Hard Rock Digital announced that the company is opening an online betting and casino in Michigan, becoming the 10th state where the operator is live and the second state that...
Interview with Antonella Foti – Former Head of Product Experience
AffPapa recently interviewed Antonella Foti, Former Head of Product Experience at Raketech, about the evolution of affiliate marketing in the age of AI.
Yeva: Antonella, you’ve worked across several industries, from telco to SaaS, food and beverage to education. What’s unique about the current transformation in affiliate marketing, especially in iGaming?
There’s definitely a big shift happening. For a long time, affiliate marketing was mostly about using SEO to get traffic, ranking for the right keywords, bringing in clicks, and making money. But that old model was built for search engines, not real people. A lot of those sites now feel outdated. They’re not made actually to engage users.
Now, it’s even more different because of AI. It has changed the way people search, especially since platforms like Google offer instant AI summaries, so users don’t click through the content to find what they need. Affiliates who don’t adapt to these changes will get fewer visits, less attribution, and, of course, lower earnings.
In iGaming, the pressure is even higher. However, it can also be an opportunity. Affiliate sites that behave like real products (put users first, are data-informed, and constantly develop) are the ones that stand out. So, just ranking isn’t enough anymore. You need to build something worth coming back to.
Yeva: What about the affiliates who relied heavily on “old-school” SEO? How are they handling this shift?
To be honest, it’s a struggle for many. Affiliates got used to simple tricks that don’t work anymore. The game has changed, and they can’t hold to the same ground anymore.
However, I think that the real problem is the mindset, not the strategy. Many of these teams are focused only on getting traffic, not on optimizing for trust. That’s a big blind spot today.
Yeva: What do you mean by “optimizing for trust”?
What I meant is starting with understanding the audience. You can’t fake credibility, because it’s earned. And it’s earned by creating relevant, transparent, and consistent content for users. This especially applies to iGaming. Why? Because people are careful in the field, and the regulations here are stricter. So, in iGaming, trust is everything.
In short, if you want people to click on your website, like it, and return, affiliates need to give them what they need, but don’t force it on them. And, it can’t just be any content. It has to be nicely presented, transparent, and feel like it’s made for people, not for search engines.
Yeva: There’s also a lot of talk about change in the way users search. How does that affect affiliate strategies?
Affiliates used to work on ranking on search engines. But that’s where the shift happened. People don’t look up things on just Google anymore.
Take Gen Z, for example. Around 40% of them search on social platforms, not on Google. Also, new features like Google’s AI summaries give answers right at the top of the search page, so people don’t even have to click on websites. So sites lose organic traffic, up to 25% sometimes.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean bad news. This can be an opportunity for affiliates. They just need to become sources that these engines use and recommend. That means building authority, putting out great content, and being active across multiple channels.
Yeva: So, what’s the new game plan for affiliates?
To change the way they think. The websites aren’t just landing pages, they are products.
- Start with the visitors. Figure out what they are interested in, what engages them, and even what annoys them (so you can avoid that).
- Learn and improve. Test things out, ask for feedback, and watch how people use your site.
- Check what brings results. Make changes that will actually bring more clicks, conversions, and return visits.
I also really like Lean Product Canvas by Jeff Gothelf and the Opportunity Solution Tree by Teresa Torres. These help affiliates stay focused on both the visitors and the business goals without getting lost.
Yeva: Any final advice for affiliates trying to keep up in this new era?
My best advice is to leave the old ways behind. The industry changes fast, and people expect more, so the old ways don’t do it anymore. To take the lead (and not just survive) in the game, affiliates should focus on delivering great UX and staying open to change.
Here’s what I’d suggest:
- Start thinking about your website as a product, and ditch the SEO-only mindset. iGaming is a strictly regulated field, and knowledge, transparency, and trust will set you apart.
- Communicate with your visitors, get feedback, analyze behavior, and even run small A/B tests. It’s a smart and at the same time low-risk way to improve,
- Don’t work only for rankings. Work for authority and trust. You can build that around things like clear licensing, a bonus system, and by providing responsible gambling tools.
- Make use of different platforms, but do it smart. You won’t be able to advertise iGaming platforms everywhere, but you can still grow if you mix SEO, social media, and community-building. Check what works for your audience and set up there (could be Twitch, YouTube, Discord, newsletters, etc).
And if anyone wants to discuss more about all this stuff, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. I love talking shop and learning from others.
Interviewee: Antonella Foti
Date: 11.06.2025
After Missouri became the latest state to legalize regulated online betting, on December 3, 2025, FanDuel launched its mobile sportsbook in the state for citizens aged 21 and...
