting them to your online casino site. However, this strategy may work for location modified sites for example [LOCATION] + online casino etc.

This involves buying websites and 301 redirecting ranking pages to corresponding pages of your site. However, in many cases the multiple top ranking sites are looking for will be based on affiliate revenue and therefore may not be viable. However, for certain longtail terms there may be a financial case to follow through with a purchase and 301 redirect.

Brand Signals

A key ranking factor is your brand signals these include:

  • Brand search volume
  • CTR on brand terms
  • CTR on generic terms
  • Brand mentions in text on high quality sites
  • Industry bodies
  • Social Media Profiles and interactions

Conferences and Sponsorship

Within the betting sector there are many opportunities to speak at conferences. These should be taken by employees of your online casino with brand mentions and backlinks to your site. However, most of these backlinks will be “no follow” it is still worth engaging.

As well as backlinks there are opportunities to expand your social media reach and interaction. As outlined above this will help improve your brand signals.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Online Casino SEO involves ensuring your core technical SEO components are in place. In certain cases this may require some creativity and leveraging Google Tag Manager to get over some technical restrictions of your platform. Also, SEO on the edge may play an important role if you want to achieve top rankings especially for generic head terms.

In terms of offsite SEO there are several strategies you must consider. Working with your PR team to create innovative linkable content is key. However, researching the backlink profile of the top ranking affiliates is a great start especially if you are targeting a new jurisdiction.

A core element of success with you online casino is to work with experienced casino software developers. At The Unit we have worked on many online casino projects across all parts of the product lifecycle. Talk to us today about SEO for your online casino.

How Do I Appraise the Value Online Casino SEO Traffic?

Firstly, capture the User ID on Google Analytics. Then use the Organic Search captured IDs to find player lifetime value to date and VIP tier data on your customer database

What is SEO on the Edge for Online Casinos?

SEO on the edge means you render and modify pages on your CDN such as Cloudflare or Amazon CloudFront. Since many online casinos use React or AngularJS this may be necessary to guarantee that Google renders on page content and that all Core Web Vitals are within recommended limits.

Why should I start an SEO program for my Online Casino?

You should start an online casino SEO program because search is typically where higher value customers are acquired. Costs per click on paid search can be £100+ or $200+ depending on the jurisdiction. As a result, even at low volumes an SEO program can save you tens of thousands of pounds/dollars per month.

Do I need unique content for all pages for online casino SEO?

Given keyword research in your target region you should ensure that core target keywords have useful content on each page. This should differentiate the page from others and clearly indicate the casino games available on the page. Given your resources you should create a schedule to ensure the appropriate content and internal links are in place.