Top Performing Verticals: Gaming Sites
The next subject in our continuing series on 7Search’s top performing categories is gaming websites. These offer an online casino experience, playing all types of card and chance games against fellow players online or against the house itself. Online gaming has exploded in recent years, as more users take advantage of the easy access and offerings on these sites. Gaming online is against the law within the U.S., but many advertisers are running these operations overseas. According to the American Gaming Association website, the first online gambling site launched in August of 1995. By 2009, there were well over 2,000 internet gambling websites, including sports betting, casinos, lotteries, and bingo. Revenue for offshore companies was estimated to be $5.4 billion from players in the U.S., and $25.8 billion worldwide. According to our top searched keywords list, “no deposit casino” was in 7th place with 7,239,538 searches. In the top 120, “online casino (25)” and “casino (109)” received 2,629,924 and 1,052,447 searches, respectively.
Online gaming, according to Charles Meyer, 7Search’s director of Business Development, was one of the first major advertisers on 7Search. “We have a long history with gaming sites, and broad analytical data on their performance.” Cleofe Betancourt, our Business Development Strategist, agrees: “Most of these advertisers have been established for years. We carry or have carried 888.com, Poker Palace, and Bodog.”
There are several factors that have contributed to their success on 7Search. Mr. Betancourt adds his perspective: “They have a commitment to their campaigns. Their bids are a bargain for them. They may spend $500, and then get 30 to 50 sign ups. They also offer free trials, or free online credit, even bonus money. They create repeat customers. For example, they may offer a 20% bonus, or $500 to play. They get you interested, and know how to retain you. It’s also fun for surfers, and a way to make money.”
Brandi Holtz, a Client Support Specialist on staff, believes there are simpler reasons, as well. “I think its sheer volume. They drive the most visitors on the keywords they have. It is also a year round business. Another aspect of these are sports betting or hot tips. There is always a major event, like the Super Bowl, or world soccer, which helps drive our foreign traffic.”
Gaming sites perform well on 7Search because, according to our staff, they take advantage of our features. “Because of the nature of their traffic, they take advantage of our Referral ID blocking (a feature that allows you to block sources that may be bringing undesirable traffic to your site). They micro-manage their sources,” Mr. Betancourt says. “Clicks can build up, and the top keywords with their bids can blow out your budget, so you can manage your campaign more easily with this. You can’t just set it and forget it.” Ms. Holtz adds, “Using the top keywords link helps. You can research which keywords are currently receiving the most traffic. Using the spyglass icon next to the top 3 bids in your advertiser page is useful, because you can see where you stand against your competition, as well as research your competitors, and what they are doing with their campaigns.”
Mr. Meyer adds his perspective: “When they first started with 7Search, the difference was they could utilize customer support, and speak to someone on the phone concerning their bids and choices. Many of the other search engines did not and do not offer that, as well as optimization. Now we offer source blocking, and other tools, as well.”
In summary, much like the other topics we have discussed, these are established businesses with an understanding of how our system works well. They also provide a service that is in demand and easy to use. Using our features and taking part fully in their campaigns makes a difference in their results. Our traffic is more suited to their needs, and reaches their specific audience through competitive bidding, and attractive offers. Our advertisers can use these tactics in their own campaigns, as well.