Maja Jovančević: “SEO should focus on accountability and accuracy of information”

Casino Guru News had the opportunity to speak with Gaming Innovation Group Head of SEO Maja Jovančević on the occasion of Online Casino Summit Italia 2023. We discussed the dynamics of Search Engine Optimization and its relevancy to the iGaming and gambling industries.

Maja touched on the unique challenges that strongly regulated markets such as Italy present to companies and how brands can adapt and approach the Italian market in a unique and innovative way, while also stressing the importance of brand credibility, and the accuracy and accountability of the information that is presented.

Maja has a strong insight into the SEO ecosystem, owing to her extensive experience as an SEO specialist in the gaming industry and at one of the biggest and most competitive companies, nonetheless.

Q: Maja, it’s great to have you here. Can we start by telling our readers why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important for Gaming Innovation Group and for players in general?

Likewise, and it’s an honour to do this interview with Casino Guru. There are multiple ways to look at this question, but I personally think SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the most useful source of traffic because of Google’s algorithm. Google’s algorithm is constantly improved and is so advanced in some languages that the results are amazing.

Google will figure out what you are trying to find – i.e. what the intent of your search query is; where you are in your search journey (based on previous search data) and how that compares with other searches from that language and location.

What we get from Google is a visitor that is served the correct page based on their search journey and willingness to convert. That is why some keywords are more valuable than others to affiliates and the conversions from SEO are not the same as with other traffic channels.

Q: Online Casino Summit in Italy gathered many colleagues of yours who focus on this particular aspect of the industry. What are the unique challenges of doing SEO for the Italian market in the context of iGaming?

The Italian market is such a wonderful market for SEO. The search volume of some keywords is just insane and dropping one position can literally mean tens of thousands in traffic loss. If you look at traffic as a ranking signal, this could potentially mean you lose your credibility even though you just dropped one position for two keywords. I have not seen this in any other market.

Q: What is that you personally enjoyed learning from Online Casino Summit Italy?

It’s a duty for every SEO in this market to follow the regulation as it influences our rank so that part is always interesting and necessary to hear.

What I also love about Eventus International conferences is that they are knowledge-sharing focused so I am sure I will get so much more than what I expect.

Q: How have SEO strategies changed to better serve consumers over the past years, do you have something in mind that really stood out to you over the past years and with specificity to the rather unique Italian market?

It’s difficult to answer this question from a market perspective as in some markets the changes are subtle due to the search data Google processes, but I definitely see more rich results, 0 click SERPs (where Google provides the answer, so user is not required to visit a page) and better local results. Google search is only good as the results they get to display so there was a lot of push across the board for accuracy and accountability for the information the websites provide, as well as good user experience.

Q: How do you appreciate the Italian market today – difficult to do SEO, stabilizing, or just a place that has its own unique challenges and need to be understood first before acted on?

Definitely all three. Any gambling landscape is a competitive landscape, guided by the regulation and the brands operating in the market. The competition and the value of the keywords is high and the major players are not just going to roll over and let you outrank them without a fight. The question you should first ask yourself when you enter the market is: "Why do these websites work?" and then try and emulate those factors.

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