INSIGHT
not targeted to an under-18 audience.
The affiliate must add unique value on
their own domain. Unlike Bing’s policy,
Google does not allow double serving of
any kind. As a result, affiliates are required
to have their own domain that adds value
in its own right.
Any redirects or simple landing pages
will fall foul of Google policy. You need to
therefore ensure that your site has content
of both relevance and value to the audience
before linking to the licensed operator.
The affiliate must clearly prove they are
not taking any transactions on the site for
iGaming activity.
Out of all the issues we see with affiliates,
this seems to be the biggest. Quite often,
affiliates that extend their offering to a
membership can run into issues with Google.
Ultimately, affiliates need to ensure they
are not receiving financial transactions on
their own domain in relation to iGaming
activity in order to stay clear of this issue.
Regardless, if an affiliate is faced with this
issue, a clear documentation of operational
structure will ensure a swift resolution.
Ultimately, Google have to comply with
the UK Gambling Commission’s definition
of an operator in the UK market. To stay safe
from penalties is to ensure a unique domain,
with unique content that links to a licensed
operator’s site via a clear actionable link.
across all the channels are those that are
likely to withstand the changes by ensuring
they are at the forefront of affiliate/
performance related marketing.
2. Be responsible as a licensed operator.
Whilst not legally required to do so,
displaying your responsible gambling
credentials by placing clear links to
gambling awareness charities such as
GamCare can significantly help your case as
an affiliate. With more platforms approving
affiliates on a case-by-case basis via
whitelisting, proving you are a responsible
affiliate could make a significant difference.
With Google in particular, confirming
in the footer or disclaimer at the bottom
of your main landing pages that you are
an affiliate which directs users to licensed
operators’ sites will help any issues you
may run into further down the line.
Responsibility also includes your advertising
practices. Ensure you refrain from;
● Bridging to operators’ sites
- Ensure you direct users in paid
search to your own unique page, offering
additional value to the user.
- Refrain from redirecting users
automatically to an operator’s site, or just
providing a landing page in-between your
own site and that of the operator.
Impersonating licensed operators
- Ensure you have your own identity,
especially when marketing through paid
search. As an agency working with a
leading iGaming operators, all too often
we see affiliates using either the operator’s
brand name or url in ad copy. Double
serving means the highest Ad Rank
takes precedence. I can ensure you that
impersonation is not beneficial in the long
term, and could result in your affiliate
account being suspended.
●
The final three key takeaways
1. Holistic affiliates will always win.
After years of SEO being seen as the volatile
side of digital, with the recent changes
in paid search and social marketing,
those who have ensured a more “natural”
organic growth as part of the core strategy
are now starting to see envious eyes cast
towards them. 'V