Why Local SEO Is Important for Casinos
Creating a marketing plan for a casino that includes search engine optimization and other digital marketing best practices is not as clear-cut as it would be for a different industry. The search engines are not always impressed with the typical gambling keywords. Plus, using keywords over and over with the highest conversion rates makes it tricky to get to that number one spot on the search engine result page. But, with the right local SEO strategy, you can still get the results you want and become the best casino in the area!
In this article, we will discuss what local SEO is exactly, why local SEO is important for casinos, and how you can utilize it to market your casino.
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What Is Local SEO for Casinos?
What is local SEO? SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is the practice of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to your career coaching website from a search engine result page. SEO targets organic search results rather than paid search results.
Local SEO adds a location-based targeting attached to it. So, instead of marketing internationally, nationally, or even state-wide, you are focusing on targeting a local audience within a set of physical and geographical boundaries. For example, someone may search “best casino in Las Vegas” or “nearest casino.” Those keywords tag it as a local search with physical and geographical boundaries. So, a casino in Reno does not appear on the search result page for a search query for a casino in Las Vegas. Maybe you are just starting out in conquering the Las Vegas strip or have a well-established casino. Either way, local SEO for gambling and casinos is a great tool to help get you started.
Why Is Local SEO Important for Casinos?
Now that we have established what local SEO is, there lies one more very important question: why is it so important when marketing for casinos? Casinos make all their money from a steady stream of new and returning customers, so it is important to promote your business in an area where the casino or gambling competition might be high.
With local SEO for casinos, you can bring better leads to your casino with the use of marketing techniques by increasing credibility, visibility, traffic, branding, and reputation. This may not sound like much, but we promise it will make a world of difference when standing out from other casinos. Since the invention of the Internet, our lives and businesses, including online gambling, are becoming increasingly ever-present online, so it is crucial to understand how to take advantage of that to become the best casino in the area. There is a whole other audience waiting for you to grab their attention online.
Here are the top reasons why you should use local SEO to become the best casino on the Las Vegas Strip:
Improve Visibility
One of the biggest ways in which local SEO will help market your casino is by increasing your website visibility. This means potential customers can locate you easily on the internet if your business is listed under the first three results on Google, called the local pack. If you are listed under the local pack, your casino will be one of the first ones a customer sees.
Increase Credibility
People are more likely to visit your establishment if you have a website that is higher up on the search engine result page because it contributes to your credibility, reliability, and authority. A potential customer is more likely to click on your website as a result even if they have never heard of your casino or know what you offer. A vote of confidence can be linked directly to Google’s website rankings.
Save Money
Adding local SEO for gambling to your marketing plan means you are focusing primarily on organic search results, not paid search results. This means you are saving money! You can spend less money on acquiring new customers and invest those extra funds into some other aspect of your casino business. This is because other forms of advertising are much more expensive than the SEO techniques we will show you later. Also, with local SEO, it means a customer is already looking for your service, so there are no resources wasted. The customer is doing the hard work of searching for your type of business; you just have to present yourself to them.
How to Utilize Local SEO to Market Your Casino
There is a seemingly never-ending list of local SEO techniques you could use to market your casino, and it may seem impossible to even get started. Don’t worry though, because here we have explained how to utilize local SEO for casino marketing and what the best practices are!
Know Your Keywords
Keywords are the stepping stones to getting customers to choose your casino over all of the other ones. They may seem like a small thing, but keywords are so important. Keywords are important because when Google sends its web crawlers to comb through websites that relate to a user’s search query, it will look for these keywords in your website content or Google My Business profile. If it contains a keyword, Google will tag it and index it, and present it to the user on the search engine result page. The more keywords that match the search query, the higher up Google will display your website.
You can start off by conducting some keyword research to figure out what the best keywords for casino marketing are. For a casino located in Miami, some keywords would include, “Miami casino,” “Casino in Miami,” “Miami casino near me,” and the like. But remember, times are always changing. The keywords you used last year may not be as relevant or make sense this year, so make a list of some basic keywords that you can always revisit. It is also worth noting that you should opt for natural keyword usage in your website and content when it comes to marketing for a casino. Google will penalize a website that crams too many keywords in one spot.
Web Design & Development
Making sure your website is aesthetically pleasing and attractive might seem silly but it helps contribute to your credibility way more than you think.
A user’s experience is just as important as what services or products you offer! Make sure your website loads in a couple of seconds because any longer than that and a potential customer is going to click away. Also, make sure your website is optimized for mobile! When people conduct a local Google search, more often than not, they are doing it on their phone. If your website is not optimized for mobile, the layout will be wrong and the user experience won’t be great.
To make your website more attractive, pick a cohesive color scheme. Add your logo somewhere that is easy to spot – after all, that is the face of your casino. Optimize the layout of your menu and make sure there are multiple pages, not just one big page with everything on it. Remember, every page on your website has the opportunity to rank individually on the search engine result page, so utilize each one for specific long-tail keywords. For example, instead of optimizing your entire website for, “Best Casino near me Las Vegas,” you can identify what each particular page is about, whether that be food, shows, games, or hotel. Limit each page to only a couple of keywords so you get the best chance of ranking for several different search queries.
Original & Consistent Content
Once you know your keywords and have your website design down, you can start creating content. Make sure to incorporate the keywords in your content! These days, content can mean any of the following:
- Photos and videos
- Blog post
- Articles or Interviews
- Podcast
- Infographics
Make sure to choose content that is relevant to your casino. A podcast, for instance, may not be the best type of content to utilize when marketing a casino. Photos and videos, however, are the perfect place to start.
Just remember when you are creating content that quality is better than quantity. It is very easy to just pump out a ton of new content but it may not be that engaging to customers. It’s a good idea to take a minute to think of new content ideas that are a little different than what one might expect coming from a casino. You’d surprise yourself with what you can come up with!
Original content is also important because it sets you apart from other casinos in the area. You want people to recognize your casino’s name and logo because you posted something exclusive to your brand. Bringing a new perspective or new information to your content will allow you to be much more successful in catching the reader’s attention.
Showcase Reviews
Especially when it comes to big establishments and businesses, reviews are important. People will review your casino online by themselves, but if you want to give it a little push, don’t be afraid to ask people for reviews. Most of the time, they will do it without anything in return. It’s free publicity! Customers tend to take Google reviews into account when choosing where to go because the reviewers are just like them, so they trust their judgment. Reviews will also aid your gambling SEO efforts, so in the long run, it helps tremendously.
Google My Business
If you have not yet heard of Google My Business, well, now you have. Google My Business is great because it allows you to tie together all the previous best local SEO practices. Google My Business is a profile you can create on Google for your casino. Within the profile, you can include:
- Casino name
- Website link
- The physical address of the casino
- Hours of operation
- Contact information (phone number, email, etc.)
- Business category
- Photos and reviews
All of these will aid in the credibility and authority of your business. Incorrect or missing information means missing out on potential customers.
It’s Not a Gamble With Webmix Networks SEO
If your time is better spent managing your casino on the floor and engaging with guests, consider working with Webmix Networks SEO! We have extensive experience working with casino owners across the United States and internationally, so you can be assured we know what we are doing. No matter whether your casino operates on the Las Vegas strip, Miami, Los Angeles, or elsewhere, we can provide advertising and consulting services so your casino will be the best in the area!