GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 14 - October 2010

AGE: 27 HOMETOWN: Riga, Latvia LIVINGIN: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (moving back soon to United Kingdom) FAVORITEFOOD: Shashlik MUSTREAD BOOK: The Star Rover by Jack London SOMEOF MANYSITES: gamblingin.co.uk playtechcasinos.co.uk microgamingcasinos.org.uk casinogamblingonline.org rukazino.ru newcasinobonus.org onlinegamblingnews.org.uk and work in the gaming industry, I began learning HTML and reading books about marketing and SEO. How long did it take before you started earning money? I got my first check in about six months. It was only for $70, but I was very proud. You operate seven sites, and they’re all devoted to general gambling. Why so many? Is each site targeting a distinct au- dience? I build and optimize sites to vari- ous key words and for various audiences. Since 2005, I have been primarily focused on targeting the British market. What do you wish you knew when you started in the industry that you know now? Free hosting is like cheese in a mousetrap. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the industry? Don’t start with black hat SEO practices; read forums such as the GPWA; don’t promote rogue casinos or casinos that don’t make informa- tion about themselves easily available. If you had to pick five keys to success as an affiliate,what would they be, and why? Information. The more you know, the fewer mistakes you will make. Patience. This is something every web- master needs regardless of the industry. Hard work, hard work and more hard work. “Trust but verify,” and sometimes ver- ify again. Honesty. The more honest you are the more people will trust you, and the more opportunities will present them- selves in the long run. What traits do you look for in an affiliate manager and what features do you look for in an affiliate program? I prefer to market brands that treat the player and the webmaster with consideration. I also pay attention to the reputation of the casino and affiliate program, the percentage and conditions. I don’t like affiliate managers who only want high positions, high traffic, but offer nothing but empty promises and don’t put forth any effort. Some won’t even a send you a casino screen shot. I like pro- grams that offer a decent percentage, good 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. marketing materials and a casino where the players play for a long time. You posted earlier this year that you’ve had trouble finding USA affiliate pro- grams that you can trust. What problems were you having? Any luck since then? No, I found nothing. Only clickthroughs and downloads, no income. I think I will Continued on page 44 41 GPWA Affiliate Interview Series