Revenue Optimization with StatsDrone

In this episode, John Wright sits down with Koray Tugberk GÜBÜR, one of the most respected voices in semantic SEO, to unpack how Google actually understands, ranks, and retrieves content in the age of AI. The conversation goes far beyond traditional keyword-based SEO and dives into vector search, entity relationships, topical authority, and how large language models are reshaping search as we know it. Koray explains why semantic SEO is not a “new trend,” but a system Google has been building toward for years and why many websites fail when they treat AI as a shortcut instead of an infrastructure shift. From vectorizing your own content and reducing dimensionality in SEO data, to understanding momentum, crawl behavior, and layout-based ranking signals, this episode breaks down what actually matters if you want to rank sustainably. The discussion also explores real-world use cases for affiliates, SaaS companies, and publishers, including how AI-generated content can be used safely, why user-generated signals are becoming increasingly important, and how Google Search Console is evolving into a topic and entity-driven analytics tool. Koray shares practical insights on personalization, content repurposing, podcast-to-SEO workflows, and how creators can influence both traditional search results and AI-generated answers. If you’re building content for Google, YouTube, or AI-powered search experiences or trying to understand why semantic search, vector databases, and entities are now foundational, this episode offers a deep, practical look at where search is headed and how to adapt without chasing hype. Timestamp 00:00 Introduction and Industry Overview 00:12 Welcome to Revenue Optimization with Stats Drone 00:34 Building an Affiliate Product 01:05 Vectorizing Data for SEO 01:24 Search Beat: Analyzing Search Engine Results 04:18 Semantic SEO and Content Management 09:36 AI Tools and Content Generation 20:28 Google Search Console and Future Trends 31:41 Identifying User Clicks and Tracking 32:05 Permission-Based Tracking and Revenue Matching 32:20 Keyword Hero and Google Analytics Partnership 32:51 Implementing Click ID Level Tracking 33:55 Personalization in Newsletters and Websites 36:11 SEO Strategies and Personalization Challenges 39:42 Optimizing Content for Search Engines 45:53 Future of SEO and Personalization 48:27 Podcast Content Strategy and Repurposing 51:53 Improving Affiliate Program Rankings 55:47 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Design has moved far beyond visuals and affiliate businesses that don’t adapt will fall behind. In this episode, Jason Attard (Head of CX at Game Lounge) joins John Wright to discuss the evolution from UX to CX and the rise of agentic experience (AX) designing digital products not just for users, but for AI agents that increasingly control discovery, decision-making, and navigation. They cover why great-looking sites still fail to convert, how AI is changing the role of designers, and what affiliate businesses should be building today to stay visible, trusted, and competitive in a post-search world. This conversation connects design, product, and revenue optimization in a way every affiliate, operator, and product leader should understand.

What is a PAM? PAM stands for Player Account Management. These PAM tools are normally understood to be for operators as in casinos or bookmakers but affiliates can now build these for themselves. The tools of the trade are turning your newsletter from a 1 to many link solution to a 1 to 1 using dynamic variables. It is the combination of first party data and dynamic variables that gives affiliates the ability to track revenue across individual emails and players. Of course all done with permission. This could be a complete game changer for iGaming affiliates in 2026 and I'm looking forward to sharing more as we build out these tools.

Is replacing Tableau a good thing and is it easy? As someone who's been working with Tableau for 3 years, I can confidently say there is a good chance I may never use their tools again. Unless of course it is to convert Tableau files into custom data viz and reports. Since September of this year, I've been working with tools like Lovable and Claude and I can say I'm not turning back and I'm not the only one. I've seen threads in Reddit about people saying they've replaced Tableau. For recommended tools, I love Lovable! https://lovable.dev/?via=john-wright

I'm here to officially say that tools like Claude.ai and all other AI tools are here to eat data viz tools like Tableau, Power BI, Looker Studio and more. If I were at any of these companies, I would be concerned to see if the revenue from these giants is starting to drop. Likewise, I think people working with these tools need to be spending a lot more time on the AI side of things for better analysis. You need to be using these tools so you can double your output rather than be on the wrong side of employment.

I found a LinkedIn post of someone taking an account of Steve Toth's presentation recently at Chiang Mai SEO that focuses on LLM and how these new AI tools like Claude, Chat GPT and Perplexity are changing search from clicks to conversations.

This past week, I presented a keynote on why online casinos close. I did share some data that shows what is behind the scenes that would lead a casino to close at all in the first place. In this short solo cast, I share a few more insights but my work in analyzing closed casinos isn't done yet!

If you haven't made a serious start in AI tools today in running and optimizing your affiliate business, you might be getting left behind. My personal take, the transformation we see today will be more profound than the internet itself. I think this is a new era of affiliate marketing beyond the new world of Google. Google isn't the dominant player it used to be and likely will continue to lose marketshare to other AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and many others. So how am I using AI for our business? Listen and tune in.

We are on the look out for a revenue architect for StatsDrone and someone who knows what it is like to negotiate deals with affiliate programs. We don't fun your standard affiliate business as we are a SaaS for affiliates, but the revenue potential could help us grow. This is something I learned from one of our customers that told me, hiring a revenue officer was one of the best decisions they made as a company that grew revenue. Are these people account managers or affiliate managers? No matter what you call them, they are important people that will be sought out as time goes on.

Why do online casinos close? There are many reasons but what should be the bigger concern is that these casinos close taking down their recurring revenue with it. How can you avoid casinos that might close beyond just asking for listing fees?

I've been to a lot of affiliate conferences in the last 15+ years and not all the speakers and panels are great. Some are terrible and a complete waste of time but we always hope for the best. I remember when content got so bad that I stopped going to the panels and speaker keynotes. The networking was good enough but I felt that in iGaming and affiliate marketing that things could be another level up. So what conferences are worth attending that you get great value from the content? Is it Affiliate World, Affiliate Summit, iGB Affiliate events, NEXT.io events, SiGMA World, Affpapa, SEO IRL in Toronto, CM SEO, SEO Estonia, SEO Mastery Summit, SEO Spring Training? Let me know what you think are the best events for content and why?

I used to wonder what ever happened to binary options as in 2017 to 2019, binary options was making a lot of noise but for all the wrong reasons. Many people have been arrested for fraud related to binary options but the product never disappeared. Some sites got bigger and appear to be running a legit operation getting various banking or finance licenses. With that said, it seems binary options is on the rise again as a product as it is closely associated with trading, CFDs, options, options trading and investing. Now I'll share our list of binary options affiliate programs with you at StatsDrone.

What is revenue leak and how is it affecting your affiliate business? In this solocast, I talk about 2 core ways in which revenue leak is hitting your bottom line if you're an iGaming affiliate. First is through data being deleted or manipulated and the 2nd is by analyzing winning players towards the end of the month. That is, winning players that consistently wipe out your commissions as suspicious behaviour.

Affiliate SEO isn’t what it used to be—and Kasra Dash knows why. In this episode, Kasra breaks down how the game has shifted from quick hacks and article farms to building real brands that earn trust, attention, and long-term growth. His stories from masterminds and conferences reveal the hidden places where knowledge and deals truly happen. We dig into what Google really wants now: authentic brands, better user experience, and a clear focus on products that people actually use. Kasra explains how affiliates who adapt can thrive, while those chasing shortcuts are destined for short-lived wins. He also pulls back the curtain on NavBoost, user signals, and why “lazy SEO” has no future. Beyond SEO, Kasra shares why conversion rate optimization, brand building, and smarter affiliate partnerships matter more than ever. Whether you’re an affiliate, a brand, or somewhere in between, this conversation is packed with insights on where the industry is heading and how to stay ahead.

So we have a new tool called Affiliate Track which you can get at AffiliateTrack.io and it has a lot of research power. It can help us find affiliates linking to closed brands which is revenue leak. It can also help us identify tracking signatures of how affiliates organize their links. It will tell us of trending brands and everything else in between. Try the app out in beta and let us know what you thin.

In this episode, we take a closer look at the concept of revenue leak and why it resonates more than traditional business intelligence (BI) when it comes to helping affiliates and online businesses. The discussion starts with the origins of StatsDrone and the realization that affiliates often lose money because they lack visibility into their data. By reframing the conversation around revenue leak rather than BI, the goal is to make the problem—and solution—more relatable and urgent . The episode also explores the challenges of selling BI tools in the affiliate industry. While solutions like Tableau or Looker are powerful, many affiliates don’t see the immediate value in “business intelligence.” Instead, the pain point they understand best is lost revenue—campaigns not tracking clicks, affiliate programs not reporting correctly, or data gaps that quietly drain performance. By speaking the language of pain, the idea of revenue leak becomes not just clearer but also more emotional and motivating for action . Finally, the podcast broadens the scope, suggesting that revenue leak is not just an affiliate issue but a problem across industries such as e-commerce and beyond. With inspiration drawn from shows like Revenue Vitals, the host shares plans to evolve the podcast, bring in new guests, and open up conversations about the uncomfortable but necessary truths hidden in data. The aim is to help businesses of all kinds see their revenue clearly, plug the leaks, and unlock untapped potential.

If you're looking for a book on affiliate marketing to get started, this is the only book you need. It is called The Payout Mafia by Niels Zee and James Dooley. It has some standout contributions from Matt Diggity, Jenny Gonzalez, Jamie I.F., James Oliver and many more.

In this episode of the Affiliate BI Podcast, host John Wright sits down with Vlad Ghilien, a strategic communications consultant with a sharp eye for brand positioning and content strategy. While Vlad’s background isn’t in affiliate marketing directly, his expertise in communications and branding offers a powerful perspective for affiliates looking to stand out. Vlad shares why so many affiliate sites miss the mark—not because of SEO basics, but because they fail to build a trusted brand. He explains how mindful positioning, quality content, and a clear value proposition can transform an affiliate site from a churn-and-burn project into a long-term business asset. We discuss the importance of case studies, video content, and digital PR as tools for credibility and social proof. Vlad also outlines why E-E-A-T still matters in the AI era, and how affiliates can adapt to survive and thrive in today’s search landscape. Whether you’re managing a large portfolio of sites or focused on building one standout brand, this conversation is packed with practical insights on how communications strategy can drive affiliate growth.

In this episode of Affiliate BI, John Wright sits down with Joe Hatch, Head of Product at StatsDrone, to pull back the curtain on the complexities of affiliate marketing infrastructure, automation, and data reliability. From building in-house stats tools to integrating dynamic variables, Joe gives a deeply informed take on what it really takes to run a successful affiliate operation at scale. They kick off by discussing the illusion that building your own stats platform is easy. Joe details the real challenges — from managing over 1,900 affiliate programs across 90+ software types to maintaining reliable data through inconsistent APIs, scraping, and authentication hurdles. He challenges the belief that AI agents alone can solve these problems, pointing out the edge cases and standardization issues that AI still struggles with. The episode explores practical tools and innovations Joe has been building, including WordPress plugins for Pretty Links and Thirsty Affiliates that simplify dynamic variable tracking. Joe explains how proper click ID management enables deeper analytics and real attribution, turning affiliate sites into powerful CRMs — capable of identifying individual users, tracking their behaviour post-click, and even retaining or reactivating them with targeted offers. The conversation also dives into hot-button issues like shaving and data transparency. Joe explains the importance of change detection and communication between affiliates and operators, while emphasizing that not all data changes are nefarious. For tech-savvy affiliates, Joe lays out integration possibilities using tools like Airtable, Looker Studio, Tableau, and the versatile n8n automation platform. They wrap with a discussion on the future of affiliate marketing as it converges with business intelligence — plus a fun mention of Joe’s satirical project, the iGaming Bullshit Generator.

I hear often that people think that rather than using StatsDrone, they can just build an in-house affiliate stats tracker. This is a short podcast to explain the nuances of running this type of business. The short answer is this, do you want to be a marketing company, a tech company or both? Let us be the tech company and you do what you do best.