SEO/ASO/PPC traffic in gambling

It is becoming more difficult to retain audiences using popular sources in gambling traffic arbitrage, such as social networks, spam mailings, teasers, and native advertising. Against this backdrop, there is a rapid increase in investment in SEO, ASO, and PPC – sources that bring in more informed players who are ready to take action. What is really behind these channels, and why are they valued above others today? We answer these questions at Teamlead.Media.

SEO specialists and media buyers view traffic in completely different ways. For arbitrage, SEO seems endlessly long, slow, and too calm to generate quick profits. SEO specialists, on the other hand, see arbitrage as chaotic and high-risk.

Arbitrage is a model in which you buy traffic on one platform and redirect it to another to earn money on the difference. This approach allows you to quickly get involved in the work and scale up just as quickly.

In arbitrage, the main focus is always on conversions and cost control. Specialists constantly change creatives, test combinations, try different geos, selecting the combination that will give the maximum return. It's about dynamics, flexibility and the ability to make quick decisions when every little thing affects the final profit.

What is SEO traffic?

SEO optimisation is work done on a website to help it appear more often in search results and become more visible to people looking for specific information. Unlike arbitrage, where traffic is purchased, SEO sources work with organic traffic: people find the resource themselves through a search query and visit it because they really need that content.

SEO traffic brings gambling customers who are ready to play, they stay longer, return more often and have a high LTV. Advertisers are willing to pay for SEO not only in RevShare or Hybrid, but also in Listing Fee – a fixed payment for top positions in the ranking.

Features of SEO optimisation for gambling

SEO can become an ‘eternal engine’ of traffic: set up the page correctly, and it will bring people from search engines and generate profit for months. The main task of SEO is simple: attract as much organic audience as possible and turn it into money.

But it is important to remember the other side of the coin. SEO is not a quick and easy source. The niche is capricious, the competition is fierce, search engines are picky about gambling topics, and the first results do not appear immediately. To get to the top and stay there, you need content, structure, technical optimisation and time.

In addition, with the advent of AI, the rules of the game have changed – and for iGaming, this means additional complexity. Search engines and AI modules are increasingly evaluating not only keywords and links, but also whether the content satisfies the user's intent.

In order for a website to climb closer to the coveted first page, it needs to be prepared. Search engines are wary of this niche and evaluate any casino-related content much more strictly. Search engines do not like grey schemes and aggressive attempts to launch a casino website at any cost, but with the right approach, anything is possible.

To get around blocks, SEO specialists have long learned to work through disguised platforms. There are several basic formats:

1. Review sites. Resources that collect reviews of casinos and bookmakers. This is perhaps the most convenient option: you rank the sites, create cards with descriptions, add reviews – and you have a full-fledged website through which you can run several offers at once. It's a lot of work, but the return is excellent.
2. Branded websites. Separate resources dedicated to a single casino or bookmaker. Traffic is often redirected through mirrors. It is important to find out in advance from the affiliate programme whether it accepts SEO traffic: some are categorically against it. To bypass the brand's official website and draw organic traffic to yourself, you need to make an effort – good content and a competent structure are essential.
3. Slot sites. Pages created around a single slot. These are resources with a maximum of several pages, often even just one. Traffic is either directed to a casino mirror or imitates the slot interface itself within the site.
   

SEO optimisation of an iGaming project is easier to prepare with a team: someone writes the texts, someone builds the structure, someone improves the design. And you need a budget for this, too.

What is PPC traffic and how does it work?

PPC traffic is the flow of users you get through paid advertising, where you pay for each click. In simple terms: you launch a creative in your chosen source, a potential customer sees the ad, clicks on it, and you pay for the click, not the impression. It seems simple, but there are many nuances involved.

How PPC traffic works

1. You create an advertising campaign

You choose a source: Google Ads, Facebook Ads, TikTok Ads, push platform, etc. You configure: audience (who to show it to), creatives (what to show), budget and bid, geo, goals.

2. The ad starts showing

The algorithm looks for users who are the best fit for your offer. Your creative competes with other advertisers.

3. The user clicks – you pay

The price per click depends on competition, creative quality, relevance, and settings.

4. The potential customer moves on to the next step or loses interest.

The user goes to the landing page, pre-landing page, store, messenger, or app. And then either converts or doesn't. This is where the webmaster plays a key role in arbitrage – warming up well, managing correctly, and not wasting the advertising budget.

Tips and features of working with PPC traffic

PPC traffic is one of the highest quality and most conversion-friendly types of traffic in gambling arbitrage. The user is already ‘warmed up’; they are looking for where to play or what to buy. But there is a caveat: for beginners, the model may seem complicated and expensive. It requires experience, deep understanding, and constant analysis.

Here are a few recommendations.

Make your creatives truly informative

Users click when they understand where they are going. Therefore, do not hide the meaning behind general phrases – the more transparent the offer, the fewer irrelevant clicks and the higher the quality of traffic.

Work with the right keywords

Today, people are increasingly using voice search, so conversational keywords are a must. Check whether you can use branded keywords – not all advertisers give permission for them, and you can easily run into a block or rejection.

Clearly agree on the terms with the advertiser

Each advertiser has their own ‘rules of the game’: which sources are allowed, which activities are acceptable, what hold, what volume. PPC traffic usually has strict requirements.

Set up negative keywords

This small step can work wonders: fewer unnecessary impressions, higher traffic quality, lower promotion costs. Negative keywords are your filter against junk.

Control click fraud

Robots, competitors, random bots – all of these can eat up your budget. Turn on protection, monitor statistics in the tracker, and if you have any suspicions, freeze the campaign. It's trivial, but it's what saves money most often.

Sometimes the CTR is high, but there are no conversions. If there are a lot of clicks but few registrations or deposits, something is wrong. Check the landing page: is the offer clearly described there? Especially when it comes to casino bonuses, the terms and conditions should be easy to read and without any hidden catches. Also, review the offer itself: sometimes the problem is not with you, but with the product.

What is ASO traffic?

ASO traffic is the flow of users who come to a mobile application from a store (App Store or Google Play) thanks to its competent optimisation. Simply put, this is the traffic that you get not through advertising, but through the fact that your software is beautifully designed and easily visible in the store's search results.

Features of working with ASO traffic

App Store Optimisation aims to increase the number of downloads and installations by making the app more attractive and accessible to the target audience.

Why ASO gives excellent results:

• it allows you to attract exactly those users who are already interested in casino games;
• it makes the connection easier: the user does not come to ASO from a third-party site, but immediately searches for the game in the market, installs it and launches it;
• it increases trust in the app, as it is located in the official store with ratings and reviews.
  

The main elements of ASO are keywords, metadata, and visual design. The right keywords and metadata in the title and description improve ranking and help the app appear in searches for relevant queries. The description should be clear and structured.

The icon is the first thing the user sees. Make it attractive and informative. The banners in the app card should match the icon and offer, show real slots from the product, and catch the eye with their brightness and quality.

It is also important to monitor user reviews – in ASO, they directly affect the reputation of the programme and its visibility. A good rating and lots of positive comments increase the chance of growth in the number of installations.

Conclusion

The choice between SEO and arbitrage always comes down to business objectives, scale, timing, and available resources. In reality, each traffic source has its own strengths and weaknesses. Ideally, SEO optimisation and arbitrage should coexist and sometimes even overlap. This combination will have a much more powerful effect: organic traffic will ensure stability, while paid traffic will provide speed and flexibility. As a result, the website will receive a variety of traffic sources and feel much more confident in any turbulence.