Affiliate Success
Exclusive Interview with Christoph C. Cemper Founder & CEO of LinkResearchTools and Link Detox
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.
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.
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] .
Affiliate Announcements
QMRA Launches Italian Quality Mark for Affiliates
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:
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- 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.
Affiliate Success
Casino Guru secures SBC Awards shortlist for Casino Affiliate of the Year
Casino Guru, the world’s largest and most up-to-date database of online casinos, has landed on the shortlist for SBC Awards 2024 in the Casino Affiliate of the Year category.
Casino Guru, which has processed more than 6,930 casinos, and prides itself on the world’s largest forum community built around informing players, enters a competitive field of 12 contestants all vying for the distinction.
SBC Awards 2024 is due to take place on September 26 at the MEO Arena on the final day of the SBC Summit, celebrating industry-wide achievements. Casino Guru is proud to be shortlisted for this important accolade. The company has worked tirelessly to establish itself at the top of the industry.
In embracing the affiliate business model, Casino Guru has created a groundbreaking and industry-shifting paradigm through the introduction of the Safety Index, a complex algorithm powered by big data, consumer feedback, and a meticulously in-house analyst team that has allowed Casino Guru to not only be the go-to repository for online casinos but also provide players with a credible source of information when it comes to the inherent trustworthiness of each casino brand listed in the constantly-growing database.
In welcoming the nomination, Šimon Vincze, Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling, said: “I am thrilled to see Casino Guru shortlisted for the category again this year! Our competitors for the winner are recognised companies with a considerable impact on the online gambling affiliate business. The criteria for the winner go beyond our unique approach to affiliation and consider growth in multiple areas. I am convinced that we have much to offer in this sense as well, and I am looking forward to the judge’s conclusion.”
The Safety Index in particular has been a dynamic and living ecosystem that has been evolving on a weekly and monthly basis, registering movements in casinos’ overall ranking based on a comprehensive set of factors, such as complaint resolution, terms and conditions, licensing issues and more.
Having those efforts recognized by the SBC Summit Awards is a huge milestone for the company, which has operated with an unwavering commitment to bringing consumers the best possible choices from a database that easily constitutes the world’s largest.
Casino Guru is a trailblazer in building an affiliate business that is fully consumer-focused and consumer-facing, by offering an uncompromising, verifiable and transparent accreditation process that ultimately benefits consumers and helps match their preferences with the best casino brand.
Casino Guru is looking forward to September 26 and is excited about the opportunity to demonstrate to the panel of judges that the company is committed to raising standards for the way consumers engage with the industry in a manner that protects consumers and distinguishes the best operators and brands on the market, helping drive a sustainable and healthy environment for all.
Affiliate Success
ReferOn Nominated for “Acquisition and Retention Partner” at SBC Awards 2024
ReferOn, a state-of-the-art affiliate management platform, announces its nomination in the Acquisition & Retention Partner category at the prestigious SBC Awards 2024.
The inclusion in this category highlights ReferOn’s efforts to create and develop a targeted product for the needs of the iGaming industry, recognizing the team’s innovative approach and notable results in the field of affiliate marketing.
ReferOn’s nomination as an Acquisition & Retention Partner confirms that the affiliate management platform has proven its effectiveness and understanding of customer needs, as noted by the judging committee. Designed with years of iGaming experience its team, ReferOn caters to the specific needs of affiliates and managers, offering a flexible and scalable solution for managing large networks of companies in one comprehensive hub.
Alexia Gauci, B2B Sales Manager of ReferOn, commented on the nomination: “Being mentioned in the ‘Acquisition and Retention Partner’ category at the SBC Awards 2024 means a lot for our team. We are providing innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of iGaming professionals. We’re continuously enhancing the platform’s capabilities so our clients can solve the issues they are facing & achieve business goals.”
ReferOn brings reporting capabilities, robust back-office functions, and unique reward mechanics, all designed to simplify administration and enhance data control. With features like Sub-Affiliation and Independent Deal Calculations (IDC), ReferOn offers transparency and flexibility, helping users with tracking key metrics easily for quick data-driven decisions.
In addition to its technical improvements, ReferOn started educational initiatives & received good feedback from the audience. The team already conducted two free seminars, “ReferOn Insights” for Operators and Affiliates to provide valuable knowledge and strategies for maximizing affiliate marketing success.
The ReferOn team will be exhibiting at SBC Summit 2024 in Lisbon and will showcase its latest developments and offerings at booth F430 from 24-26 September. Visitors will be able to ask ReferOn representatives questions and learn more about the platform’s advanced features and innovations.
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