PPC
PPC for iGaming brands
Paid search for iGaming operators on Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising, built around certification in each country and the queries closest to a first deposit.
Who it is for
iGaming operators who want to capture search demand in the markets where they are licensed and search ads are allowed. It fits a brand launching in a market where search is a main way in, a brand whose name is being bought by affiliates or competitors, and a brand whose search spend grows faster than its first deposits.
What PPC is
Pay-per-click advertising puts ads on search results pages, and the advertiser pays when someone clicks. The person has already typed what they want, so intent is high and the cost per click is high too.
In iGaming, paid search splits into two kinds of query. Brand queries are searches for the operator’s own name. Generic queries are searches for a product or category. Brand campaigns protect demand the brand already created. Generic campaigns compete for new players, at a higher cost and under closer review.
Each country is its own case. Certification, local law and the competition on the results page all change from one market to the next.
How we run it
- Check certification and markets. We confirm where the operator holds Google Ads gambling certification, what Microsoft Advertising allows in the same markets, and what local law adds.
- Research keywords by intent. Brand, brand plus product, generic product and category terms, in each market’s language. Each keyword is ranked by how close it sits to a first deposit.
- Build a clean account structure. Separate campaigns for each country and language, and for brand and generic, so budgets, certification limits and reporting stay clean.
- Filter the traffic. Negative keywords remove searches for free games, jobs and help with problem play, so budget goes to people looking to sign up.
- Write ads and landing pages that match. The ad answers the search, and the landing page continues the ad in the same language, with the terms, age messages and responsible play information the platform and the market require.
- Protect the brand. We watch who appears on brand searches, check the operator’s affiliate terms on brand bidding, and work with the affiliate team so the operator does not pay twice for the same player.
- Send conversions back. Registration and first deposit events go back to the ad platforms, so bidding works toward depositing players, not clicks.
- Move budget every week. Spend shifts toward the campaigns, keywords and countries that bring players at the target cost.
The platform rules this channel works within
- Google Ads gambling certification. Google allows these ads only in countries where it permits them and where local law allows them. Advertisers must apply for certification for each country, and certification requires the right licence there.
- Minors and responsible play. Google requires that ads and landing pages do not target minors, and that landing pages show information about responsible play.
- Microsoft Advertising. Microsoft has its own policy for this category, with its own markets and conditions. Approval on Google does not carry over.
- Trademarks. Under Google’s trademark policy, a trademark owner can restrict the use of its trademark in other advertisers’ ad text.
- Local law on top. Platform approval does not replace market rules. A regulator can limit how offers are shown, what claims are allowed and where ads can run.
We plan inside these rules from the first day. A campaign that is disapproved in a market brings no players, and repeated violations put the whole account at risk.
How we measure it
- Cost per registration and cost per first deposit, by campaign, keyword group and country.
- Return on ad spend, using the revenue the operator reports for the players paid search brought.
- Brand and generic results reported separately. Brand traffic is cheap and converts well, so mixing it in makes generic search look better than it is.
- Impression share on brand terms, which shows how much of the brand’s own demand competitors and affiliates take.
- The search terms report, reviewed every week, to add negatives and find new keywords.
What you get
- A market plan: certification status, permitted markets, and a keyword map for each one.
- A report with spend, registrations, first deposits, revenue and return on ad spend, by campaign and country.
- A weekly budget note: what moved, where and why.
- A search terms and negative keyword log.
- A brand protection report: who appears on brand searches and what was done about it.
Paid search captures demand that other channels create. A celebrity campaign or a creator program raises brand searches, and brand campaigns make sure those searches land on the operator. For the organic side of the same results page, see SEO.
Questions
Can iGaming brands run Google Ads?
Yes, in countries where Google allows it and local law permits it. The advertiser must hold Google Ads gambling certification for each country, which requires the right licence there. Ads and landing pages must not target minors, and landing pages must show responsible play information. GOATS plans paid search country by country inside those limits.
What is the difference between brand and generic search campaigns?
Brand campaigns run on searches for the operator's own name. They protect demand the brand already created, and they are usually cheap. Generic campaigns run on product and category searches, where the brand competes for new players at a higher cost. GOATS reports the two separately, so cheap brand traffic does not hide expensive generic results.
How do you handle affiliates bidding on our brand terms?
We monitor who appears on brand searches and compare it with the operator's affiliate terms. Where an affiliate's terms forbid brand bidding, we flag the case to the operator's affiliate team. The goal is to avoid paying twice for the same player, once in paid search and once as an affiliate commission.
Do you run Microsoft Advertising as well as Google Ads?
Where its policy and the market allow it, yes. Microsoft Advertising has its own rules for this category and its own list of permitted markets, and Google certification does not carry over to it. Each platform gets its own check, its own campaigns and its own line in the report.
How do you measure paid search for an iGaming brand?
By cost per registration, cost per first deposit and return on ad spend, by campaign, country, and brand versus generic. Registration and first deposit events are sent back to the ad platform, so bidding optimises toward depositing players. Every campaign has its own tracking, and budget moves every week toward what brings players.
