iGB Affiliate 63 June/July | Page 23

TRAFFIC more sophisticated, the number of agencies who are equipped to deliver on strategy has decreased. At Blueclaw we’ve seen former competitors morph into brand and design agencies, or move more into advertising. The fact is, SEO is getting harder and half-measures are not enough. In employing your in-house team or looking at an agency partner, the changing world of search means that adaptability is critical in colleagues, and outsourced partners. Today it’s not enough to be an SEO professional – the technical insight, PR knowledge and creative content marketing capability has squeezed out a lot of individuals from the industry – and many who remain are on borrowed time. The constantly changing world of search What is striking about how SEO is changing and will change is that a lot of the shifts we’re seeing are pretty much Google becoming better at putting their long-established guidelines into practice – they’re becoming less open to manipulation, and more capable in detecting and punishing offenders. The decision that marketers and executives in betting and gaming need to make is – will they try and fight the tide, or find new and better ways of working that accomplish their SEO goals while abiding by the laws of Google’s new world? MARTIN CALVERT is marketing director at Blueclaw, a betting and gaming-focused SEO, content marketing, PPC and social PR agency. Martin heads up Blueclaw’s internal marketing team and performs a strategic role on behalf of a number of key clients. NAME: MARTIN CALVERT DATE: 12 JULY WHEN: 10.15 We’re 15… Let’s Celebrate! Bringing Affiliates & Operators Closer Together in 2017 & Beyond Affiliate Software | Network & Management Services | incomeaccess.com