Oleg Cherkaskiy, the Head of Product at SEOBrothers, discussed the latest updates in the digital market, the particularities of SEO marketing for different gambling sectors, and much more.
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At the start of 2020, Google announced a full ban of third-party cookies in Chrome until 2022. How has it changed the marketing industry? And at what stage is SEO marketing right now?
SEO marketing hasn’t changed at all. The only thing that has influenced the ranking of sites since that time is the algorithm updates from Google. This statement by the company about cookies is more about those who are engaged in paid traffic, because it directly concerns user analytics, and data is expensive. Let me remind you that Google collects data from the Chrome browser, the Android operating system, through the Google Analytics system, the Google Ads, and partners advertising system. Talking about the era without cookies, the search giant’s plans have failed. There are several reasons for this.
Google tried to refuse cookies and replace them with the new technology Federated Learning of Cohorts under the slogan of protecting user data. But recently unpleasant details were revealed that say that it’s completely insecure and, in addition, due to this technology, Google will be able to monopolize the market even more. Plus, other large companies and Google partners were very unfriendly to this decision.
But the biggest surprise hit was Apple’s update (iOS 15 update), which hit both Google and Facebook. Because now the tracking of conversions through paid traffic is delayed due to the new privacy policy after the device update from Apple. Apple will also give even less data to Google and generally plans to launch its own search engine.
Therefore, I am sure that Google will postpone the transition from cookies under any pretext until it finds a new solution. In the meantime, we are stocking up on popcorn and watching the war of the giants, and we are waiting for what it will lead to.
Gambling isn’t still fully accepted by society as a safe type of entertainment. How should marketing companies present gambling advertising in order not to lose trust from users?
In Ukraine, we still have a very young, not well-established gambling market, and after a long ban, people are not yet accustomed to adequately perceiving the advertising of games that they see. But this is a matter of time.
Another point is the content of the materials themselves, which are full of bright visuals and promises of big wins. All this is controlled by the law on advertising. But let’s be honest, it doesn’t work because there have not been any cases where someone was punished for implausible advertising content. This year, lawmakers promise to toughen the approach to advertising and it will not be possible to use phrases about the best product, casino, or service without proof. It must be somehow justified. Therefore, gambling marketers will have to include creativity and present advertising in an interesting and neutral way. Although I think that the law will not work right away and until the first large fine everyone will continue to attract players in the same manner.
Talking about the experience of large European markets, marketing is strictly controlled, and the players are protected. The advertising positions the casino as a form of entertainment, and not as a profit. Plus, their legislators clearly understand what they are doing, because the markets are old and have gone through many transformations. In our parliament, there are people who have no idea how modern advertising works and what to do about it. Zuckerberg went through a similar experience when he told senators how targeting works and they were shocked. When the laws are passed by IT specialists, everything will fall into place. But the development of the market awaits us, so these are normal processes.
As for the affiliate marketers, I am sure that these are the only guys who will not comply with advertising standards. Because in fact, this is now the case. After all, advertising gambling on Facebook and Google is prohibited for illegal casinos. But the guys advertise them anyway. Maybe it will soon become unprofitable and they will stop doing it.
I’m a big opponent of limits, I’m more for common sense in advertising and for creativity. Advertising should be catchy and interesting. The main thing is to use a disclaimer, which clearly states the responsibility of the player. The player must understand all the risks and responsibilities.
Are there any special criteria by which the result of SEO promotion is assessed for online casinos and bookmaker companies?
The most important criteria for gambling companies are money and profit. It’s important to look at traffic, but it is not proof of the result. Because traffic can be made in a week. But in money, it will not be reflected.
I usually look at the numbers of first deposits and repeated deposits, the average deposit per player, and other financial indicators. In general, the payback period of a casino is on average from 1.5 to 2 years, and during this time, the work with the players must be completely done.
The bookmaker promotion has more traffic than casinos usually have. There is also a strong difference depending on the country. Because there’re different popular sports in each country. For example, in Japan, a large amount of traffic comes from horse racing. There are also a lot of badminton bets, lately. In betting, you can get traffic faster in a few months, in a casino, you need more effort. And the competition in the casino is traditionally higher. Therefore, it is now popular to open a betting company in addition to a casino, or vice versa. In this way, you overflow and additionally monetize traffic.
I am more of an expert on western traffic and there is a lot of betting traffic in the west. Plus, if you bet on non-traditional sports, then you will have less competition and faster results.
Read more: Top Gambling Affiliate Programs
