Why iGaming SEO is Down After Google Core Updates

Google released two wide Core Updates in March and June 2025 that have redesigned the online universe for the iGaming industry, leaving most operators in freefall in their organic visibility.

4 minutes – read

Between March 13 – 27 and June 30 – July 17, Google doubled down on its focus on content quality, user behaviour, and E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trust) signals, areas where many iGaming sites were not ready.

If your iGaming SEO has dipped, you’re not alone. In this article, we’ll unpack what these updates entailed, why iGaming organic traffic suffered, and, most importantly, how to recover with expert Digital Marketing strategies tailored to every GEO and market target.

What Are Google Core Updates?

Google Core Updates are broad algorithmic adjustments intended to improve search relevance and surface the most helpful, authoritative content. They are not aimed at specific sites or pages but rather alter how Google evaluates content quality, page experience, and trust signals on a site-level.

• March 2025 Core Update (March 13–27): The update concentrated on the quality of content, punishing thin, duplicated, or low-quality pages. It further emphasised the importance of E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), Google’s mechanism for evaluating content and trustworthiness of a website.
  
• June 2025 Core Update (June 30–July 17): Following up on March’s foundation, the update relegated Google further towards user experience (UX). Sites with sluggish load times, poor mobile responsiveness, or invasive ads saw their rankings tank, while those with convenient navigation and access as top priorities fell out of favour.

These updates demonstrate Google’s goal of rewarding sites providing true value. An Italian iGaming affiliate site, which was analysed by SEOZoom, saw its traffic spike by 210% from the March update by focusing on in-depth betting guides and localised content for terms like “scommesse sportive” (sports betting).

For iGaming platforms, where competition is a bear and trust is paramount, adopting these priorities is no longer optional.

How Google Core Updates Impact the iGaming Industry

The 2025 Core Updates have impacted the iGaming industry in an uneven manner. While some websites have witnessed visibility skyrocket, others have been reduced by as much as 40% of their iGaming organic traffic. Here’s why the sector has hit the shock so hard:

• Quality Over Quantity of Content: Google favours rich, unique content over masses of poor, superficial pages. Many iGaming sites relying on generic game copy or recycled bonus offers have been demoted.
  
• Trust Signals Are More Important Than Ever: With E-E-A-T centre stage, websites without expert authors, trusted sources, and authoritative backlinks lag behind. In a regulated industry like iGaming, trust is a deal-breaker for users and search engines alike.
  
• User Experience Takes Centre Stage: Though mobile usage is the king, Google has doubled down on UX. Slow sites, clunky mobile layouts, and excessive pop-ups are taking the hit, while user-friendly, efficient designs take the top ranks.

The immense reliance of the iGaming industry on SEO and affiliate traffic only makes it more vulnerable. As regulations get tighter and competition gets tougher, survival hinges on adhering to Google’s new standards.

An affiliate sportsbook site lost 35% of visitors after March 2025 due to stale bonus pages and weak author credentials. Another business, with expert betting advice and solid reviews, saw a 20% boost in traffic.

Why iGaming is Vulnerable:

• Controlled markets with heavy regulation cut back on open discussion, leading most sites down the path of formulaic writing.
  
• Over-reliance on third-party affiliate link building and aggressive iGaming link building direct spam triggers.
  
• iGaming internationalisation demands precise iGaming translation and iGaming localisation, far too commonly overlooked by generic SEO teams.

Why iGaming SEO is Down?

The drop in iGaming SEO rankings is due to various generic mistakes that the 2025 updates have ruthlessly exposed:

• Low-Quality Content: Mass-market game reviews, outdated bonus pages, and keyword-laden articles simply will not cut it. Google algorithms currently favour high value content that provides real value, consider comprehensive guides or player insight-based articles, over churned filler.
  
• Weak E-E-A-T Signals: Websites that do not have clear author expertise, credible sources, or trustworthy iGaming link building are unable to make their credibility stand out. In an environment where gamers need transparency, this is a deafening red flag.
  
• Technical Failings: Slow loading, non-responsive mobile websites, and insecure connections (HTTP instead of HTTPS) are tanking rankings. Google’s emphasis on technical performance has rendered these weaknesses dealbreakers.
  
• Dated Tactics: Dated SEO tactics such as keyword stuffing or spam link schemes are boomeranging. Websites that have been holding on to these schemes have been penalised, denying them more visibility.
  
• Inability to Adapt: Disregarding Google’s focus on real-world user value, issue-focused content, and mobile experience metrics (like Largest Contentful Paint and Cumulative Layout Shift) is detrimental to a site’s organic visibility.

Such errors not only result in rank drops but in extreme cases might even lead to algorithmic de-indexing.

One casino review site saw a 40% drop in traffic after June 2025 due to keyword-filled pages and low-quality backlinks. When they audited using Google Search Console, they discovered 200+ thin pages, which were consolidated into 50 in-depth guides, leading to a partial recovery in July.

Failing to keep pace with Google’s focus on user value has left the majority of iGaming websites in a bind. The silver lining? It is recoverable with the right strategy.

Recovery Strategies for iGaming SEO and Organic Traffic

Reversing the damage inflicted by the 2025 Core Updates requires a strategic reboot. This is how iGaming websites can restore their iGaming organic traffic and rankings:

• Content Overhaul: Partner with iGaming content services creators to develop top-notch, player-centric content. Replace skinny pages with expert guides, localised betting tips, or in-depth game analysis that engage players and adhere to Google’s quality standards. In addition, you can adopt other strategic steps such as update existing articles with fresh content, internal links, and multimedia.
  
• Improve E-E-A-T: Show author credentials with expertise in betting, casino management, or iGaming law under regulatory control, cite authoritative sources (e.g., regulators, academic studies of player behaviour), and gain authoritative backlinks. For global coverage, use iGaming translation and iGaming localisation to establish trust within each country, vital to the appeal for different GEOs.
  
• Technical Fixes: Optimise pages and website speed (aim for sub-2 second LCP), mobile responsiveness and accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1), and shift entirely to HTTPS with robust certificate management. Google’s PageSpeed Insights can point out areas to improve.
  
• User-Centric Design: Minimise intrusive ads, prioritise content readability and mobile users, implement clear navigation, breadcrumb trails, and contextual internal links. A smooth UX not only aligns with Google’s standards but also boosts player retention, a win-win for traffic and engagement.

By combining these strategies, you’ll not only recover lost ground but also future-proof your iGaming SEO against the next wave of algorithmic refinement.

Collaborating with a localisation agency can help bridge the gaps between these efforts. Through iGaming SEO, content creation, and multilingual capabilities, they offer a personalised recovery road map based on the goals of your website.

The Google Core Updates of 2025 changed the iGaming world, making it difficult for platforms to enhance their iGaming SEO strategies. Quality content, trust signals, and technical performance need to be the focus to regain lost iGaming organic traffic and boost your market ranking.

1Stop Translations offers you a competitive edge with localised, SEO-optimised content tailored to Google’s standards, allowing you to access global audiences. Get started now, contact us today for a complimentary SEO consultation.

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