iGaming operators and affiliates alike were well-represented on the final day of the SBC Summit 2024 in Lisbon. One of the more interesting talks of the event focused on two areas that are at the forefront of many of our strategic activities at ICS-digital: SEO and content creation.
Moderated by Warren Sammut, Head of SEO at Leapsquare, the expert panel convened to discuss the challenge of producing casino reviews for a search audience in 2024.
Dasha Goncharova (Gentoo), Silvia Tavella (Betsson) and Victoria Buttiġieġ (GameLounge) - all heads of content or SEO leads in their respective roles - took attendees through some of the most pressing do’s and don’ts of iGaming SEO review content.
As you would expect, the topic of AI remained high on the agenda. While views about the best application of the generative technology differed slightly, the panellists were unanimous in their belief that AI should be used as a tool rather than a replacement for content creation.
Encouraging content creators to ‘write with integrity’
However, what do you do when the subject matter - for example, casino reviews - doesn’t seem to necessarily offer a lot of room for innovation? As Warren explained, “We are agreed that AI is just a case of regurgitating content, but casino reviews aren’t a topic where we see a lot of originality; it’s an area that’s always tough to bring authenticity to. So, how do you look to do that?”
Victoria’s recommendations focused on writer expertise, one of the critical factors of the E-E-A-T criteria Google uses to determine what is ‘helpful content’.
She said: “It’s important to encourage writers to write with integrity - regardless of whether or not the reader will sit and read all, say, 1000 words.
“Encouraging writers to have knowledge of the industry as a whole rather than just the specific casino they’re reviewing can allow them to draw comparisons and pull in nuance about that particular operator.”
So, where does AI actually fit into this human-led approach?
Victoria explained: “Using AI in processes can free up some writer time to refine and fill in the details... This leads to better and more knowledgeable writers.
“But ultimately, us as the ‘heads of’ have that much more industry experience can instil that within our teams.”
Warren and Silvia went one further, with Warren advocating the use of AI for content creation in certain situations: “AI can sometimes bridge a gap. For example, some slots don’t have a lot of search volume but still need to be populated on an operator’s website.
“In that sense, AI can be used to scale the amount of keywords your site ranks for.”
Silvia added: “Using AI to adapt content for different audiences can be interesting as well.
“iGaming writers and content creators are unicorns. AI can be used once you have found those good writers and localising that content, for example, using the expertise of the original writer. But, human oversight is crucial.”
Helpful content is more than a buzzword
‘Helpful content’, and what that actually means, has been a hot topic in the SEO industry for well over a year now. So, how do you create helpful casino review content that search engines are inclined to reward?
Dasha stated: “Content that ranks is user-first, it’s engaging… You have to have a tone of voice, and a certain personality and flair to attract attention and engagement - but also retain it.”
Agonising over the format and optimal length of content is commonplace in SEO and copywriting agencies.
However, the panel agreed that it’s certainly not the be-all and end-all.
Victoria argued: “As long as [your content] satisfies what a user is searching for, it doesn’t matter how long it is. We’ve had success with experimenting with YouTube shorts, for example.”
Short-form content is also something Dasha and her team at Gentoo have experimented with as part of their SEO efforts.
She explained: “We are adapting to meet the needs of the consumer.
“Something that we have changed, is opting for slightly shorter form content. If you can satisfy user intent in the fewest words possible, you should do it.
“The player just wants to have the high-level information at a glance and use that information as they wish.”
Ultimately, Silvia concluded: “As long as you create content for the users, Google should validate it and reward it as well.”
What about user-generated content?
Recent months have seen user communities such as Reddit and Quora, where questions are essentially crowdsourced, dominate the search engine results pages. A successful SEO strategy, particularly for reviews, should lean into that, Dasha argued.
“You should utilise user-generated content: it is peer validation and a direct answer to a user’s question. Players want to know how other players feel about playing at a particularly casino.”
Tailoring review content for different markets
It feels all-too-easy to directly translate content from one language to another - possibly even using ChatGPT or similar to do most of the legwork. But, be prepared for the results to be limited.
There’s more to it than simply adapting a text from one language to another, as Dasha pointed out: “It’s not just down to language and turn of phrase. In some geos, they may prefer slots or certain bonuses may have more of a following.
“The importance you place on different topics in your review will differ between markets.”
Warren added that some features or bonuses may not even be available for casinos in certain markets, which can make some direct translation redundant.
Victoria urged content creators to take into account local-market knowledge of the iGaming industry, as well as general cultural considerations.
“Consider the maturity of the market - for a [newly regulated geo], explain concepts to someone as though they are new to online gambling, because they genuinely are - compared to more mature markets, where the user is more informed and experienced.”
Consider whether your content guidelines are deep enough
Creating compelling content isn’t just about your writers knowing their target audience or your brand’s tone of voice, either. Victoria explained the important role editors and content managers have to play in the process: “Creating knowledge banks is absolutely essential. Access to easy-to-read, understandable information is essential and makes every writing job so much easier.
“So, we do really focus on having that market-specific information available all the way from management through to the writers.”
The attribution of content is often overlooked but critical
For many in the industry, it feels that including an author biography or profile alongside content can be a box-ticking exercise. But besides demonstrating E-E-A-T principles to search engines, such attribution has other important benefits.
Silvia said: “Ideally, if you have expert writers you are already in a good place, in terms of the quality of your content!”
Dasha concurred, explaining how Gentoo seek to leverage such attribution: “We place a great importance on our writers, and every author has a public profile. It’s essentially a snippet of their resume, which adds a level of validation for the reader, who can check out their Linkedin and their actual expertise and the fact that they can be trusted.”
And it’s not just for one’s own ends as a review site, either. Victoria summarised: “[Attribution] gives writers a sense of ownership and a greater level of responsibility for the quality of their content. So we do encourage our writers to sign off on what they produce.”
ICS-digital supports affiliates, operators and gaming providers produce high-quality, authentic review content in over 100 languages. Get in touch to find how we can support your iGaming SEO and content writing strategy.
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