GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 33 - October 2015

Sailing the seas of change: Preparing your affiliate business for 2016 and beyond By Allan Petrilli T he iGaming affiliate business is in transition. From the shifting regu- latory and tax environment to frequent Google algorithm updates, mergers, ac- quisitions and industry consolidation, quiet news days seem to be the exception rather than the rule. With change a daily reality, affiliates could be forgiven for thinking short-term as they develop their strategies for 2016. Yet the future of the affiliate community — and the iGaming industry as a whole — depends on sustainable, long-term af- filiate relationships. So how have top iGaming affiliates built successful, enduring businesses in the face of such turbulence? And how can af- filiates future-proof their businesses in an industry whose one constant is change? We discussed these issues with experi- enced iGaming affiliates, who shared how they overcame previous challenges and their strategies to keep their businesses stable and growing going forward. Google updates Whether they incurred a penalty or not, most affiliates agree that Google’s algo- rithm updates over the last few years have had a massive impact on their communi- ty. Many affiliates have had their rankings affected, and the vast majority have had to adjust their SEO tactics to avoid or re- cover from penalties. “I know of several affiliates who have sold their sites and are no longer in the