We recently caught up with Jamie Rosen, Co-founder of Fruity Slots, for a second interview as part of our Affiliate Q&A series. Since our last conversation, the affiliate sector has undergone significant change, and Jamie offers his insights on adapting to AI, building brand authority, expanding into new markets, and maintaining trust while scaling a global affiliate business.
To read his first interview, click here.
Income Access (IA): Since our last interview, what has been the biggest change in the iGaming affiliate marketing landscape?
Jamie Rosen (JR): The biggest shift has undoubtedly been the transformation of search. For years, affiliates could focus almost exclusively on ranking well in Google and, if they produced genuinely useful content, they would generally be rewarded over time. Today, that environment is much more complex. Between Google's increasingly volatile algorithm updates, the emergence of AI-generated search experiences and changing user behaviour, affiliates can no longer rely on SEO as a single acquisition channel.
Another significant change has been the growing importance of brand authority. It's no longer enough to publish large volumes of content targeting keywords. Search engines are becoming much better at identifying businesses that demonstrate real expertise, trust and genuine experience. For us, that has reinforced the importance of producing content based on first-hand testing rather than simply rewriting information that's already available elsewhere.
Commercially, we've also seen operators become more focused on player quality rather than sheer acquisition numbers. That places greater emphasis on matching the right audiences with the right brands and creating content that genuinely helps users make informed decisions.
Ultimately, I think the industry is moving towards rewarding affiliates that build real businesses rather than simply building websites. Those who diversify their traffic sources, invest in their brand and continue to create unique content will be in the strongest position over the coming years.
IA: How is BetUp Media adapting its content and SEO strategy to keep pace with evolving search technologies and AI?
JR: Rather than trying to fight AI, we're adapting our strategy to complement it.
One area we've invested heavily in is creating content that AI can't easily replicate. Across FruitySlots, our team personally deposits, plays, tests withdrawals, contacts customer support and records genuine experiences before reviewing operators. We also produce thousands of hours of video content through our YouTube channels, giving us a level of first-hand experience that is difficult to recreate using AI-generated content alone.
We're also placing much greater emphasis on topical authority instead of chasing individual keywords. Rather than treating every page as an isolated article, we're building comprehensive content hubs that help users navigate specific subjects in much greater depth. This benefits both readers and search engines by demonstrating genuine expertise across an entire topic.
From a technical perspective, we're continually refining site architecture, improving structured data, enhancing internal linking and making content easier for both search engines and AI systems to understand.
Perhaps the biggest change, though, is that we're thinking less about "ranking in Google" and more about becoming a trusted source wherever users discover information. Whether that journey starts through traditional search, AI assistants, YouTube or social platforms, our objective remains the same: provide accurate, experience-driven content that users can trust.
IA: How do you see YouTube and SEO complementing each other in the affiliate space moving forward?
JR: We've always viewed YouTube and SEO as two sides of the same strategy rather than separate marketing channels.
Search often captures users when they're actively researching a casino, slot or bonus. Video allows us to answer many of the questions that text alone can't. Watching a real person play a game, demonstrate a casino's interface or explain how a bonus works creates a level of confidence that is difficult to achieve through written content alone.
The relationship also works in reverse. Many users first discover FruitySlots through YouTube and later return via Google when they're ready to compare casinos or look for more detailed information. Because they already recognise our brand, they're more likely to engage with our content and trust our recommendations.
As search evolves, I think strong brands will benefit even more from this multi-channel approach. Users increasingly move between video, search, AI assistants and social media before making decisions. Being present throughout that journey creates multiple opportunities to build credibility rather than relying on a single click from a search engine.
For affiliates, the lesson is clear: don't think of YouTube as simply another traffic source. It's a powerful way to build trust, strengthen your brand and create content that enhances everything else you're doing from an SEO perspective.
IA: FruitySlots began with a strong presence in the UK market. What factors motivated your expansion into additional regions?
JR: The UK will always remain one of our core markets, but over the past few years it has become increasingly clear that relying too heavily on a single jurisdiction creates unnecessary risk.
The market has matured significantly, regulation continues to evolve and commercial conditions have become more challenging for many affiliates. We felt it was important to build a business that was more resilient over the long term by expanding into carefully selected international markets.
Our approach hasn't simply been to translate existing content. Instead, we've focused on understanding the specific needs of players in each region, from payment methods and licensing requirements to local preferences and operator availability. That takes considerably more work, but we believe it's the only way to create genuinely valuable content.
More recently, we've also begun investing in the growing US sweepstakes casino sector. While it's very different from traditional real-money gaming, it represents another opportunity to apply the same principles we've used successfully elsewhere: creating honest reviews, educational content and trusted resources based on genuine experience.
International expansion has certainly presented new challenges, but it's also encouraged us to build stronger systems, improve our editorial processes and think much more strategically about how we scale the business.
IA: FruitySlots has evolved from a YouTube-focused brand into an international affiliate publishing business. What's the biggest lesson you've learned about scaling a brand while staying true to its original identity?
JR: The biggest lesson is that growth should never come at the expense of authenticity.
When FruitySlots first started, everything revolved around honest opinions, entertaining content and engaging directly with our audience. As we've expanded into a much larger publishing business, we've worked hard to preserve those same values. Whether someone watches one of our YouTube videos or reads one of our casino reviews, the experience should still feel genuine and trustworthy.
As the business has grown, we've invested in writers, editors, SEO specialists and technology, but we've also built processes that ensure every piece of content reflects real experience. We don't simply publish content because a keyword has search volume; we want every page to answer real questions and genuinely help players make informed decisions.
Another important lesson has been the value of diversification. Today we're not just a YouTube channel or an SEO website. We operate across multiple countries, publish thousands of reviews and guides, work closely with operators and game providers and continue to explore new opportunities such as sweepstakes casinos and original game development. Each part of the business strengthens the others.
Ultimately, our goal hasn't changed since day one: build a brand that players trust. Platforms, algorithms and markets will continue to evolve, but trust remains the foundation of any successful affiliate business.
To learn more and get in touch with Jamie and their team, reach out today.
Thanks to Jamie for sitting down with us to chat. Be sure to get in touch with their team to discuss any partnerships!
