We love to get nerdy about case studies & how fellow nerds have worked on SEO campaigns. We spoke with Jussi Viljanen, Head of SEO at Bojoko, who shared the key strategies that helped drive the platform’s success in Q3 and what other businesses can learn from their journey. In a highly competitive field where many affiliate sites are struggling to maintain relevance, Bojoko has taken a rather gigantic leap.

Bojoko.com is an iGaming affiliate and comparison platform designed to help players choose between hundreds of UK-licensed gambling sites. It is comparable to Airbnb and Booking.com, i.e., an affiliate, with reviews from experts and users and a long list of comparison tools. Bojoko has long been one of the biggest affiliates in Britain, but they have announced that over the last quarter, they doubled their traffic and the number of registered players and first-time depositors they send to their affiliate partners.

A Long-Term Commitment to Quality

Viljanen credits a big part of the rise to their consistent focus on high-quality content that delivers real value to users. Rather than chasing short-term SEO tactics or quick wins, the company has been steadily building a foundation of trust through its content.

“Our longer-term strategy has started to pay off,” explains Viljanen. “We’ve always focused on high-quality, well-researched content, and now, we’re seeing the results of that approach. 

Quality, of course, can be defined in many ways, but in SEO, quality is largely determined by the market. The traffic growth proves that investing in valuable and up-to-date information and resources for users yields strong, sustainable results.”

This commitment to quality means that Bojoko’s content goes beyond simple comparisons or promotions. The platform offers in-depth reviews and guides that help users make informed decisions in the iGaming space, which has helped build long-term loyalty. Their comparison tools, including quick filters, also help players find the brands that match their checklist rather than relying solely on experts.

Building Trust with a Strong Brand

Another major factor in Bojoko’s success has been its focus on building a strong, trustworthy brand. In an industry where “soulless” affiliate sites are declining, Bojoko has taken the opposite approach—investing in its brand as a real business with a clear mission to serve users.

“Search engines are increasingly favouring real brands over faceless affiliates,” explains Viljanen. “We’ve worked hard to build trust with our users and establish our brand as a reliable source of information and a real authority. Each casino, sportsbook, and bingo site we list has been vetted and reviewed by an actual expert in their field, who provides unfiltered thoughts and highlights all positive and negative aspects of their experience.”

With a history of producing quality content and maintaining transparency, the company has gained the trust of both users and search engines. Viljanen further discusses the need to update content regularly and ensure that no information is inaccurate.

“Our experts are actively monitoring the brands we list, and we are also in frequent contact with our affiliate partners. Not allowing outdated information is essential, as it loses player trust. Additionally, it keeps our content as fresh and relevant as possible, with frequent updates. We’ve noticed that search engines are increasingly rewarding this—not just in iGaming, but across various industries.”

Navigating Industry Trends

According to Jussi Viljanen, one of the most notable trends in SEO and branding generally is the growing importance of building trust and credibility, particularly in an era when generic affiliate sites are losing ground.

“Affiliate sites that don’t offer real value or insight are struggling,” Viljanen points out. “We’ve seen a decline in those ‘soulless’ sites, and that’s because search engines and users alike are demanding more. For us, it’s about creating a brand that feels like a real business—a platform users can turn to for reliable, unbiased information.”

By focusing on long-term relationships with users rather than purely transactional interactions, Bojoko has differentiated itself from most of our competitors. This emphasis on trust, combined with allowing users to filter any list on their website to find their closest matches, has contributed significantly to its growth in traffic and FTDs.

Key Lessons from Bojoko’s Success

Bojoko’s journey offers valuable lessons for other businesses, particularly those operating in the affiliate and content-driven spaces:

  • Long-term Strategy Pays Off: If you know where the industry is heading and what users are looking for, build a website for them. Lower-value websites will struggle long-term.
  • Fresh, Relevant Content is Critical: Keeping content up-to-date and responding to changing user needs and industry trends is essential for maintaining relevance and improving search engine rankings.
  • Trust is Essential: Building a strong brand based on trust and transparency is crucial. Search engines are increasingly rewarding platforms that offer real value and reliability.

Final Thoughts

Bojoko’s record-breaking Q3 2024 is a testament to the power of a well-executed, long-term strategy focused on content quality, user trust, and brand building. By doubling its traffic and FTDs, the platform has taken a large market share in a pond where they were already a big fish.

As Viljanen sums up, “At the heart of our success is our commitment to providing users with the best possible experience. By keeping that focus, we’ve achieved incredible results and are excited to see what the future holds.”