If you run an online casino, sports betting site or any iGaming platform, you’ve probably felt like Google’s algorithm updates are a wild rollercoaster ride for your SEO rankings.
Traffic surges one week and plummets the next leaving many iGaming SEO strategists scratching their heads. In this article we’ll break down what a Google Core Update is, how these updates affect search rankings and what it means for iGaming SEO.
We’ll also look at patterns from past updates and share practical tips so you can keep your casino or betting site thriving in Google’s search results.
What is a Google Core Update?
A Google Core Update is a broad change to Google’s algorithm that aims to improve the overall quality and relevance of search results. Unlike minor tweaks or specific spam updates that target certain bad practices, core updates involve Google re-evaluating content across the entire web to figure out which pages best meet user needs.
In plain terms, Google might change how it weighs various ranking factors (like content quality, relevance, authority etc.) and this can cause your website’s ranking to shift – even if you haven’t changed a thing on your site.
Google doesn’t single out specific websites with these core updates; instead it adjusts the criteria for ranking, which means some sites will naturally move up and others down as Google recalibrates what it considers the most relevant and trustworthy content.
For iGaming site owners and marketers the key point is that core updates can cause noticeable fluctuations in your search visibility, often overnight. Your platform’s rankings may fluctuate, affecting traffic, new player registrations and ultimately revenue.
It’s not that Google has “penalized” your gambling site specifically – rather Google might have rewarded other sites that better meet its new criteria, causing your pages to drop in comparison. Understanding this helps: if your iGaming site lost rankings after a core update it’s a sign that something about your content, user experience or overall site trust might need improvement to meet Google’s higher standards.
How Core Updates Impact SEO (and iGaming Sites in Particular)
In any industry a core update tends to create winners and losers in the search results. Many websites see big changes in keyword positions, some pages drop from the top spots to page two or beyond while others climb higher.
These shake-ups happen because Google has refined its understanding of what “quality” content means for searchers. Sites with valuable content get a boost, those with outdated SEO tricks see declines. You’ll see ranking volatility across the board whenever a core update rolls out.
Content Relevance & Quality
Perhaps the biggest factor is content. Google’s core updates increasingly prioritize “people-first” content – in other words pages that are written to genuinely help or inform users, not just to game the SEO system.
Websites with thin, outdated or low-value content will lose rankings after a core update. On the other hand sites with fresh, well researched and in-depth content will gain.
This is especially true in iGaming SEO: a casino site with detailed game guides, up to date betting tips and genuine insights will do better than one with auto-generated or very shallow content.
In fact recent updates placed even more emphasis on helpful content, so things like thin affiliate pages, old un-updated game reviews or keyword-stuffed landing pages have been taking a hit. The lesson is clear – quality over quantity. If you’ve been pumping out loads of pages with little substance, a core update is a wake-up call to improve those pages’ relevance and depth.
Backlink Profile & Authority
Links are still an important signal of authority but core updates have been increasing the scrutiny on backlink quality. Many iGaming sites have historically engaged in aggressive link-building (paid links, link exchanges etc.) to compete in the super competitive casino and betting keywords. Google’s core updates are discouraging manipulative SEO tactics so sites “heavily reliant on low-quality content or aggressive link-building strategies” will see big traffic declines post-update.
Simply put if your SEO strategy was propped up by spammy backlinks or outdated tricks a core update will knock it down. On the other hand sites that have earned authoritative backlinks and built real brand authority will be more resilient. This doesn’t mean links don’t matter – it means the quality and relevance of those links matter more than ever. A few high quality links from respected industry sites will beat a hundred shady links.
Also internal linking matters too: well organized sites that link their content in a logical way will help Google understand and trust your pages better.
Trustworthiness & E-E-A-T
Google uses the concept of E-E-A-T – Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness – to evaluate how trustworthy and reliable a site’s content is and this is super important for iGaming websites.
Why? Because online gambling is considered a “Your Money or Your Life” topic (people’s money is at stake and there are risks) so Google holds these sites to higher standards for accuracy and safety. Recent core updates have put even more emphasis on E-E-A-T, rewarding content that clearly shows industry expertise and credibility.
For an iGaming site this might mean having expert written articles, visible author bios, clear disclaimers and licensing information and a positive reputation in the community.
If your site shows that real experts are behind the content and you’re a legitimate licensed operator Google will trust you more. On the other hand if your content is anonymous, reads like it’s churned out by content mills or your site looks sketchy the core update will reduce your rankings in favor of competitors who look more trustworthy. In past updates gambling affiliate sites with overly salesy content and no clear trust signals were especially vulnerable – whereas those that showed clear expertise and transparency saw gains in visibility.
User Experience (UX)
Core updates don’t just evaluate what you say on your site but also how users experience it. Technical and usability aspects like site speed, mobile-friendliness and clean navigation have become crucial. Google wants to serve results that searchers will have a good experience on. So if your iGaming site loads slowly or is clunky on mobile devices you could lose out.
Think about it: if two sites have equally great betting tips but one is a buggy slow mess and the other is smooth and user friendly Google’s algorithm (and users themselves) will prefer the latter. Core updates are increasingly reflecting this, rewarding sites with lower bounce rates and better engagement.
For example a site that makes it easy for a user to find today’s odds, read a quick strategy and place a bet (without pop-ups or confusion) will likely see better SEO performance than one where users get frustrated and leave quickly.
Examples and Patterns from Recent Core Updates in iGaming
It’s helpful to look at real examples. One notable case was the March 2025 Google Core Update which had a big impact on many iGaming websites. SEO analysts observed that some well known gambling portals and affiliate sites saw massive drops in their organic traffic – in a couple of cases half of their traffic disappeared within a month. For example a popular sports betting review site lost about 41% of its organic traffic and over 20% of its keyword rankings after that. Another betting tips site saw a 52% drop in traffic.
On the other hand a few strong iGaming brands actually gained traffic and rankings. Sites like major online casinos that provided unique, comprehensive content (e.g. detailed game guides, crypto-betting tutorials etc.) and had strong brand authority saw measurable improvements in their keyword rankings.
Even Reddit – not an iGaming site per se but a platform hosting many gambling related discussions – saw a boost in visibility for gambling topics, likely because of fresh user generated content and the depth of discussion that matched what searchers were looking for. Looking at the winners and losers reveals some clear patterns. Here are a few takeaways from recent core updates in the iGaming sector.
Content Depth & Uniqueness
Sites that had in-depth, original content (e.g. thorough betting guides, strategy articles, up-to-date news) won. Sites with thin, templated or duplicate content lost. So if your site has a hundred cookie-cutter slot game pages all saying the same thing it’s time to differentiate yourself with better content.
E-E-A-T and Trust Signals
The top performing sites made their expertise obvious – they had author profiles, expert reviews, citations and demonstrated real experience in gambling. Lower performers lacked these trust signals. Make sure your site highlights its licensing info, has an “About Us” with industry veterans and includes customer testimonials or responsible gambling info to build trust.
User Experience
Winners provided a fast, clean and user friendly experience – think quick loading pages, easy mobile betting and intuitive site structure. Losers had slower load times, cluttered layouts or other UX issues. Core updates seem to favor sites where users stick around and engage which often correlates with a better UX.
Relevance to Search Intent
Sites that matched the user’s search intent did better. For example if someone searched “how to play poker online” a site with a beginner friendly poker tutorial would outrank one that only vaguely mentions poker rules but mostly pushes casino sign-up links. Some losing sites had content that was misaligned or overly commercial rather than truly answering user queries.
Balanced Affiliate Content
Many iGaming sites are monetized through affiliate links (promoting casino or sportsbook sign-ups). That’s not inherently bad but the pattern shows that sites that balanced affiliate promos with genuine information did better, whereas those with aggressive or misleading affiliate heavy pages got hit.
So if every article on your site reads like a sales pitch with “Play Now!” buttons everywhere and little real substance a core update might demote those pages.In general Google’s core updates reward websites that put users first – helpful, trustworthy and well-maintained content – and drop those still stuck in old-school SEO gimmicks like keyword stuffing or link schemes.
The iGaming sites that weathered the updates best (or even gained traffic) were the ones genuinely trying to inform and engage their audience, whereas those that were just trying to manipulate rankings without delivering value saw the biggest losses.
An SEO volatility graph for the “Games” category shows significant ranking turbulence during a Google update, with sharp spikes indicating how dramatically search results shifted in early and late. iGaming SEO professionals often describe these sudden ranking swings as a “rollercoaster,” underscoring how core updates can rapidly shake up the status quo.
iGaming SEO: Recovering and Preparing for Core Updates
Facing a core update can be scary but the good news is there are concrete steps you can take to recover from a downturn or even prepare in advance to avoid major hits. Google’s own advice (and the consensus of SEO experts) is that you can’t “fix” a core update with a quick trick – instead you need to improve your site holistically so that it’s deemed high-quality by the new standards. Here are some practical tips:
Audit and Improve Your Content
Start by identifying which pages lost rankings. Are they thin on information or not as helpful as competing pages? Be honest here – content that is thin, out-of-date or not satisfying user needs should be beefed up or refreshed, because core updates won’t favor. Enrich your content with unique insights, updated facts and more depth.
If you have many near-duplicate pages (e.g. dozens of similar slot reviews with only slight differences) consider consolidating or differentiating them. Remember helpful content is king. Ask yourself: “If I were a user searching for this topic, does my page fully answer the question or solve the need?” If not, make it better. Also add relevant responsible gaming resources and fresh market insights where appropriate – these not only help users but signal to Google that your site is up-to-date and authoritative in the gambling.
Boost E-E-A-T Signals
Given the emphasis on expertise and trust, take a closer look at how you can strengthen your site’s credibility. This could mean adding author bylines with bios that mention gambling industry experience, citing sources for stats or tips you provide, and including trust symbols. If you’re an operator make sure your licensing and regulatory information is visible (footer or an info page).
Showcase any awards, certifications or memberships in reputable gaming associations. Encourage happy users to leave reviews or testimonials. If you have experts (tipsters, gaming strategists etc.) on your team feature their profiles and let them contribute content.
All these steps can show Google that your site is authoritative and trustworthy in the iGaming. And don’t forget the basics: use HTTPS for security, protect user data and ensure your site has clear contact info and terms & conditions – these also build.
Optimize User Experience and Technical SEO
Core updates or not a fast and user-friendly site is key. Optimize your page load times by compressing images, using efficient code and caching. Make sure your site works perfectly on mobile devices – from the sportsbook bet slip to the casino game interface – because a large chunk of players are on. Simplify your navigation so users (and search crawlers) can find content easily: for example, organize your game guides, betting tips and news in a logical menu.
Fix any technical issues like broken links or duplicate meta tags. Implementing structured data (schema) for things like reviews or events can sometimes give you an extra edge in search. The more enjoyable and easier your site is to use the more time people will spend on it – and that engagement sends positive signals to Google’s algorithm.
Review Your Backlink Strategy
While great content often attracts backlinks naturally, many in the iGaming space actively build links due to competition. There’s nothing wrong with outreach and link-building but focus on quality over quantity. Look for links from reputable iGaming news sites, forums or related blogs – for example a guest post on a respected poker strategy blog or a mention in a news article about online casinos.
Avoid spammy tactics like forum signature links, link farms or PBNs as core updates and related algorithm changes get better at sniffing out and neutralizing those manipulative links. Also maintain a healthy internal linking structure: link your relevant pages to each other with sensible anchor text (e.g. link your “blackjack strategy” article from your “top 10 blackjack games” page).
This helps users navigate and also helps distribute authority across your site. If you think some of your past backlinks are really poor quality (perhaps a legacy of old SEO efforts) you might consider auditing them and disavowing obvious spam links.
Still, don’t obsess over disavowing unless you truly have a penalty – often time is better spent improving on-site content. The bottom line is core updates favor sites with a natural, credible link profile so cultivate links that make sense and come from building real relationships or producing link-worthy content.
Stay Informed and Be Patient
Google core updates roll out a few times a year. Keep an eye on SEO news – when a core update is announced or confirmed (Google often posts on their Search Central blog or Twitter), check your analytics and rankings. If you see a drop don’t panic. Use Google Search Console and Analytics to see what changed – which pages or keywords lost visibility?
Look for patterns: maybe your casino game review pages dropped but your news articles didn’t, so your reviews need improvement. Often a site won’t fully recover until Google runs another core update so improvements you make might only show results after the next big update rolls out (this requires patience). But smaller recoveries can happen as Google refreshes its index. The key is to keep refining your site – core updates are a reminder from Google about the direction of quality. If you adapt and follow best practices you’re investing in long-term SEO health. As one SEO expert put it.
Staying competitive requires more than just great odds and games – it demands a platform that’s fast, user-friendly and trustworthy, for both players and search engines. Keep that holistic mindset and you’ll be good to go.
Conclusion
Google core updates might sound scary but they ultimately push all of us (especially in iGaming SEO) to build better websites – sites with content that helps users, that operate transparently and responsibly and that provide a smooth experience.
If you’ve been hit by a core update, take it as an opportunity to improve your site’s quality. And if you haven’t been hit, use this as preventive medicine: double down on content and user experience improvements before the next update rolls out.
Remember in the long run the house (Google) wants to “serve” the best results to players (searchers). By focusing on high-quality content, trustworthiness and a great user experience you’ll stack the odds in your favor so your iGaming site can rank well no matter what Google changes. Good luck and happy optimizing!
