Top 6 SEO Strategies for Gaming Websites

SEO Strategies for the Gaming industry benefit games and gaming companies by appearing at the top position on SERP(the higher you rank, the more business you make), increasing organic traffic, and attracting potential gamers. 

SEO Strategies for Games & Gaming Companies help build a strong presence and popularity so that the gaming company stands out from its competitors. Do you know that there are around 3.09 billion active video gamers worldwide? You might think it’s crazy. The gaming industry has grown amazingly in past years. Over the last seven years, it has gained around 1 billion active users(about a 32% increase). Gaming’s growing popularity makes this industry very competitive and challenging to establish a foothold. 

SEO tips for Games & Gaming Companies are detailed below in this blog post, where we have explained who is the target customer for gaming websites, how to do Gaming SEO keyword research, what the best strategies to get quality backlinks and interlinks for gaming websites, how to do regular updates and SEO maintenance for gaming site, and various other SEO strategies for Games & Gaming Companies.  

How to do SEO for gaming channel ?

The best SEO for gaming sites are listed below:

1. Knowing your audience
2. Keyword research and strategy
3. Posting Gaming Content 
4. Local SEO if you offer local gaming services
5. Quality backlinks and interlinks
6. Regular updates and maintenance 

Let’s understand them one by one and see how you can use them to dominate the search results for the gaming niche.

Knowing Your Audience for Gaming Site

The first and foremost step in making the most effective SEO strategies for gaming companies is to understand your potential audience. Once you start understanding your audience’s needs, you can optimize your gaming SEO as per their preferences. 

You can differentiate between your audience based on their interests, demographics, purchases, values, behavior, goals, and knowledge level. Know your audience and make a tailored gaming marketing strategy for the audience that matters most to your business. The more niche down your audience is, the more effective your gaming SEO strategies will be.

Who is the target audience of gaming companies ?

The related SEO strategies for gaming websites are given below:

• You can start by understanding what type of audience is interacting with your competitors. Your direct competitors most probably have a similar type of audience. The competitors’ SEO audits report will help you to define your own strategies.
• Conduct gaming market research to understand current gaming audience demographics. Look at the gaming site similar to yours and see who their potential players are. What is their gender? What age group do they fall in? What platform do they prefer?
• Create a player persona based on your research and analysis. Player persona is a profile of a hypothetical person of the target audience which will provide detailed information about your audience. Focus on factors like age, gender, gaming habits, and location.
• You can also use tools like one2target by Semrush. They are keyword research tools that help you to get a better understanding of your target audience. They generally give 4 reports- Demographics, Socioeconomics, Behaviors, and Audience Overlap.

Gaming SEO Keywords Research

Keyword research is the heart of SEO. After understanding your target audience, the next step is to find the relevant keywords and phrases that people are searching for. Search engines like Google serve people and they show the content that people need. Therefore, keywords are the building blocks of your gaming website SEO.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of keywords that one should focus on: short-tail and long-tail. Short-tail keywords or broad keywords have a high search volume and target a wide audience. Whereas, Long-tail keywords have a low search volume but target a specific audience.

What are keywords for gaming ?

The related SEO strategies for gaming websites are given below:

• You can start by analyzing your competitor’s website. Look at which keywords they are ranking for and find your gaming niche keywords. 
• “Related searches” section on Google’s search results page can help you understand what your target market is typing while looking for your services. 

For example, if you search “online multiplayer games”, related searches or suggestions might include “free online multiplayer games” or “online multiplayer games for kids”.

• • Find keywords and phrases, their search volume, and competition with the help of online tools such as the one listed below:

• Google Keyword Planner

• SEMrush

• Ahrefs

• Ubersuggest

Thumb Rule: User search intent is equally important. 

• For example, if your gaming website focuses on game reviews, you can search for keywords like “best PC games”, “top RPG games” or “top game review sites”.
• Long-tail keywords are more to the point and often have less competition. They help you answer the direct question of your users. For instance, “best multiplayer strategy games for PC” is a long-tail keyword. There is a high chance that people searching for this specific keyword will visit your gaming website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Tfhh3iN4E

• As a gaming website, you should include popular gaming-related keywords. For example,  “Xbox,” “PlayStation,” and “PC gaming” are some popular gaming platforms, “Call of Duty tips” or “PS5 game reviews” are popular game title keywords that people search, and “FPS games”, “RPG games” or “strategy game guides” are some popular gaming genre keywords you can use in your website.

Gaming Content Optimization

If keywords are the heart of SEO then Content is the soul. Creating user-friendly content with proper placement of gaming keywords will help you rank high on the search results page. Content helps the search engines in understanding your gaming website. When your content is relevant to your target audience and gaming industry, search engines can better match your site with user queries. When your target audience finds your content informative and engaging, they will spend more time on your gaming site which will reduce bounce rates. 

How do I make a good gaming website ?

The related SEO strategies for gaming websites are given below:  

• The first thing about optimizing your content is placing gaming SEO keywords naturally throughout your content. You should avoid keyword stuffing as Google considers it a black-hat SEO practice and may penalize or de-rank websites that engage in it. This can also lead to a drop in search engine rankings and even removal from search engines.
• You can also provide game reviews on your gaming website as it not only informs users but also signals search engines that your gaming content is valuable and authoritative. You should provide an unbiased gaming review that will build trust among your potential users. For example, you can review popular games like “Minecraft”. In this review, you should cover graphics, gameplay mechanics, and performance and also state some negative points.

• For engaging and interactive content, you should use engaging headlines and subheadings. Make it easy for your potential players to scan and find the info they are looking for. Moreover, search engines also use headings tags to understand the hierarchy of your gaming content. 
• You should encourage your users to engage with your gaming content by giving them proper room for discussions. User engagement tells the search engines that your gaming content is relevant and valuable for the gaming community. You should respond to every comment that will develop a sense of community that can improve the gaming SEO ranking. For example, In content about “Upcoming Games Releases”, you can ask users for their opinion in the comment section.

Local SEO for Gaming Sites

Local SEO is essential for gaming websites that want to target a specific geographic area or region. It can help you to improve visibility in local search results, attract a local audience, and generate foot traffic to physical locations. It helps you to reach potential gamers and customers in specific regions who are searching for gaming-related information, events, and products near them. 

Optimizing your gaming website for local SEO increases traffic, especially if you have a physical gaming store or host local gaming events. Local searches take action more often than online users, such as purchasing something or attending an event. Hence, local SEO for gaming sites can lead to a higher conversion rate and business growth.

How can you create a Local SEO strategy for gaming websites ?

The related SEO strategies for gaming websites are given below:

• You can create a local keyword research report about what your local players are searching for. Suppose you have a gaming website based in Los Angeles. You can start by searching for local gaming-related SEO keywords like “Los Angeles gaming event” or “best gaming store in Los Angeles”.
• Optimizing Google My Business listing is a very crucial step for Local SEO. They appear in local search results and on Google Maps, making it easier for potential players to find your business. While listing yourself on Google My Business, make sure that all your information is correct including business name, phone number, website URLs, and business hours. You should upload high-quality images of gaming businesses to attract customers.
• Gaining local backlinks from reputed sources within your locality tells search engines that your website is a valuable resource for local gamers. You can build local backlinks by reaching out to local gaming communities, bloggers, and influencers.
• Ask your clients to rate your gaming website and write online testimonials that will increase your ranking in local search results.
• You can list your gaming business on online gaming directories like iNTERGAME, and other social media sites like Discord, Facebook, and many more.

Quality Backlinks and Interlinks for Gaming Sites

Backlinks are the links from other gaming-related websites that link back to yours. They are seen as a symbol of confidence by search engines. High-quality backlinks from reputed and relevant websites show search engines that your gaming website is trustworthy and valuable. This led to an increased ranking in search results. Backlinks from relevant high-quality sources can generate traffic to your gaming website.

On the other hand, Interlinks are the links that direct from one page of your gaming website to another. They improve the flow of ranking power within your gaming website. Interlinks help users to navigate your website efficiently by directing them to related content. This keeps users engaged and encourages them to explore your gaming website further. Interlinks help to retain users on your website longer, reduce bounce rates, and potentially lead to higher organic search ranking.

How can you build quality backlinks and interlinks for your gaming website ?

The related SEO strategies for gaming websites are given below:

• You can start by creating gaming-related content that other websites in the gaming niche would want to link to. This can include in-depth game reviews, tutorials, and gaming experiences. For interlinks, you can organize content on your website logically and with proper structure. Make sure that articles are categorized and related topics have clear internal links to each other.
• You can do guest posting on reputed gaming blogs, news websites, and forums. You have to make sure that your guest post provides unique and informative content. 
• To build high-quality interlinks you should conduct content audits regularly. When you publish new gaming content, look at the older content where you can naturally put the link to new content.
• Regularly check for broken links and fix if there are any. Contact with the author can replace the broken link with a link to relevant gaming content on your gaming website. You can find any broken links on the website through tools such as SEMrush or Ahrefs or Check my link.
•  You can also include a ‘related posts’ or ‘you may also like’ section at the end of your articles which includes links to other related articles on your gaming website.

Regular Updates and Maintenance of your Gaming Site

Regular Updates and maintenance are a crucial part of SEO for gaming websites. The gaming industry is dynamic, with new games, industry trends, and new things constantly emerging. Hence, updating your gaming website with the latest trends is important to stay competitive in this ever-evolving landscape. 

Search engines like Google prioritize fresh and up-to-date content. Regularly adding gaming-related information shows that your website is relevant and actively serving the gaming community. Users visit your website for the latest information, news, and trends. Regular updates provide a better user experience. Outdated content can lead to user frustration and high bounce rates.

What’s the way forward for Gaming Sites ?

The related SEO strategies for gaming websites are given below:

• You can create fresh content for your gaming website such as blogs, news articles, new industry trends, new updates, and guides. Aim for consistent posting and refresh the old content by adding new information, statistics, or insights.
• Regularly conduct keyword research to find new related keywords to target. regularly improve your website’s internal linking structure to ensure pages are well-connected.
• You should regularly audit your gaming website for broken links, slow page load times, and mobile-friendliness.
• Continuously work on building backlinks from reputed gaming-related websites. For this, do guest posting and engage in outreach campaigns.
• Maintain a strong active presence on social media and gaming platforms. 

This concludes the detailed gaming SEO guide. Moreover, try to make your gaming site attractive with interactive visual graphics and content.