Paulo Mendes, CEO and Founder of Betmedia Agency, joins the latest episode of the Affiliate Interview Series on Affiliate Grand Slam

Paulo Mendes from the Betmedia agency talks about their main goal – the production and creation of exclusive and specialized content for iGaming. They believe that once a trusting relationship is established, it becomes easier to attract and retain players – read the full interview below.

How did you first get into the affiliate space? Have you always been focused on gaming?

My starting point in the affiliate space was that I started writing articles and reviews about football games on some of the websites I created. In the beginning, I entered this world for entertainment; That was never my original goal. However, my path to this begins with some microblogs dedicated to the topics of society. Then I started to develop my own projects, first in the world of sports betting and then in online casinos.

What is BetMedia? How did it come about and what is its purpose?

Betmedia started in 2019 and as I said before, my company took off as I started developing my own projects and at the same time getting to know the world better. The main goal is to produce and create exclusive and specialized content for online gaming, where the focus is on sports betting and online casinos.

Tell us a little more about your business model, concept, and culture.

We are an independent company dedicated to creating content for our websites. This includes reviews of online casinos, casino games, sports betting, and related bonuses and offers. The goal is always to provide the visitor with the best and most honest information about each game. We believe that once you build trust, it’s easier to find and retain players.

What sets you apart from other lead generation sites?

High-quality and reliable content for those looking for information about online gaming. In addition, we ensure the quality of betting for our players. The approach we use is based on white hat SEO, always providing quality content and consistency that is understandable regardless of the players’ level of expertise.

Which markets are you targeting and do you see any potential in emerging markets?

Currently, my main focus is on the Portuguese-speaking market, i.e. in Portugal and Brazil. Recently, however, I have been working with other markets such as Latin and Central America and some French-speaking countries.

Which niches are best suited for your affiliate marketing, and which are the most profitable?

Currently, my main focus is on the world of online casinos. This space works very well in acquiring and retaining players.

Why is SEO important for gaming and how long does it take to see SEO results?

SEO is a very important tool for positioning content and keywords at the top of search engine listings. However, competition is growing and the process requires more attention and more work. Usually, it takes about 8 months to get the relevant results.

What SEO tools do you use? Link tracking tools, translation software tools, heat tracking maps – which tools do you like the most? Can you share some of them and tell us what makes them so indispensable?

The only tool I use is Ahrefs. It is very comprehensive, contains many sentences, and helps to correct the readability of the content. This in itself will be more useful for the reader. On the other hand, I admit that it has a very high cost. Others are currently available, such as Neil Patel, which are much cheaper, but in my opinion, they still don’t match the level of Ahrefs.

How important is social media activity to your affiliate business? How difficult is it with Google’s constant updates?

Increasingly, social media is becoming indispensable for disclosure. They are very important in our time. However, both Facebook and Google are constantly changing the algorithm, making it difficult to get organic traffic. In this case, we can make a decision: buy ads to get better results.

Google is constantly updating its algorithms. From Panda updates to Penguin updates. Put yourself in Google’s shoes – what can we expect from the next update?

You never know what new updates Google will implement. However, according to Google’s “history,” it placed a lot of emphasis on content quality. So, my guess is that Google will continue to give more importance: simply, directly, and in an educational sense, as much as possible. I assume that long articles with very exhaustive explanations will not have much success.

What does it take for an affiliate business to thrive?

A lot of patience, dedication and faith that the project can be crowned with success.

What are your predictions for the future of the sector?

The future will be very positive. Internet access is becoming easier and more common. People just need a mobile phone! So the number of potential players will increase. It will always be important to create high-quality educational content.

What is your approach in the initial stages of a new partnership?

The most important thing is trust.

Have you ever been to SiGMA? SiGMA Europe, Africa, Asia or Americas – which of these four exhibitions are you likely to have attended in 2022?

In 2021, I was in Malta for the first time, at a SiGMA event. I really enjoy the country, the event and the whole atmosphere. From conferences, fun to the ease of sharing contacts. It was very well organized, and I will definitely come next time. In 2022, I would like to book tickets mainly for SiGMA Europe.

Tell us a little about yourself – after all, business is done with people, not just with companies! Your hobbies, favorite book, favorite quote, whether you are into gaming yourself, etc.

When I’m not working, I like to watch sporting events, particularly football. To keep fit, I like to run and go to the gym (most recently). Quote: “Let the losers never know each other” is a characteristic phrase of the Portuguese paratroopers. Finally, I love to annoy my colleague every single day!

Find out more about the SiGMA Affiliate Grand Slam here.

SiGMA Asia 2022:

After the fascinating set of conferences that Malta Week 2021 has become, SiGMA Group plans to take the world by storm by visiting the golden domes of Kyiv and the snowy city of Toronto, where they will bring together the best and brightest representatives of the iGaming world. Our next exhibition will take us to the ultra-modern metropolises of the United Arab Emirates, where we will organize three days of networking, group discussions and celebrations. Stay up to date with the latest SiGMA News.