The online gambling and betting industry has enjoyed extraordinary success over the past decade. To put things into perspective, iGaming analysts expect the market size to hit $114.4 billion by 2028. And with fertile new markets opening across the US and Canada, we wouldn’t be surprised if this figure grew even higher.
At Content Lab, we’re specialists in creating iGaming copy for various organizations. Our casino experts work with operators and affiliate websites, generating SEO-focused reviews and other types of writing. We know the importance of possessing a top-tier content plan first-hand, as evidenced by our previous blog explorations into other areas, such as AI’s standing in the digital marketing world.
Today, we want to expand on how to write a casino review properly. This is one of the most important areas to get right for iGaming businesses, especially in such a saturated environment. Google has upgraded its algorithms in recent years, leading to a far greater focus on valuable and accurate text. As a result, casino reviews have had to up their game. Simply getting in the right keywords and nothing else won’t suffice nowadays.
The best reviews include up-to-date information, genuine advice, complete impartiality, and engaging text. If this sounds like something you’re after, we would love to help. Get in contact to see the options available. Content Lab covers content creation, SEO enhancement, translations, proofreading, and more.
But before you do so, let’s get stuck into the fundamental steps and characteristics required for a first-class online casino review.
Casino Reviews & SEO: Why Are They So Important?
Casino reviews are one of the primary methods for operators to generate leads and increase their online visibility. Unfortunately, Google is far more critical of the gambling industry than other areas, so the content has to be spot-on to be effective. This is where casino reviews come in. You must show Google that your content is valuable and helpful to potential customers. Otherwise, it can be punished.
SEO is crucial to gambling operators, as most players find sites via Google or trustworthy review websites nowadays. Casinos and sports betting platforms rely on affiliate links to drive their customer bases, and reviews are a crucial part of the iGaming industry’s digital marketing architecture.
Casinos would struggle to gain a digital footprint past their own websites without this content. In the past, more obvious advertising and link-building strategies may have worked. Nowadays, evolving algorithms have placed more emphasis on genuinely valuable and “real” content. As a result, online casino reviews have never been more important.
Fundamental Steps Before Writing A Casino Review
At Content Lab, we use an extensive checklist before writing casino reviews. The planning stage is arguably the most important part of the process. Without concise research and testing, you cannot get an authentic feel for the platform you’re meant to be reviewing. This can easily result in wrong or misleading information, resulting in subpar SEO. Utilize the fundamental steps below before writing a casino review to ensure the best copy:
Research
Diving headfirst into an online casino review without doing the required research is a surefire way to write inadequate content. Ideally, you should be checking out various casino characteristics before you actually start writing. This includes welcome bonuses, ongoing promotions, game libraries, payment methods, licensing, mobile apps, and more.
You must also make sure the information gathered is correct. While lifting all data from other casino reviews can be tempting, this can result in erroneous material. We always recommend investigating the official website for the most up-to-date and correct information.
Hands-On Testing
After preliminary research, writers should also engage in hands-on testing to assess the user interface, software, and general site or app layout. This is where you can get a better idea of how easy it will be for potential customers to navigate through the game library or work out how to claim bonuses.
This is an area in which Content Lab goes above and beyond. Our casino reviews always involve hands-on testing, so we can give a well-rounded and complete overview of each operator.
Checking User Reviews
After you have done your own research using the official casino website and app, it’s also a good idea to follow up with other user reviews. Appreciating all the little details during the research process can be tricky, so this can help highlight any more subtle advantages or problems you may not have noticed.
Platforms such as Trustpilot and the App Store or Google Play marketplaces are great places to check what other people thought of their experiences. It can uncover problems with claiming winnings or show some of the main benefits of gambling with a specific operator.
Keyword Analysis
You must also engage in keyword analysis before writing online casino reviews. This is crucial to high rankings, even though it shouldn’t come before guaranteeing you have accurate information.
We use a range of tools, including On-Page and SurferSEO to ensure every casino review is fully optimized. This leads to higher rankings and traffic, ultimately generating more happy customers.
What Makes A Great Online Casino Review?
Implementing the initial steps above is the driving force behind an outstanding online casino review. The research and testing phase is invaluable to the process, helping to generate top-scoring content from top to bottom. Superior casino reviews contain all of the following traits below. Before sending off any copy to a client, you must consider whether you’re writing ticks these boxes:
Accurate Information
As mentioned, doing careful research and hands-on testing should guarantee your casino review includes accurate and contemporary information regarding operators and software providers.
This is arguably the most important characteristic to take into account, as misleading readers is frowned upon. And not just by Google. You will go down in the estimations of iGaming regulators and businesses if you are consistently responsible for factually incorrect copy. This can be a serious danger, so be careful.
Concise & Engaging Text
Keyword stuffing and bland writing can significantly affect your SEO score, so an online casino review must also be concise. At Content Lab, we take care to avoid “fluff”, producing succinct iGaming copy that covers the brief in the most direct and waffle-free way possible.
Google has placed enormous value on valuable and helpful content since its 2022 algorithm shakeup, making the need for quality writing even more important. A great casino review, therefore, grips the reader and doesn’t engage in potentially black hat SEO practices like keyword stuffing or excessive selling.
SEO Focus
While a casino review must read brilliantly and be careful not to overdo a focus on SEO, keywords and other enhancement techniques are still incredibly important. We’ve spoken at length about the significance of SEO throughout the digital marketing world, and it’s especially influential in the iGaming industry.
Focusing on SEO involves using tools to help you determine the best keywords, ensuring your H2s and H3s are relevant, generating tables, and taking regular screenshots to upload alongside your copy. Pay attention to these fundamental areas to get the most out of your online casino review content.
Controlled Impartiality
Online casino reviews are classed as “Your Money Your Life” content by Google, which means the iGaming industry has to be careful when writing these articles. Aside from including the correct information, this also results in the obligation to remain impartial. Overselling or misselling is frowned upon and can significantly reduce your SEO ranking.
But this isn’t the only reason why casino reviews must be relatively impartial. Strict regulators such as the Ontario Alcohol & Gaming Commission may also punish overly biased content. This doesn’t mean you can’t praise the benefits of gambling with different operators, but you should also take care to highlight any negatives as well.
Images
Taking screenshots of aspects like the online casino registration process, banking methods, or game library is a great way to further enhance your reviews. This can greatly help readers understand whether the platform in question suits them and demonstrates the value of your copy to Google, thereby resulting in higher rankings.
Be careful here, as you must avoid including any images that have watermarks from a different review site or casino platform. Ideally, the images will also be of high quality. We find the best way to do this is by taking screenshots from official casinos and software providers rather than looking on Google Images for preexisting pictures.
Content Lab: iGaming Specialists With A Passion For Reviewing Casinos
Writing online casino reviews doesn’t have to be difficult, although there are a few key characteristics that you cannot afford to miss out on. At Content Lab, our passionate pursuit of top-quality iGaming content is informed by an ever-evolving appreciation of SEO principles and the constantly shifting nature of the online gambling industry.
Our reader-first casino reviews go through an extensive research, writing, and editing process to guarantee the best content possible. Get in contact to see how we can help your iGaming business boost its SEO profile, readership, and market authority.
See You Next Time!
That’s it for this installment of the Content Lab blog. We’ve clarified the necessary steps behind an A-class casino review and demonstrated what to look for when deciding whether your content is up-to-scratch. Implementing these suggestions will generate SEO-enriched iGaming writing of a high standard. It’s something we know from experience here at Content Lab.
Check back to the blog regularly for more updates on online gambling and SEO-related areas. We’ll see you next time!
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