Affiliate Success

Exclusive Interview with Christoph C. Cemper Founder & CEO of LinkResearchTools and Link Detox

Published

8 years ago

March 13, 2017

We are very honored to have had the chance to interview one of the most well know Link Building Experts and SEO gurus Christoph C. Cemper. Christoph is Founder & CEO of LinkResearchTools and Link Detox.

GAV: First of all thanks for taking the time for the interview Christoph, we know you must be busy! Please be so kind and introduce yourself in one sentence!

Christoph C. Cemper: I’m an online marketing enthusiast, CEO, and Founder of LinkResearchTools and Link Detox doing links and SEO since 2003.

GAV: Could you fill out the short form below so our readers can imagine your profile?

Name: Christoph C. Cemper
Age: 43
Hometown: Vienna
Living in: Vienna
Favorite Food: Vietnamese
Must Read Book: The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

GAV: Tell us a bit about yourself, we want to know who Christoph Cemper is, the main person behind LinkResearchTools (LRT) and Link Detox. Where were you born? What was your first experience with the SEO world?

Christoph C. Cemper: I was born in Vienna and started a marketing blog in 2004. I started getting requests from people who wanted to have a link from my blog. They were ready to pay for it. That was the point when I started doing SEO and link building. I built links for years, then built more links, and managed a ton of affiliate sites since 2004.

In 2009, I decided to switch from the link building agency business to a SaaS business. And that’s the point when LinkResearchTools (LRT) was born.

LRT logo

GAV: We would like to know how you got started with LRT, what was the main idea/inspiration and how was the developing process?

Christoph C. Cemper: The LinkResearchTools (LRT) and Link Detox (DTOX) projects started in February 2009 at the VIP conference in SEO de Janeiro, and I can honestly say that what happened in Rio changed my business life. While sitting around in the conference venue, I discussed all sorts of SEO tricks, link pyramids, and other things with the other attendees and I showed them my own “Link Research Tool” on my notebook. This was a tool built by two part-time developers as an internal tool to help me and my team of link builders.

The tool wasn’t even close to what we have today. But the guys were all excited and couldn’t stop looking at the link data with me. They all said: “Wow, you should build a product, I would like to buy it!”

And that’s what I did.

GAV: After the first Google Penguin Update back in 2012 you launched Link Detox, a backlink audit and link risk management software, tell us about it!

Christoph C. Cemper: That’s right. Soon after Google’s first Penguin update, I created the solution for the penalties that came with Google’s algorithmic change. Link Detox soon became the industry standard for link audit and link risk management. Thousands of webmasters used it to recover their rankings. SEOs all around the world still use it to protect their websites. The great thing about Link Detox is that it works for both algorithmic penalties and Manual Actions for unnatural links pointing to your website. We’ve seen websites recover in as little as 3 days.

DTOX logo

GAV: Do you have any new projects coming up?

Christoph C. Cemper: We’ll soon bring our customers a whole new way of looking at their backlink profile, full access to the “Canonical’ed links,” full access to a highly-effective 25th link data source to *all* new LinkResearchTools Superheros and up, and amazing updates for our browser extensions.

GAV: We know you attend affiliate conferences such as LAC and BAC as a speaker, which one is your favorite and what is your most fun experience?

Christoph C. Cemper: I enjoyed both conferences. The organization was great, and I sure had a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed the BAC SEO Panel I participated in with Bastian Grimm, Fili Wiese, and Michael Caselli.

GAV: How do you see the present state of online gambling affiliation?

Christoph C. Cemper: There are certainly more online gambling affiliation programs than ever before. Now everyone can become an affiliate with the right training and the right mindset. A trend I noticed in the past year is that affiliates are using more social media platforms for promotion and I think that this is a growing trend in 2017.

GAV: Do you have clients from the online gambling industry, if so name at least two?

Christoph C. Cemper: Yes, we do have many clients from the online gambling industry. I can give you Mr. Green and Unibet as examples.

GAV: How do you see the future of the online gambling industry? For instance, will it become a truly global phenomenon shortly?

Christoph C. Cemper: The online gambling industry does have potential to become a global phenomenon.

GAV: What advice you would like to offer to the newbie SEO’s who are looking just starting?

Christoph C. Cemper: Every new SEO needs to have in mind that link risk management needs to be his top priority, alongside link building. Even Google said, “Ranking without links is really, really hard.” But these must be good links. Risky links can attract a penalty.

To make it short: a new SEO needs to focus on keeping the link detox risk low and build strong, niche-related, trustworthy links to boost the website’s rankings.

GAV: How about an advice for people who’re looking to venture into the online gambling industry as affiliates with a new website? What would you advise them?

Christoph C. Cemper: The same thing I’d advise anyone that has a new website:

keep the link risk low by doing weekly link audits
disavow risky links as often as necessary
monitor incoming links
compare the backlink profile to the ones of the competitors
build Penguin-friendly links (here are 20 link building tips)

GAV: Where could we catch you in the near future as a speaker, do you have some upcoming events?

Christoph C. Cemper: I’ll be speaking at SMX Munich and Campixx in March, BrightonSEO in April and September, SEOkomm and OMX in November. You can always find an updated list of the events where you can meet me or hear me speak here: http://www.linkresearchtools.com/meet-us/.

GAV: Who is your favorite celebrity?

Christoph C. Cemper: Tim Ferris and Elon Musk.

GAV: Where would you like to travel in Eastern Europe, some part of the region maybe that you haven’t visited yet?

Christoph C. Cemper: I know and like Prague, Budapest and Bratislava. I’d gladly like to visit Warsaw and Moscow.

GAV: Where you wouldn’t want to travel in Eastern Europe?

Christoph C. Cemper: No idea.

GAV: What is your opinion about GAV (Gambling Affiliate Voice)?

Christoph C. Cemper: The Gambling Affiliate Voice is doing a great job at making the online gambling industry more transparent and easier to understand for everyone. A great place where fellow affiliates can share their views about online gambling and so much more.

If you would like to suggest subjects for future interviews, be sure to send your suggestions to: [email protected] .

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First iGB Affiliate Manager Academy to shine a light on effective AI-Driven affiliate recruitment strategies

Published

1 week ago

April 14, 2025

George Miller

First iGB Affiliate Manager Academy to shine a light on effective AI-Driven affiliate recruitment strategies

Organisers of July’s edition of iGB L!VE – the first to be held in London – have announced the launch of the AI focussed iGB Affiliate Manager Academy which will be held July 1 as part of London iGaming Week.

The training and mentorship program which is being curated in partnership with Affiverse, founded by veteran affiliate marketer Lee-Ann Johnstone – and which guides businesses on how to launch, scale and grow successful affiliate programs, has been designed to help organisations of all sizes understand how to leverage new tactics and simple AI tools to recruit, retain and activate affiliates more effectively.

The Academy will offer a mix of practical learning, tactical assessments and personalised coaching providing affiliate managers with an invaluable opportunity to learn from industry leaders. Each unique session will include topical insights drawing on the dominant trends in the market.

Looking ahead to the Academy Lee-Ann Johnstone said: “I’m delighted that Clarion has invited Affiverse to develop a bespoke training academy specifically for iGaming Affiliate Managers.

“In an industry that’s constantly evolving, and which is powered by the early adoption of new technologies, businesses and affiliate managers have to keep learning in order to remain competitive. The only way we get to understand the affiliate space and all the complexities it entails is on the job – from others!

“It has always been important to me that those who have knowledge pay it forward and I’m really excited to be given the task of leading the curation of this unique event bringing the best of the best together in order to teach, train and coach affiliate managers as we move forward.

“The gap between AI-empowered affiliate managers and those relying solely on traditional methods is widening every month. The iGB Affiliate Manager Academy will provide the bridge to ensure businesses are on the right side of that divide.”

Reflecting on the importance and objectives of the iGB Affiliate Manager Academy, Global Portfolio Director Naomi Barton said: “Our live events are all about delivering real value to our international community of stakeholders. Lee-Ann and her team at Affiverse are spearheading the academy syllabus and content stream alongside IGB’s events production team to provide tailor made training and mentoring for new and existing affiliate managers as well as those who want to learn and scale their affiliate programs faster.

“The workshop will provide insider access to the exact AI-driven techniques that are assisting brands to deliver real results. Most significantly this isn’t just theory — instead it’s a hands-on expert-led roadmap focussing on immediately implementable tactics that will transform your program performance.”

Affiliate Success

SOFTSWISS Affiliate Software Platform Wins at IGA 2025

Published

3 months ago

January 21, 2025

George Miller

SOFTSWISS Affiliate Software Platform Wins at IGA 2025

SOFTSWISS, an international tech company with over 15 years of experience in iGaming, announces that Affilka by SOFTSWISS wins Affiliate Company of the Year at the International Gaming Awards 2025. The comprehensive software platform helps manage, track, and analyse affiliate performance in the most convenient way.

The event recognises leading industry experts, both online and land-based. This achievement came as a well-deserved gift for the platform’s 7th anniversary. The award reflects the platform’s dedication to optimising affiliate program management and elevating the operational efficiency of its clients. By helping operators optimise affiliate partnerships, Affilka by SOFTSWISS has established itself as a technology-driven leader in the iGaming realm.

Powering over 440 iGaming brands, the platform currently has more than 360,000 affiliate accounts and 85 million registered players. One of its most impactful updates is the Geo-Distributed Redirect feature. This innovation accelerates redirects up to five times, reduces bounce rates and increases conversions by up to 7%. By enabling players to access casino sites faster, the feature drives higher registrations and deposits.

Other notable platform functionalities include built-in payment processing, which helps streamline financial operations with trusted payment systems and bank transfers. The flexible commission constructor and near real-time reporting features enable operators to tailor their strategies according to constantly evolving business needs.

“We are honoured to receive recognition at such a prestigious level,” said Anastasia Borovaya, Head of Affilka by SOFTSWISS. “This award reflects our unwavering dedication to delivering the best affiliate management solutions in the industry. With over seven years of expertise, a highly professional team, and a passion for innovation, we’ve built a platform that ensures exceptional service and continuous product enhancements for our clients. We’re committed to maintaining this momentum and supporting the growth of our partners worldwide.”

Now, Affilka by SOFTSWISS is showcasing its latest features and achievements at iGB Affiliate in Barcelona. On 21–22 January, the team welcomes partners and clients at stand C10.

Affiliate Announcements

QMRA Launches Italian Quality Mark for Affiliates

Published

6 months ago

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George Miller

QMRA Research - Warning on potential Affiliate Ban in Finland

QMRA is a Compliance Quality Mark for iGaming Affiliates, launched by XY Legal Solutions B.V. (XYLS). XYLS launched a Dutch Quality Mark, KVA (https://kva.nl/), in September 2021, now working with numerous operators (LeoVegas, ComeOn, 711, TonyBet, Hard Rock Casino) and 90+ members.

In February 2024, QMRA was launched. Affiliates from the following markets were able to apply for the Quality Mark: Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, USA Michigan, The UK, Ontario and Estonia. As of today, Italian affiliates will be able to join QMRA as well. Applicants will receive:

- A Compliance Report, containing compliance feedback if needed, in certain cases usable for obtaining a Meta Ads License;
- A specific Online Certificate about the member website, explaining its compliance (https://qmra.eu/members/affiliates/);
- Possibility to consult the QMRA team on compliance related questions.

Several joined since launch, representing all available markets so far. Among joining companies were Leadstar, ADM Group, BetFans, Game Lounge and Gentoo. Game Lounge and Gentoo decided to make QMRA official company policy. Sitebee, a Gentoo launched Compliance Tool, announced an official partnership with QMRA on legal support last week.