Surviving the AI disruption: why trust will decide the future of iGaming affiliates

Category: Sponsored Surviving the AI disruption: why trust will decide the future of iGaming affiliates

Artificial intelligence has undeniably disrupted the way search engine rankings work. Today, over 50% of global searches trigger AI Overviews. This creates a massive challenge for iGaming affiliates operating in an already competitive sector. Experts believe trust and compliance will be differentiating factors for the long-term success of these businesses.

Being recognised as a credible, trustworthy source improves chances of inclusion in AI overviews. This is especially valid for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) sectors like online gambling, where Google is even more strict in its requirements.

 

The new standards for iGaming affiliates

As contradictory as it may sound, now more than ever, the focus is on personalisation, authenticity, and the human touch. Gamblers quickly learned to recognise AI-generated content, and it became clear that this won’t be enough.

iGaming affiliates have to create high-quality, player-focused content that follows Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) standards. Each paragraph and line of text should be helpful and add tangible value for the reader.

And while AI tools can automate content and improve overall productivity, they should complement, not replace, people. To create trust, finding the right balance and keeping intrinsically human characteristics at the core of content is essential.

The widespread use of AI without cross-checking or verifying claims carries significant risks of inaccuracy, bias, and misinformation. In the iGaming affiliate business, such things can seriously damage authority and quickly lead to a loss of profit.

 

Trust, compliance, transparency

Today, artificial intelligence allows online gambling affiliates to assist players better, faster, and more efficiently. Among other developments, AI chatbots and conversational agents can now reliably answer questions and steer users toward the information they need.

However, leading affiliate websites like iGaming.com realise both Google algorithms and players demand transparency in AI usage, so they align their practices with expectations for honesty and value. They seem to have found just the right combination of AI and real human resources.

For example, iGaming.com is focused on player safety and proactively promotes responsible gambling practices. They’ve even created their own self-assessment test, which players can take to evaluate their gambling habits and recognise if they need support. This requires a more human approach rooted in an in-depth understanding of player behaviours and emotions.

Online gambling affiliates must ensure their campaigns include only legal platforms licensed to operate in their respective jurisdictions. The messaging is also essential. Elaborate AI tools can help detect fraudulent or unethical affiliate practices to ensure compliance and avoid adverse consequences.

However, the choice of whether to stick to compliance is not taken by AI but by humans. Despite the risks, many online gambling affiliates still choose to partner with shady operators. While promoting unlicensed sites may result in higher profit in the short term, compliance is the only right choice in the long run.

Affiliates who choose short-term profit are doomed to lose authority and trust eventually. These practices go against Google algorithms and players’ expectations and will ultimately lead to their undoing. In the long run, such businesses stand no chance of success.

 

Tips for AI optimisation for iGaming affiliates

While imperative, traditional SEO practices and high editorial standards are no longer enough to build your website’s trust and authority. iGaming affiliates are now very familiar with another term: optimisation for AI, also known as AIO.

AIO is used to make your content clear enough for both human readers and AI systems. It increases your chances of being referenced in AI overviews, which now often appear above traditional links and significantly affect traffic. Here are a few tips for iGaming affiliates:

  • Create high-quality, authoritative content – Create well-researched content in line with Google’s E-E-A-T signals. This will help build topical authority, which AI prioritises when choosing sites to reference.
  • Optimise content structure and use schema markup – Use clear headings, bullet points, and schema markup (structured data) to make it easier for AI to understand and extract relevant information from your site.
  • Match user intent – Your content should answer specific questions concisely and to the point. AI Overviews often appear to players looking for direct answers to common queries related to online gambling.
  • Optimise your website for desktop and mobile – As always, make sure your site is responsive across devices and provides a user-friendly experience. Factors such as speed, crawlability, and mobile optimisation remain critical.

In addition to human expertise, you can use AI tools to check for E-E-A-T signals, readability, structure, and overall text quality. Including inner links to other posts is also recommended for topical authority. Make sure to research and address real questions from players online.

 

Surviving the AI disruption

Surviving the AI disruption is undoubtedly a challenge for iGaming affiliates, but it’s also a moment for reflection. It’s a chance for these business to up their game across all aspects, including credibility, trustworthiness, transparency, and quality.

As much as it is a challenge, AI is also an opportunity to do things better and more efficiently. Finding the right combination and balance between artificial intelligence and human expertise is essential. Creating authoritative, trusted websites is key to success.

 

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