Avoiding the Pitfalls: 7 SEO Mistakes Gaming Sites Make (And How to Fix Them)

Struggling to see SEO results for your gaming site? You’re not alone.

The gaming niche is one of the most competitive and scrutinised spaces online—and that means even small SEO missteps can tank your rankings, traffic, and compliance. At Absolute Digital Media, we’ve worked with dozens of gaming brands, and time and time again, we see the same avoidable errors holding sites back. 

Whether you’re a new operator or an established platform, working with a specialist casino SEO agency can help you avoid costly mistakes, scale rankings safely, and maximise ROI. Let’s dive into the most common pitfalls—and how to fix them.

1. Thin or Duplicate Content Across Game Pages

Google won’t rank what it sees as low-value or repetitive.

Many gaming sites list hundreds of games, each with a near-identical description—or worse, no content at all. This kills your crawl budget and lowers your site’s overall quality score.

Fix it:

• Write unique, engaging descriptions for key games
• Include RTP, volatility, bonus features, and gameplay tips
• Add schema markup for games to enhance search appearance
• Create category-level content to support clusters of similar games

2. Ignoring Search Intent Behind Keywords

Ranking for high-volume terms doesn’t help if the intent doesn’t match.

We’ve seen game brands chase keywords like “best slot games” or “UK online games” without aligning the landing page to what users actually expect.

Fix it:

• Use SERP analysis tools to determine what content format Google favours (e.g. lists, guides, reviews)
• Match keyword intent: transactional, informational, or navigational
• Create content that answers questions and offers next steps (e.g. play now, learn more)

3. Poor Internal Linking Structure

Without clear pathways, Google and users get lost.

Gaming sites often overlook internal linking—leaving orphaned pages, inconsistent anchors, and missed opportunities to pass authority between high-performing content.

Fix it:

• Create hub pages for key themes like bonuses, slots, blackjack
• Link related blog posts, reviews, and game pages to each other
• Use descriptive, keyword-optimised anchor text
• Regularly audit for broken or outdated links

4. Overusing Over-Optimised Anchor Text in Backlinks

Exact-match anchors can raise red flags with Google.

In the gaming niche, link building is essential—but overuse of keyword-heavy anchor text (e.g. “best online games UK”) can lead to algorithmic penalties or manual actions.

Fix it:

• Aim for a natural anchor profile: brand, URL, partial match, and generic terms
• Focus on earning links from relevant and trustworthy sites
• Use digital PR campaigns to drive authority through news and lifestyle media
• Avoid link exchanges, PBNs, and low-quality guest posts

5. Slow Page Speed, Especially on Mobile

Page load time directly affects bounce rate, user experience, and rankings.

Gaming sites are often weighed down by game scripts, ad trackers, and unoptimised images.

Fix it:

• Use Google PageSpeed Insights or WebPageTest.org for diagnostics
• Compress images and lazy-load assets
• Minimise third-party scripts and optimise your codebase
• Prioritise mobile performance with responsive, lightweight design

6. Ignoring E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust)

Gaming sites are considered YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) by Google—and face higher scrutiny.

Google wants to rank trusted, expert-led sources. Gaming brands without author bios, compliance pages, or visible credentials often get deprioritised.

Fix it:

• Include author bylines with relevant credentials
• Create About, Responsible Gaming, and Licensing pages
• Link to authoritative sources (e.g. UKGC, GamCare)
• Feature trust signals like SSL certificates, age verification, and user reviews

7. Failing to Localise for Different Markets

What works in the UK won’t necessarily work in Canada or New Zealand.

Gaming is a geo-sensitive industry. Many sites lose traffic by using one-size-fits-all content across multiple regions.

Fix it:

• Create geo-specific landing pages (e.g. “best Canadian online games”)
• Tailor bonuses, licensing info, and payment methods to local users
• Use hreflang tags to avoid cannibalisation across international URLs
• Align language, currency, and terminology to the target region

Conclusion: Fix the Mistakes—Then Scale with Confidence

Gaming SEO doesn’t forgive errors—but it rewards smart, compliant strategies.

The gaming niche is high-risk, high-reward. If you’re making these mistakes, you’re not alone—but correcting them now can unlock better rankings, more qualified traffic, and improved player acquisition.

industry knowledge, ethical SEO practices, and proven strategies to help gaming brands win the long game in search.

Written by Ben Austin, CEO of Absolute Digital Media

Leading regulated industries to SEO success since 2008 with tailored, transparent and impactful strategies.