TRAFFIC
I’M WITH
THE BRAND
In a crowded affiliate space, brand strength is overtaking both SEO and
content as the key to site strategy. Andy Scott looks at what’s in a name
WE HAVE ENTERED an era in which
your brand is everything. Gambling
affiliate sites with weaker branding
are typically those with the lowest
earnings and the race to compete
is only going to get harder as some
affiliates excel in brand growth and
others fall behind.
Most affiliates have invested
considerable time, effort and finances
in SEO. But while SEO will continue
to be an essential part of an affiliate
site’s strategy, it is no longer possible
to rely on common optimisation
techniques alone. Affiliate site owners
need to shape up their content strategy
to benefit from a search-lead approach
in an era in which brand is what
matters most to users and, crucially,
to Google. As you read more and more, you
notice you’re spending the majority
of your time absorbing resources
from one or two brands over others.
Eventually you stop searching Google
and go directly to these sites for the
information you seek. You sign up
to their newsletter because you trust
them; you place bets through their
site because you trust them; and you
recommend the site to your friends –
because you trust them.
Building a strong brand is all
about proving trustworthiness to the
audience you serve. If you don’t,
you won’t achieve brand loyalty and
you won’t get the almighty tick of
approval from Google, which is your
primary opportunity to one-up on
your competition.
What’s in a brand? Learning from the masters
Think for a moment about how you get
into anything new. You would likely
start with a Google search an d scan
pages looking for what seems credible
and comprehensive. In this early stage
the brand means nothing to you; you
care about content. Let’s look at Oddschecker as an
example. Possibly one of the biggest
affiliate sites in the betting world,
Oddschecker is a simple concept –
comparing odds, reading tips and
placing bets – yet one that makes the
site some serious money. Anyone
with so much as a passing interest
in gambling will easily recognise
Oddschecker as a well-known, trusted
brand. Everybody uses it for exactly
this reason.
Of course, Oddschecker didn’t
become a mega-brand overnight. It
built its brand reputation over time to
get to the stage where it now dominates
search results. A cursory glance at the
site shows that it’s jam-packed with
value for its audience. On top of the
odds comparison for which it is famed,
the site also offers news, tips, exclusive
promotions and reviews – enough
content to absorb an interested punter
for hours at a time.
Other well-known brands such as
AskGamblers and Bettingpro enjoy
significant market share, thanks to a
content strategy offering audiences
reviews and in-depth articles that are
topical, engaging and cleverly link the
reader back to other pages on their sites.
Improving your content strategy
Your content strategy is what will keep
your brand in front of your audience
without pestering, while always
iGB Affiliate Issue 71 OCT/NOV 2018
29