GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 31 - February 2015

W elcome to Issue 31 of the GPWA Times Magazine , which will be distributed at events including ICE Totally Gaming and the London Affiliate Conference. It would be great to see you at one or both of these major events. Our cover story for this issue is a two-part package written for us by SEO expert Nick Garner in which he looks at the role that trust plays in ranking high in Google’s SERPs and the keys to performing well in mobile search results. Also inside, Dan Horvat explains what financial strategies affiliates should be using as their sites morph from “hobby” to “small business.” Sarah Kostense-Winterton tells us why it’s important for our industry to play an active role in shaping the future of the regulatory landscape. Dan Podheiser shows why good content is the key to success for daily fantasy sports (DFS) affiliates, and Hai Ng explains how, despite rapid growth, DFS operators may be falling into the same traps that befell the online poker industry. Corey Tardiff contends that digital marketing will become increasingly more important both for iGaming veterans and for fledgling operators. And John Le Poidevin takes a look at the new challenges facing “offshore” regulators. In this issue you’ll meet five savvy affiliates and three dedicated affiliate managers. And you’ll get a lot of good info when you look through our Departments, including Quotables, Webmaster News, By the Numbers, Event Calendar, Sponsors roster, and this issue’s Wall of Shame. So now, as all of us here at GPWA Central begin putting the next issue of the magazine together, we leave you to dive into this issue — you’ll learn a lot, and your business will be the prime beneficiary! Sincerely, Michael A. Corfman GPWA Executive Director LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR GPWA Executive Director: Michael Corfman Program Director: Anthony Telesca Program Manager: Jim Keith Membership Manager: Nancy Troy Member Services: Loriann Sheridan Marketing Director: Andrea Mullaney ADVERTISING To advertise in the GPWA Times, please e-mail Jim Keith at sales@gpwa.org. GPWA TIMES MAGAZINE Editor-in-chief: Vin Narayanan Senior Editor: Aaron Todd Associate Editor: Dan Podheiser Copy Chief: Bill Riley Designer: George Choi SUBSCRIPTIONS For a FREE subscription to the GPWA Times Magazine, visit gpwatimes.com ISSN 1941-9872 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 18 RotoGrinders is setting the standard for daily fantasy affiliates, by Dan Podheiser 20 The Sisyphean loop, by Hai Ng 22 iGaming trends for 2015: Choosing to market more effectively, by Corey Tardiff DEPARTMENTS 6 Quotables 7 Webmaster News 8 By the Numbers 26 Affiliate Interview Series 54 Event Calendar 62 Affiliate Manager Interviews 70 GPWA Sponsors 74 APCW Wall of Shame 10 Affiliate Finance 101: The three golden rules of money management for affiliates Dan Horvat tells us why the way you run your business will make the difference between success and failure. 14 The industry is moving forward, but is it moving in the right direction? Sarah Kostense-Winterton maintains that the remote gaming industry hasn’t done enough to address its own reputational or perception issues. 40 COVER STORY: Unlocking Google’s secrets In two separate articles, Nick Garner examines the role of trust in ranking high in Google’s SERPs and gives us the keys to performing well in mobile search results. 56 What’s next for “offshore” regulators: Dealing with Point Of Consumption and other critical challenges John Le Poidevin wonders whether “offshore regulators" are still relevant in today’s world.