2025-12-30

How to Build an SEO Department in an Online Casino: Model and Budgets

Kategori Bästa onlinekasinon

Building an SEO department in an online casino directly depends on the stage of brand development and the overall traffic acquisition strategy. In iGaming, SEO is not a single process but a gradual evolution of goals, metrics, team structure, and budgets.

Below is a four-stage SEO department development model, complemented by practical budget calculations for each stage.

Stage 1. Brand Launch and Basic SEO Compliance

Stage Objective

Ensure technical readiness of the website, proper indexation, and initial brand presence in search results. At this stage, SEO is not a scalable traffic acquisition channel.

SEO Responsibilities

Technical website optimization
Indexation and rendering control
Monitoring and alert setup
Basic meta-data optimization
SEO compliance with Google’s baseline requirements

Team

1 SEO specialist (generalist)

Key Metric

Ratio of indexed pages to published pages

Budget (per month)

SEO specialist: €2,500 – €3,000
SEO tools (Ahrefs, Semrush, GSC, Screaming Frog, etc.): €300

Total: €2,800 – €3,300 per month

Stage 2. Brand Traffic Protection

Context

As investments in marketing grow (social media, influencer marketing, apps, external traffic sources), brand demand in search engines begins to form.

Stage Objective

Capture and retain up to 100% of branded search traffic, preventing competitors and affiliates from intercepting it.

Role of SEO

SEO does not create branded demand — it captures and monetizes it, reducing the overall cost per acquisition (CPA, CAC).

SEO Responsibilities

Building and managing a network of mirrors / satellite sites
Occupying branded SERP top positions
Monitoring branded queries
Preventing competitor presence in search results

Team and Structure

1 SEO specialist per 2 GEOs
4–5 mirror sites per GEO
1 team lead per 3 SEO specialists
1 manager per 3 team leads

Key Metrics

Number of branded queries in the Top 10
Average position for branded keywords

Budget (per GEO / month)

SEO specialists and management: €2,100 – €3,400
Hosting, domains, proxies: €200 – €300
Content (AI + editing): €300 – €600
Link building (basic): €400 – €800
Development support: €200 – €400

Total: €2,500 – €4,500 per GEO / month

Stage 3. Attacking Competitors’ Branded Traffic

Context

The brand is protected, infrastructure is in place, and resources allow a shift from defense to offense.

Stage Objective

Capture competitors’ branded traffic using cross-brand SEO strategies.

SEO Responsibilities

Targeting competitors’ branded keywords (SEO cross)
Scaling the own mirror site network
Optimizing cross-brand conversion funnels
Leveraging existing infrastructure

Team Structure

Separate streams for 'defense' and 'offense'
Expansion of the SEO specialist team
Stronger focus on content and link building

Key Metrics

Average position for own brand keywords
Average position for competitors’ brand keywords

Budget (per GEO / month)

Additional SEO specialists: €1,500 – €2,500
Enhanced link building: €1,000 – €2,000
Higher-quality content: €600 – €1,200

Total: €4,500 – €7,500 per GEO / month

Stage 4. Commercial SEO and Full-Scale Growth

Context

The SEO department evolves into a full in-house SEO agency and becomes an independent player acquisition channel.

Stage Objective

Attract the full spectrum of organic traffic: branded, cross-branded, and commercial.

Keyword Types

Commercial (online casino, slots, games)
Payment-related (deposit methods)
Informational (guides, how-to content)
Category and product-driven keywords

Organizational Model

The SEO department effectively operates as an internal affiliate, reducing dependency on external partners and lowering CPA.

Team

SEO specialists: 6–10
Team leads: 2–3
Head of SEO: 1
Content managers: 1–2

Budget (per month)

Payroll: €30,000 – €45,000
High-quality content: €5,000 – €10,000
Aggressive link building: €7,000 – €15,000
Infrastructure and DevOps: €2,000 – €4,000
SEO tools: €1,000 – €2,000

Total: €45,000 – €75,000 per month

Summary of Development Stages

Stage	Primary SEO Function	Budget
1	Technical compliance	≈ €3,000 / month
2	Brand traffic protection	€2,500 – €4,500 / GEO
3	Competitor brand traffic capture	€4,500 – €7,500 / GEO
4	Commercial SEO scaling	€45,000 – €75,000 / month