T RAF F I C
HOW CAN AFFILIATES BRANCH OUT?
This is where it can become tricky and affiliates who do branch
out will need to be smart and think outside the box.
Luckily, there is an easy way in. An affiliate can simply
replicate their casino site framework and trust in quality
content to deliver long-term SEO results, with PPC taking care
of the more immediate results. Your partners know you and
how you market them, so you can get away with a good deal
and review it once the traffic has been assessed.
But will this be enough? Sports betting and casino are very
different experiences and SEO strategy will need to reflect this.
Keywords are going to be different. The strong welcome bonus
for the first day of the new Premier League season simply will
not do. Operators will need to have a more strategic approach
in terms of determining which sports are of peak interest at
different times of the year. Let’s face it: an American sports
bettor is a different beast, and the range of sports available in
the US differs from those across the pond.
The obvious route, then, is to start a brand-new website
promoting mainly American sport, something the audience
can relate to, writing PPC ads and reviews that stand out.
The content needs to be relevant and up to date, not an easy
task with such a large number of events and promotions
constantly being turned around. One of the main issues
in the affiliate world at the moment is poor content and
outdated offers in very low positions. So, managing good
visibility is key.
There will be financial gain for affiliates, but like the
operators, to get hold of this you will have to first invest in
new technology and in people. This is probably where owning
casino sites is a plus. The focus of the casino site should be
on a good ROI in order to re-inject this and reach your goal
within the sports betting vertical. Well-targeted and tailored
campaigns will therefore be vital.
But is this enough to make any single affiliate the unicorn
of US affiliate sport betting networks?
GUIDING LIGHT
You have two assets, both very keen: operators hungry for
new customers and customers who want a new betting
experience by coming and wagering online.
As mentioned earlier, betting behaviour in the US is
different. The key might lie in fantasy sports, college athletics
or American football. Furthermore, US customers are
very loyal to their household names and it will be the job
of the affiliate to show them the wider offers available.
Positioning partners, therefore, is going to be vital. With
casino, positions are earned based on keywords, reviews
or deals agreed. But a review about a UK bookmaker an
American punter has barely heard of won’t mean anything;
what will happen is the punter will go back organically to their
preferred bookmaker, so you lose. Once more, catchy content
is essential but you will need to guide the operator and push
for strong welcome offers. After all, a good CPA is nothing
without a juicy welcome offer. Don’t forget that you are the
expert: you already sent traffic to their casino.
“Sports betting and casino are very different
experiences and SEO strategy will need
to reflect this”
Affiliates will have to ensure they give people the opportunity
to shop around with new and old operators, to give the customer
a look at what is available in the market. Is the grass greener on
the other site? They will be the judge of that. Beware though,
offshore wagering and online betting in the US in the 90s has
already set the tone.
You will then have to think of the audience you want to target.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR AFFILIATES IN THE US?
So, there you have it; you have a brand-new website with catchy
content. Your offers are out there, you have great partners on your
website, they know you because you have marketed their casino for
five years already, they trust you. It’s now time to launch and drive
traffic to your site. It’s time to convert those new, excited bettors
into real-money players.
But how do US bettors convert and what is their lifetime value?
Casino affiliate sites could provide the answer to this, so do not
neglect these as you develop your sports betting portals.
These sites should complement each other without overlapping.
At the same time, you will need to be savvier and be able to invest
more in data and CRM to be able to target more people, and to
cross-sell between existing traffic.
There are two other aspects that haven’t been covered in detail
here but which are also important. First, remember to always be
aware of the regulations in individual US states and stay compliant.
Second, make sure you network, network, network. Attend the
conferences in North America. They may be costly but in the long
run they will be beneficial. Finally, learn from the experts out there
on the other side, meet your audience and your partners to really
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