"Les affili��s devraient ��tre pr��ts �� prendre plus de risques" - Mathias Johansen

The interview with Mathias Johansen, Founder of GLHF Affiliates, is the latest Affiliate Grand Slam interview

The goal of Mathias Johansen and the rest of the GLHF affiliate team is really to provide transparency to their players, in the form of good content and high-quality sites �C check out his journey below.

How did GLHF Affiliates take off? Tell us more about your business model, concept and culture.

The beginning of GLHF Affiliates was already interesting in itself. One of my closest friends and I had worked on content, SEO, and affiliate for operators in the past. We found that there was definitely room for improvement in the affiliate market, in terms of transparency and quality. We also saw that many areas were not really covered, such as cryptocurrency gambling. So a site was created: case.bet … It took us a little time to learn everything but finally we got into it. We found procedures that worked, brought quality to the players and the site took off.

The success of the site has made us want to apply the same concepts to other areas, such as 바카라 and sports in multiple languages. This is where we are venturing today.

Our goal is to provide transparency to the player, in the form of good content and high-quality sites. We really think that’s the key.

What sets you apart from other affiliates? What makes your traffic and sites unique?

One of the things that sets us apart from other affiliates in the market is that we take on great challenges. With so many keywords and sites that have been around for a long time, our competitors don’t really want to take the risk of creating something that is likely to fail, because it takes months.

We meet these challenges, even with small teams. We don’t particularly look at what the easiest way to get leads is, but rather evaluate areas where we can deliver quality.

What are the main keys to success? Do you believe that it is more important to have massive resources or to have the right skills?

Success comes from the people. You need the right people with the right skills and passion. I know for sure that GLHF Affiliates would not have grown without the people involved… and I make sure to let them know!

What helps you keep and increase your motivation?

Self-learning and freedom are certainly what motivate me the most today. We always do different things, from WordPress development to HTML/CSS, content writing, SEO… the list goes on! I learn by trial and error. The team and I have the freedom to do what we want to do, and that’s enough to motivate me, to work on projects that I’m passionate about.

Which markets do you focus on? Do you see potential in emerging markets?

We see regulated markets (which take extra steps to keep players safe) a priority for the future. It is necessary, from the players’ point of view, to have sources that give them access to more information about licensed 바카라s. The challenges are: the site must be language-specific and match the rules of the local market… which can be a bit difficult to understand if you are not from that country/area.

In addition to this, we are witnessing a development of the Asian market. It’s a bit of a different challenge for us, it takes a lot from us but, in general, we have quite a bit of Asian traffic from English sites alone. So maybe it’s on our list of future projects.

Why is SEO important for gaming? How long does it take to see results? What SEO factors are not under your control?

SEO does almost everything, and we certainly see a lot of companies making efforts to improve theirs. Search engines change their algorithms all the time and crack down on black hat strategies… So, it’s more important to keep up to date with current SEO guidelines and changes and do so honestly.

We usually see the results of our SEO efforts after 3-5 months; That’s when we have a first idea of what we can improve and change, to make it even better.

Do you create all the marketing materials in-house, or do you outsource it?

Everything we do, we do in-house, except for a few translations here and there. It takes a bit of time because we are a team of 3 people, but we specialize in different areas and we know how to handle all the different tasks. So so far, we haven’t needed to outsource anything.

How important is social media activity to your affiliate business?

Social media activity is a great thing in many ways; We haven’t been particularly good at this, but we’re starting to use them a lot more. They can create an impressive flow of traffic organically and thus significantly increase SEO.

Apart from Google, do you focus on ranking other search engines like Baidu in China?

We don’t particularly focus on other search engines, but we’ve found a few ways to improve our rankings in most of them and have started to incorporate it into our strategy. So far, it’s working well. I think we would need more data before we really start putting more effort into it.

How does technology play a role in your daily life?

We use technology every day to help not only our own business, but also improve our daily lives. Innovations from other companies make our work easier, as well as the different platforms we use. We haven’t used Slack that much, but with the pandemic it has been our main means of communication within our team.

How has the fragmentation of regulated markets affected your business?

As an affiliate, we have essentially seen the need to inform the player about the regulations and how this can affect them. We have also removed operators who do not hold licenses in certain countries. It affects us a lot because we have to change things all the time, but in the long run it’s for the better.

What is the Asian market like for affiliates?

We get requests all the time, and it’s growing. It’s a big market, with significant value, but it can be difficult for affiliates because different search engines and SEO algorithms need to be used! In many cases, this is a new market for affiliates. It will take some time before we spot a trend and results, but we see a lot of affiliates making real efforts in the Asian market.

How can affiliates be more unique in their approach?

I think more affiliates should be willing to take risks and try new things. Don’t be afraid to enter the markets and learn as you go. This is one of the most effective ways to see what works and what doesn’t.

How do you manage relationships with multiple operators? Are your expectations met? What can operators do to increase support for affiliates?

Operators do a very good job of supporting affiliates, as this is one of their main ways to attract players. Some communicate better than others, but in general, we have nothing to complain about yet. If any issues arise, we simply discuss them with the affiliate manager and they are usually resolved immediately.

The only thing to point out is that some operators are not really prepared when it comes to sharing information about the 바카라 and about possible updates (about bonuses, about the new features they are implementing…). If an operator has added a new game provider, we would like to know about it to describe it in an article or add it to a review.

Have you ever been to a SiGMA event? SiGMA Europe, Africa, Asia or the Americas �C which of these four trade shows are you likely to make a place for in your calendar in 2021, COVID-19 permitting?

I’ve attended just about every SiGMA event in Malta over the past few years, and I’ll probably continue to go… I am also considering the summit in Asia as it is one of the few opportunities to meet and connect as an affiliate. It’s a good thing to put a face to someone you’ve only communicated with via email.

Tell us a little about yourself �C after all, business is done with people, not just companies! What are your favorite hobbies, book, or quote? Do you play with each other?

Esports and gaming are almost my whole life, at this point. I am part of different leagues with a CS:GO team and I even sponsor a few teams myself. I often play games with some of our partners, it’s a lot of fun.

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