Introduction
This material is dedicated to the SEO Cross strategy. It is a discussion for industry professionals. We will explain what SEO Cross is, whether it can be considered a base strategy for casino brands, who it is suitable for, how its economics work, and how to set up and defend this strategy.
The term SEO Cross comes from the idea of “cross” or cross-promotion. In this case, it refers to capturing competitors’ branded search traffic and redirecting it to your own casino brand.
What Is SEO Cross
SEO Cross is a cross-SEO promotion strategy in which a casino brand:
- creates websites targeting branded queries of other casinos
- these websites visually and structurally imitate competitors’ sites
- users clicking such sites ultimately land not on the competitor’s site, but on your brand
As a rule, these are small websites with 5–10 pages, focused exclusively on capturing branded traffic.
In other words, SEO Cross is a strategy of intercepting competitors’ branded demand in order to convert it to your own product.
Economic Logic of the Strategy
A common question is why intercept branded traffic if the user initially wants to reach a specific website.
Indeed, direct conversion is low. On average, it is:
- 0.1–0.2% without additional warming
- up to 0.5% or higher with proper user preparation
However, SEO Cross works not because of high conversion rates, but due to scalability, low-cost traffic, and the limited number of SEO strategies available for proprietary casino brands.
When SEO Cross Makes Sense
SEO Cross is especially relevant if:
- you are promoting your own casino brand, not an affiliate project
- the market is already formed and players are searching for known brands
- you have a clear understanding of the geo and the competitive landscape
This strategy requires deep market knowledge. Without it, it does not work.
Preparation: Market and Semantic Analysis
SEO Cross is always geo-dependent. Work starts with selecting a geography and building a competitor matrix.
Step 1. Brand Matrix
You need to identify:
- which casino brands operate in the selected geo
- their search volumes
- which brands are the most recognizable
Step 2. Keyword Clusters
The minimum set of clusters includes:
- main brand queries (for example, “1win”, “1win casino”)
- applications (apk, download, app)
- crypto-related queries
- demo, review, bonus, promo code
Typically, 2–3 clusters are selected and evaluated by:
- search volume
- entry difficulty
- traffic potential
SERP Analysis and Entry Points
After semantic evaluation, the SERP is analyzed. Search results may include:
- the official brand website
- the brand’s own satellite sites
- external affiliates
- weak sites or doorway pages
- social networks (Twitter, Telegram, etc.)
The best opportunities appear where there are weak affiliates, poor brand traffic protection, or a bias toward social profiles instead of SEO. At this stage, it becomes clear which positions are realistically achievable.
Traffic and Conversion Forecasting
The next step is pure mathematics: traffic forecasting, expected conversion rate, and the number of real players.
To increase conversion, traffic warming techniques are used:
- intermediate pages
- messages about website unavailability
- promo code bonuses
- explaining the redirection
This can increase conversion rates up to 0.4–0.5%.
SEO Cross Implementation
Most commonly used:
- small WordPress websites
- 5–10 pages per site
- structure and design similar to the competitor’s website
- CTAs such as registration, bonus, or app download
Mandatory elements include:
- affiliate or referral links
- conversion tracking
- content templates
For scaling, it is advisable to have a structured content process, semi-automated text generation, and a unified geo template.
Financial Model
The financial model includes three cost blocks:
- Launch: domain, content, specialist work, indexing
- Maintenance: SEO promotion, links, content updates
- Additional costs: re-gluing, domain replacement, site recovery
Typically, one SEO specialist can manage:
- 2–4 geographies
- up to 5 brands in each
- 15–20 sites simultaneously
Promotion is usually based on:
- cheap links
- crowd links
- PBNs for sites that already generate revenue
How to Choose Brands for Cross
Brands can be условно divided into large, medium, and small.
The optimal choice is medium-sized brands, because they have traffic and recognition, but often weak brand traffic protection.
Large brands are harder to target and actively defend themselves. Small brands may be financially inefficient due to low demand.
Protection Against SEO Cross
The stronger the brand, the greater the interest from competitors. Therefore, protection becomes a mandatory part of the strategy.
SEO Protection
- own mirrors
- branded satellite sites
- capturing branded traffic without affiliate payouts
This reduces CPA and protects demand.
Legal Protection
- continuous SERP monitoring
- complaints against sites impersonating the brand
- trademark registration
In jurisdictions such as Sweden or the United Kingdom, SEO Cross is often ineffective due to strong trademark protection. In third-world markets, the strategy remains viable, but with limitations.
Conclusion
SEO Cross is an aggressive, scalable, and niche strategy for casino brands. It is effective in specific geographies and requires experience, analytics, and discipline.
The next material can focus on variations of SEO Cross and its subtypes.
