How to analyze competitor websites in the online casino industry: a complete guide

The online gambling industry is experiencing rapid and substantial growth. Dozens of new online casinos and sports betting sites open every year, leading to heightened competition for players’ attention. If you want to beat the competition, step one is figuring out how they play the game.

According to Mordor Intelligence, the online gambling market was valued at $103 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $169 billion by 2029, showing a compound annual growth rate of more than 10%. In such an environment, operating without comprehensive analytical support is a surefire recipe for failure. The success of any project is determined not by intuition, but by a systematic analysis of the market and, first and foremost, your competitors’ strategies.

Why analyze competitor websites in gambling?

First, let's define the terms. Website traffic is a quantifiable metric that indicates the number of unique users who accessed the resource during a specified time period (e.g., day, week, month). These visitors constitute traffic, which is the total flow of audience and thus the primary value of any online project.

Analyzing the traffic of your competitors' websites is not merely a matter of curiosity. It is an essential strategic step. It enables you to assess the industry's balance of power by comparing your audience with that of other projects.

Additionally, it is beneficial to observe general trends within the industry. If the number of sites in your area of interest is increasing while traffic on yours is declining, this serves as a clear indication that your SEO strategy is lacking. Finally, it is an effective way to identify suitable advertising platforms by assessing how well their audience matches yours.

What business goals does it solve?

Systematic competitor analysis is the foundation for formulating and adjusting SEO and marketing strategies. It enables you to monitor market trends, identify effective channels for attracting traffic, and identify areas for improvement. This process is also necessary for assessing the potential of new advertising channels and checking competitors before starting cooperation.

What could be learned and improved?

When analyzing competitors' gambling sites, it is essential to assess not only total traffic figures, but also the strategies employed to attract visitors and other factors that contribute to high traffic levels. The following parameters warrant particular attention:

• Traffic volume allows you to assess two key elements of your site: its overall scale and the stability of its audience.
• Traffic sources refer to the various methods by which users arrive at a website. These sources may include search engines (organic results), direct links, social networks, paid advertisements, or partner sites. This analysis provides valuable insights into the most effective channels for reaching potential customers.
• Bounce rate is a metric indicating the percentage of users who leave a website immediately. A high bounce rate may indicate a suboptimal user experience (UX) or content that falls short of users’ expectations.
• New and returning users are a key engagement metric. The project's ability to retain its audience is underscored by a significant number of returning users.
• The metrics of browsing depth and average time on site are indicative of the level of user engagement with the content and the efficacy of the website's structure and navigation.

By leveraging this data, you will gain insights into the viability of adopting and enhancing competitor solutions, as well as identifying areas where you can offer a more profitable and effective solution to strengthen your position.

Step 1: Identify key competitors

Identifying your competitors is the first step towards successful analysis. Your strategy will be formulated and adjusted based on a thorough analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. It is not necessary to develop an entirely new approach — competitors have often already identified effective methods. Your task is to study them, improve, and adapt them to your project.

Direct and indirect competitors

Given the potential for significant audience overlap, it is essential to conduct a thorough analysis of both direct and indirect competitors. This analysis should identify successful content strategies and methods of attracting traffic, which can inform the development of a robust and effective strategy.

If you promote an online casino, your direct competitors are other online casinos. However, it is crucial to consider indirect competitors. These include informative review sites, affiliate projects, streamers, and themed blogs.

How to find competitors manually and via services

The most straightforward approach is to act as a typical user. Enter the Google or Yandex keywords for which you would like to promote your business. Key search terms include “casino online”, “no deposit bonuses”, and “best slots.” The sites that consistently appear at the top of search results, particularly those within advertising blocks, are your main competitors.

For a more in-depth analysis, consider utilizing specialized services such as SimilarWeb, Ahrefs, Serpstat, or Semrush. Simply enter your website address or a key query, and it will automatically generate a list of competing domains. These tools enable the immediate evaluation of key metrics, including traffic volume, search engine positions, semantics, and advertising channels utilized.

Step 2. Analyze traffic and audience behavior

It is important to consider the context of absolute traffic numbers in order to determine their value. While traffic levels may be high, it is important to note that a significant portion of these visitors may not be paying customers. You need a deep understanding of your traffic’s sources, geography, and on-site behavior.

Volume of web traffic

Traffic volume is a key metric for assessing the scale and credibility of a competitor. A significant increase or decrease in traffic can provide valuable insights into competitor strategies, such as the launch of a successful advertising campaign or the impact of search engine restrictions. A high level of stable traffic typically signifies a robust position and a meticulously devised long-term strategy.

Traffic sources: SEO, referrals, paid advertising

It is imperative to understand which channels are driving the majority of website visitors to competitors. Here are some key sources:

• Organic traffic is derived from search engine results, including major platforms such as Google and Yandex. It emphasizes the importance of strong SEO optimization.
• Direct traffic refers to users who access the site directly by entering the URL or by clicking on a bookmark. This indicates brand strength and a loyal audience.
• Promotional — leads from contextual or targeted ads.
• Social media traffic includes visitors arriving at our site from social networking sites such as VKontakte, Telegram, and Twitter.
• Referral — visits through affiliate channels from other sites.
• Media — visitors coming from banners, videos and other media advertising.

Analyzing these channels can reveal competitor strategies and identify previously undiscovered traffic sources.

Geography and devices

An analysis of traffic geography is essential for identifying the markets (countries and regions) that a competitor is targeting. This is particularly relevant in the iGaming industry, where regulations and player preferences vary significantly between countries. Solutions that are effective in Asia may not be applicable in Europe and could potentially exacerbate the site statistics.

Research indicates that the devices (desktops, mobile) an audience uses can provide valuable insights into their behavior. If 90% of a competitor’s traffic comes from mobile devices and only 50% of yours does, blindly copying their approach would be unswise. Adapt your UI/UX design to your target audience to ensure a steady increase in website traffic.

Step 3. Perform SEO analysis of competitors

After identifying your competitors and their traffic sources, it is essential to conduct an in-depth analysis of their SEO strategy. A successful search engine optimization strategy is dependent on a variety of factors, including visual design, website text, layout, navigation, and more. SEO entails more than just keywords and content; it also involves a robust link profile and ensuring that the website's technical aspects are impeccable.

When analyzing competitor sites, it is essential to consider several fundamental characteristics that can significantly impact a site’s traffic and results.

• Site type: Determine how similar your site is to your competitors’ in terms of type. This is important, as comparisons with dissimilar sites may not be relevant.
• Domain zone: Determine what domains your competitors are using. This can give you an idea of how aggressive they are in this niche.
• Age of the site: Determine how long your competitors' sites have been in existence. Older sites may have an advantage in search engines because of their experience and authority.
• Growth trend: Determine how fast your competitors' sites are growing. Fast-growing young sites can provide valuable information on how they are succeeding in website traffic statistics.

The baseline screening stage helps to eliminate competitors that do not meet the necessary criteria, allowing us to focus on the most relevant examples. This should be followed by a comparative analysis of site visibility and identifying the leaders, who warrant closer inspection.

Keyword and semantics analysis

The objective of this stage is to assess the traffic of another website and identify the queries that competitors are ranking for and the pages that generate the most organic traffic. To identify the top 10 keywords for a competitor's domain, utilize a tool such as Serpstat, Ahrefs, or Semrush. Take the following points into consideration:

• Traffic pages: which sections and pages are promoted for specific query clusters.
• Semantic gaps: whether there are popular queries that are not covered by your competitor — these are your rapid growth points.
• Key specifications: their frequency, commercial or informational focus and current traffic on them.

By leveraging these insights, site owners and administrators can develop a customized semantic structure, facilitating the effective promotion of their website through search engine algorithms.

Link profile: types of links, anchors, and dynamics

Links from external sites to your website can help drive traffic and increase your online visibility. The quantity of external links on a website has been shown to have a positive correlation with its position in search engine results.

But while quantity matters, quality is also a priority. Links from more authoritative sites add significant weight. Links can have a significant impact on the success or failure of a site, particularly in terms of the sanctions or restrictions imposed by search engines.

External links continue to be a significant ranking factor. Analyzing a competitor's link profile can provide insights into the extent of their external SEO optimization efforts. To identify these domains, enter the domain into Ahrefs or Semrush and look at:

• Number of referring domains: the total amount of links.
• Anchor list: what texts are used for links (commercial, branded, generic).
• Reference dynamics: rises or falls in their numbers over time.
• Types of links: where they come from — forums, directories, press releases, articles (outreach).
• Quality of donors: topics and authority of sites, whether there are toxic or spammy links.

There are two main types of links: organic links and synthetic links.

Organic links appear on websites due to user activity. Visitors may share links to interesting products, useful services, or insightful content with friends, colleagues, or subscribers. This organic link-building process is based on users’ recommendations and personal preferences, which makes such links valuable for search engines.

Synthetic links, also known as purchased links, are strategically placed by experts to enhance your website's search engine rankings. These linkes can be either rental or perpetual.

Leased links are links that are placed for a certain period of time and paid for that period. This method can be more cost-effective and allows you to acquire a large number of links quickly.

However, it is important to note that these links are often placed on sites with a lot of spam, which can have a negative impact on your site's reputation. In the event that payment is not received or the lease expires, the links will be removed. This will have a negative impact on your site’s ranking.

Perpetual links remain on the donor site permanently after payment and are placed inside articles or posts on quality sites. They are considered more valuable because they occur naturally in the content and are placed on sites that search engines trust. While the initial cost of purchasing these links is higher than leased links, their effectiveness in promoting your site is significantly superior.

Search engines prioritize links from sites that have relevant or similar topics to your own. However, the precise algorithms used for their evaluation are not always readily available. Generally, a link from a site with a similar topic (e.g., a site about computer games or gambling if your site is in the gambling industry) will be considered more natural than a link from a site dedicated to a completely different topic, such as childcare.

Google’s Penguin algorithm, which is continually refined, is employed to identify purchased or low-quality links. This algorithm analyzes various factors, including anchor text, link context, and link placement, to determine the naturalness of links. It also takes into account the dynamics of link growth, the quality and authority of sites, and other factors to identify unnatural or unwanted links.

While search engines are not always transparent about the criteria they use to rank sites, it is widely believed that natural links have a stronger impact on a site's rankings and statistics than artificial links.

Anchors

An anchor is defined as anchor text, which is typically indicated by a blue underline. It is a link that redirects users to another page. Compiling a list of anchor texts from various online sources can provide insights into the specific texts and phrases that are driving traffic to competitor websites.

Types of links

There are some other kinds of links to look into:

• Active vs. inactive: Active links take the user directly to the linked site when they click on the link, whereas inactive links are URL text that must be copied and pasted.
• Direct vs. indirect: Direct links take the user directly to the linked site, whereas indirect links first take users through a redirect.
• Graphic links are pictures or other visual elements that take users to a site when they are clicked on.

Technical performance (speed, indexing, adaptability)

One of the first aspects to consider when analyzing websites is loading speed. Fast page load times play a key role in user experience and can affect a site’s search engine ranking. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to evaluate Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS). Modern users are not willing to wait longer than 4-5 seconds.

The robots.txt file is a crucial tool for managing the indexing of content on a site by search engine robots. By examining the robots.txt file's presence and content on websites, you can identify which pages they prefer to hide from search engines and how they organize the structure of their site.

The server response code provides information about the status of the request when it accesses the server. Analyzing these codes allows you to determine how effectively the site interacts with search engines and user requests. However, it is important to note that the presence of duplicate pages on a site can negatively affect its indexing and ranking in search engines.

As the number of users accessing the internet from mobile devices continues to grow, it has become imperative for businesses to adapt their websites for smartphones to ensure optimal visibility and engagement. Adaptive design adjusts to the resolution of the device being used, such as a smartphone or PC. When a site is displayed on mobile, it should be easy to interact with, not just readable.

Some brands opt to create mobile versions of their website to ensure seamless functionality on smartphones. The differences from the main site are size, loading speed, convenience, and simplicity. Mobile versions often restrict functionality, retaining only the most essential features.

Mobile apps are designed to mirror the company’s website and visual style but offer a more streamlined experience, sometimes offering a singular slot game as an example.

Step 4: Examine the content and structure of the site

Assessing the structure of each individual page in your competitors’ site can reveal the elements that contribute to generating traffic. Once you’ve identified their best practices, you can adapt them to your own project.

Which pages generate traffic?

This is a critical aspect of analysis that can significantly impact the overall strategy. For instance, if a competitor has 1,000 pages on their website, it would require significant resources to replicate all of them. Alternatively, you can utilize analytical services, such as Ahrefs Top Pages, to identify the 20% of pages that generate 80% of traffic and focus on creating enhanced versions of them.

Structure and navigation

Website structure is critical for both SEO and users. It is essential that all information be presented in a logical, clear, and easily accessible manner. Ideally, any important page should be accessible with no more than three or four clicks from the main page. Analyzing the structure of competing businesses can help you avoid making mistakes and develop a more efficient and user-friendly page hierarchy.

Design and content on the website

Your website’s design and branding are key factors in the first impression it gives, deciding whether it comes off as a premium experience or a shady scheme.

Evaluate how the corporate identity is used. Are the fonts easy to read? Are the colors vibrant or dull? A strong, recognizable brand design creates credibility and sets the project apart from competitors. Analyze how banners, promos and calls to action (CTAs) are used. How prominent and compelling are they? Do they effectively guide the user to a targeted action, whether it's registration or deposit?

Pay attention to how competitors use images, videos and infographics. Are they unique, high-quality content, or standard stock images? Attractive visual content not only makes pages more interesting, but it’s also important for SEO, especially if the images are optimized and have appropriate attributes.

Employing elements like tables, lists, headings, and other formatting enhances content structure and clarity. Making the site more user-friendly can positively impact key performance indicators such as time on site and bounce rates. The incorporation of multimedia elements, such as images, videos, and other formats, serves to enhance the appeal and comprehension of the content. It can also improve SEO by optimizing images and using appropriate attributes.

In general, the quality and optimization of content is a key factor in successful SEO promotion, as it satisfies the requirements of search engines and improves user experience.

The best tools for analyzing online casino sites

SEO specialists utilize a range of tools. Many of these tools offer similar functionalities, with minor differences that often depend on the preferences and tasks of the specialist.

SimilarWeb, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Serpstat, Screaming Frog and others

The following is a brief comparison table of the most popular tools:

How to select the right tools for the task

It is not necessary to use all of these tools. In many cases, selecting one or two fundamental tools and augmenting them as necessary is sufficient. At Slotegrator, we typically employ a combination of Ahrefs and Screaming Frog.

The following is a simple guide on how to choose:

• To find out the competitor's traffic and sources → SimilarWeb
• To research keywords and positions → Ahrefs / SEMrush / Serpstat
• In-depth technical audit of the site → Screaming Frog
• To find the page with the highest traffic → Ahrefs (report Top Pages)
• To quickly analyze visibility → SEMrush (report Domain Overview)

Frequent mistakes when analyzing competitors

Gambling is a highly competitive environment, so you should not blindly copy someone else's strategy when analyzing it. What works for one brand might not work for another, especially if you’re targeting a different audience, and competitors can use tricks to lead you down a false trail that will lead to bad results.

CHECKLIST: WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN ANALYZING COMPETITORS

1. Mistake: Copy a structure or design. It is important to remember that a competitor may have a different audience, goals, traffic sources, and brand strength.

2. Mistake: Fail to consider competitor's sources and geo-traffic. Solutions that work in Indonesia will not work in Europe.

3. Mistake: Ignore behavioral metrics. CTR, bounce rate, depth of view is more important than appearance.

4. Mistake: Compare sites without regard to scale or budget. A large-scale operator and a startup have distinctly different resources at their disposal.

5. Mistake: Use only one tool. One service won't give a complete overview.

6. Mistake: Rely on feelings instead of numbers to draw conclusions. Only metrics show what really works.

7. Mistake: Underestimate competitors’ content. A visually unappealing site may have effective SEO and generate loyalty.

8. Mistake: Relying on outdated data. Make sure your analytics are fresh — traffic can change a lot.

Blindly copying solutions

One common error is mindlessly replicating design elements, structures, or promotions without knowing their purpose. For instance, a well-known brand may have a banner with three slots and one CTA on the first screen, but doing the same thing on your site might not yield the same positive result.

Why is this?

The brand's unique traffic patterns, characterized by a significant volume of direct visits, a dedicated and loyal audience, and specific goals centered on retention rather than attraction, necessitate a tailored marketing approach. It is essential to understand the logic behind the solution, and then adapt it to align with your target audience, brand, and user experience (UX) needs.

Ignoring localized traffic patterns

Traffic volume varies significantly based on geographical location and the type of device used.

Strategies that prove successful in India may not be applicable in Canada, and while one competitor might primarily utilize TikTok as their source of traffic, another may rely on SEO. The content, structure, and style of these documents will differ significantly. It is important to note that ignoring language and currency factors is a common mistake when scaling.

The following case study illustrates an example of an effective marketing strategy:

According to one marketing agency, an unconventional decision was made when working with Azerbaijani and Turkish websites: attractive blonde women were placed on the banners of the main pages. Testing this hypothesis resulted in an average 7% increase in engagement and conversion rates.

Lack of content analysis

When analyzing content, it's important to understand not only what works, but also why it works, in order to successfully replicate it on your project. It is essential to examine the keywords employed, the frequency with which they are used, and the context in which they are presented.

Consider the use of internal and external links, as well as the use of lists, tables, images, infographics, and videos to capture the user's attention. In-depth content analysis is essential for developing content that surpasses the competition.

Conclusion: how to use the results of the analysis

Competitor analysis should generate insights to enhance one's own project. By identifying the market leaders' strengths and weaknesses, you can develop a competitive strategy for achieving a competitive advantage.

Application in SEO strategy

After conducting a thorough analysis, you should have enough material to put together a specific action plan. Identify gaps in their keyword coverage and create content for uncovered queries.

After analyzing their reference profile, you can develop a more effective reference strategy. A technical audit can help improve the speed and reliability of your website, which is directly associated with its ranking.

Improving the structure and content of your website

Analysis also helps optimize the product itself. By studying market leaders’ sites, you can simplify the user's path on your site. Once you discern which content formats are most in demand among the audience, you can create more engaging content. Adapting optimal UX/UI solutions for your brand can increase conversion rates and player loyalty.