Google March 2025 Core Update: iGaming Industry Impact with Real Cases

What is the Google March 2025 Core Update?

The Google March 2025 Core Update is one of the largest algorithm updates rolled out by Google in recent years. It affects how websites are ranked in search results, particularly focusing on improving the quality of content that is displayed. Core updates are designed to refine Google’s ability to deliver the most relevant, authoritative and helpful content to users.

This update, like previous core updates, doesn’t target specific websites but instead changes the way Google assesses content quality across all industries. Sites that have focused on providing value to users, with helpful and well-researched content, may see improvements in rankings, while sites relying on outdated or manipulative SEO tactics could see declines.

For the iGaming industry, this update emphasizes the importance of trustworthy content, a seamless user experience and the authority of the site, especially when dealing with high-risk topics like online gambling and betting. Understanding these changes and adapting your SEO strategy is crucial to maintaining or improving your search visibility in organic search results.

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Impact of the March 2025 Core Update on iGaming SEO 

The Google March 2025 Core Update had a noticeable impact on websites across multiple industries and the iGaming sector experienced some unexpected shifts in visibility and traffic. Here’s a look at how it affected SEO performance for many online casino, betting and affiliate sites:

• Ranking Volatility: Many iGaming websites saw sharp changes in keyword positions, some dropping from top 3 to page 2 or beyond, while others climbed significantly.
• Traffic Drops & Gains: Sites heavily reliant on low-quality content or aggressive link-building strategies experienced steep traffic declines. Meanwhile, those with high-quality, informative content and solid user experience were rewarded.
• Content Quality Over Quantity: Google appears to have placed even more weight on helpful, trustworthy content. Thin affiliate pages, outdated game reviews and over-optimized landing pages took a hit.
• E-E-A-T Signals: Websites demonstrating clear expertise, experience, authority and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) gained more visibility. Author bios, review transparency and editorial standards helped certain sites stand out.
• Affiliate-heavy Sites: Google’s continued focus on weeding out spammy or overly commercial content without value has affected many gambling affiliate sites. Those relying solely on backlinks or outdated SEO tactics were especially vulnerable.

iGaming Sites That Lost SEO Rankings and Traffic

Several iGaming sites saw declines in rankings and traffic following the March 2025 Core Update. In this section, we will look at the common factors contributing to these drops and how certain practices may have negatively impacted their SEO performance.

1) sportsbookreview.com

Type of site: Sports betting affiliate and review site

Content focus: Provides reviews of online sportsbooks, betting guides, odds comparisons and industry news. Focused on helping users choose legal and reputable betting platforms.

March 2025 Core Update SEO impact: Organic traffic dropped by 41% and the number of keywords in the top 10 decreased by 21% within 25 days after the March 2025 Core Update.

Possible causes of drop:

• Heavy focus on affiliate-driven content that may not offer enough unique value
• Some review pages may be too similar in structure and wording, making them look repetitive to Google
• Industry news and guides might not be updated often enough to stay relevant
• Google may have favored sites with deeper insights or fresher expert analysis over standard comparisons

2) bettingpros.com

Type of site: Sports betting tips and content platform

Content focus: Offers expert picks, betting advice, tools, odds comparisons and strategy guides. Backed by FantasyPros, it focuses heavily on content to support bettors with insights and predictions.

March 2025 Core Update SEO impact: Organic traffic dropped by 52% and the number of keywords in the top 10 decreased by 31% within 25 days after the March 2025 Core Update.

Possible causes:

• Large volume of betting advice and prediction content that might overlap with other sites in the same space
• Some betting guides may be too broad or not updated regularly to match the latest sports and betting trends
• Google may have lowered rankings for sites that rely too much on general strategy without strong topical depth
• The site structure may have led Google to see some pages as thin or not detailed enough for competitive keywords

3) thelines.com

Type of site: Sports betting news and analysis site

Content focus: Covers betting industry news, odds comparisons and in-depth analysis of major sports events. Also offers tools and resources to help users make informed bets.

March 2025 Core Update SEO impact: Organic traffic dropped by 38% and the number of keywords in the top 10 decreased by 12% within 25 days after the March 2025 Core Update.

Possible causes of drop:

• News and analysis content may have faced more competition from larger media outlets or specialized sites
• Some odds comparison tools may not have offered new insights compared to what is already on the market
• Coverage of major events may have lacked the level of depth or expert commentary Google preferred in this update
• The update may have rewarded more specialized or narrowly focused content rather than broad event coverage

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iGaming Sites That Gained SEO Rankings and Traffic

On the other hand, some iGaming sites experienced significant gains in rankings and traffic after the update. Here, we will highlight the key factors that helped these sites succeed and what lessons can be learned from their improved performance.

1) stake.com

Type of site: Online gambling platform

Content focus: Covers a wide range of online gambling content, including casino game guides, esports betting tips, sports betting advice and promotions. Offers resources for users interested in cryptocurrency gambling, with tutorials and insights to help bettors navigate betting with digital currencies.

March 2025 Core Update SEO impact: Organic traffic increased by 18% and the number of keywords in the top 10 grew by 68% within 25 days after the March 2025 Core Update.

Possible causes of increase:

• Strong brand recognition may have helped build trust signals in search, supporting higher visibility
• Offers a wide range of unique and detailed content across casino, sports and cryptocurrency gambling
• Likely benefited from fresh and specific guides around niche topics like crypto betting
• Update may have rewarded sites that combine educational content with real platform insights
• Consistent publishing across multiple verticals (sports, esports, casino) may have boosted topic authority

2) betonline.ag

Type of site: Online sportsbook and casino

Content focus: Provides sports betting previews, expert analysis, odds comparisons and in-depth guides for a variety of sports including football, basketball and esports. Features tools and resources to assist bettors in making informed decisions, as well as comprehensive information on poker and casino gaming options.

March 2025 Core Update SEO impact: While there was no significant change in organic traffic, the number of keywords in the top 10 grew by 48% and keywords in the top 3 increased by 33% within just 25 days after the March 2025 Core Update. This suggests that, although overall traffic remained stable, there was a substantial improvement in keyword rankings, especially for more competitive positions like the top 3 and top 10. Such growth in keyword visibility could indicate that website content, SEO strategy and alignment with Google Core Update helped it perform better for a larger set of search queries, potentially driving more organic visibility and traffic over time.

Possible causes of increase:

• Strong growth in high-value keyword rankings suggests deeper alignment with search intent
• Likely benefited from comprehensive, well-structured guides across various sports and games
• Content updates or improvements before the core update may have helped increase keyword coverage
• Google may have favored its balance of expert previews, comparison tools and helpful resources

3) reddit.com

Type of site: Online community platform

Content focus: While not an iGaming site, Reddit has seen significant growth in SEO traffic from iGaming keywords over the past year, with visibility rising after each Google algorithm update. The platform hosts a wide range of user-generated content across countless topics, including discussions on gambling within relevant subreddits. Reddit content is driven by its vast online community, offering advice, personal experiences, industry insights and real-time discussions on nearly every subject imaginable, including iGaming, online casinos and betting.

March 2025 Core Update SEO impact: Within just 25 days following the March 2025 Core Update, organic performance in the iGaming vector showed notable improvement – organic pages increased by 36%, while the number of organic keywords grew by 18%. This suggests a strong positive impact of the update on iGaming-related content visibility.

Possible causes of increase:

• Large amount of fresh, user-generated content that reflects real search interest and intent
• Posts and threads often include long-form discussions, which may appear more helpful and relevant
• Covers a wide variety of gambling-related topics in natural language, matching how users search
• Likely benefited from Google placing more trust in community-driven platforms for niche topics

Common Patterns from Winners and Losers

As we analyze the effects of the March 2025 Core Update on the iGaming industry, certain patterns have emerged between sites that saw improvements and those that experienced drops in rankings and traffic. Below, we highlight the key traits shared by both groups, which can help you identify what worked and what didn’t for iGaming brands in this update.

These patterns make it clear that Google continues to reward websites that prioritize users over algorithms. iGaming brands that focused on helpful, trustworthy and well-maintained content came out ahead, while those relying on outdated tactics like keyword stuffing, aggressive affiliate linking, or thin content saw the biggest drops.

This update reinforces a growing trend: long-term SEO success in the iGaming space depends on quality, trust and relevance. So, what should brands do next to protect and grow their rankings?

March 2025 vs. March 2024 Google Core Update: Which One Hit Harder?

Google March Core updates in both 2024 and 2025 made major changes to search rankings, but their effects were quite different.

March 2024 Overview

• Large impact across many websites including blogs, affiliate platforms and well-known brands
• Big drops in rankings and traffic across many industries, including iGaming
• Strong reactions from the SEO community with many discussions and complaints online

March 2025 Overview

• More focused update that affected certain types of content and website setups
• Fewer public complaints and less visible disruption across the board
• Some websites still experienced very large traffic losses, up to 90%+

March 2024 brought a wide and sudden impact across many sites, while March 2025 was more targeted but still serious for those affected. iGaming brands that were not aligned with Google’s quality expectations were at risk in both updates.

What iGaming Brands Should Do Next

The March 2025 Core Update has made it clear that iGaming sites must adapt to evolving search engine standards to maintain or improve their SEO performance. Here are some actionable steps iGaming brands should take:

1. Conduct a Content Audit

• Action: Review all existing content on your website to ensure it provides real value to users. Focus on quality, not just quantity. Remove thin, outdated or duplicate content.
• Why: Google is increasingly prioritizing well-researched, helpful and original content that addresses user intent.

2. Update Content Regularly

• Action: Set up a plan to regularly update old content with fresh insights, new statistics and up-to-date reviews. This shows Google that your content is still relevant and authoritative.
• Why: Fresh, regularly updated content is favored by Google, especially for industries like iGaming where information can quickly become outdated.

3. Improve E-E-A-T Signals

• Action: Establish clear author information on content pages, add expertise-driven insights and update or add trust signals like verified reviews, certifications and real-world experience.
• Why: Google rewards sites that demonstrate clear authority and trustworthiness, especially in industries like iGaming.

4. Optimize for User Experience (UX)

• Action: Improve your website load times, mobile-friendliness and navigation. Make sure your design is user-friendly, with easy access to key content.
• Why: Google values good UX and a well-optimized site leads to better engagement and lower bounce rates.

5. Diversify and Clean Up Your Link Profile

• Action: Review your backlinks and remove any low-quality or toxic links. Focus on acquiring links from authoritative, relevant sources within the iGaming and broader gambling industries.
• Why: High-quality, natural backlinks signal to Google that your content is trustworthy and authoritative.

6. Focus on Aligning Content with Search Intent

• Action: Make sure your content directly addresses what users are searching for, not just what you want to rank for. Use keyword research tools to identify the best long-tail and informational keywords for your niche.
• Why: Google prioritizes content that satisfies search intent and provides the answers users are looking for.
  

7. Monitor Rankings and Traffic Regularly

• Action: Set up regular monitoring of your rankings and traffic to identify any drops or gains quickly. Use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console and third-party SEO tools to track your site health.
• Why: Continuous monitoring allows you to react quickly to any changes and make informed decisions about your SEO strategy.

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The March 2025 Core Update has reshaped the SEO landscape and staying ahead requires continuous optimization and expertise. We have this knowledge in-house, built over years of experience. We constantly monitor trends, success stories and know what works and what doesn’t from industry leaders based on their performance metrics and techniques. Need help with SEO for your iGaming site? Contact us today to get a custom proposal suited to your brand needs and take your iGaming site to the next level.