- Oct 20, 2013
- 10,034
- 1,660
Hey everyone,
I'm sharing an interesting SEO campaign we worked on in the Thai gambling niche.
This campaign is a good example of what can happen when proper competitor research, on-page optimization, and strategic link building work together.
The client's primary business target was UFABET, and the objective was to establish organic visibility for its main brand-related search terms in Thailand.
When we started in July 2026, the website wasn't ranking for any meaningful keywords in SERP.
Within approximately two months, we started seeing some encouraging improvements, including reaching #2 for the keyword "UFA", which has around 119K monthly searches and a keyword difficulty of 70.
Here's how we approached it.
We couldn't simply build random backlinks and expect results. We first needed to understand the competition and identify what was required to compete in the Thai gambling SERPs.
Our initial analysis covered:
Our work included:
We analyzed the websites already ranking for the target keywords and identified backlink opportunities from their referring domains.
The campaign included:
By the beginning of September, the website started gaining visibility for its targeted search terms.
From having no meaningful keyword rankings in July, we started seeing the following positions in Google Thailand:
Keyword Ranking
UFA #2
UFA Login App #2
UFA Login #3
The primary business target was UFABET, and these supporting keyword improvements were an encouraging indication that the website was gaining search visibility around its target brand.
The keyword UFA alone has approximately 119K monthly searches in Thailand, with a KD of 70.
I've attached the keyword competition data and actual Google SERP screenshots for reference.
28-day country performance:
These numbers demonstrate that the website had started generating meaningful organic search traffic and visibility.
Just when the website started gaining traction and ranking for its important target terms, the client decided to discontinue the SEO business with us.
The next month's planned link-building activities were not continued, and eventually, communication stopped.
Later, we noticed that the client had started working with other SEO vendors.
Over the following period, the rankings we had initially helped establish dropped significantly.
Since we were no longer managing the website, we cannot conclusively attribute the decline to any particular change or activity after our engagement ended.
However, this campaign highlights something important: SEO isn't a one-time activity. Getting initial rankings is one milestone; maintaining and improving them requires continued work.
If you're targeting highly competitive keywords such as UFABET, don't expect to reach and maintain top positions with just one or two months of SEO.
In our experience, 4–6 months of consistent SEO work is a more realistic timeframe to build authority, strengthen keyword relevance, improve ranking stability, and compete for top positions.
The first two months can help establish momentum, but stopping just when the website starts gaining traction can mean losing the opportunity to capitalize on that progress.
That's exactly what happened with this campaign.
I've attached the keyword competition data, Google Search Console performance, and Google SERP screenshots so you can evaluate the progress yourself.
Happy to hear your thoughts!
I'm sharing an interesting SEO campaign we worked on in the Thai gambling niche.
This campaign is a good example of what can happen when proper competitor research, on-page optimization, and strategic link building work together.
The client's primary business target was UFABET, and the objective was to establish organic visibility for its main brand-related search terms in Thailand.
When we started in July 2026, the website wasn't ranking for any meaningful keywords in SERP.
Within approximately two months, we started seeing some encouraging improvements, including reaching #2 for the keyword "UFA", which has around 119K monthly searches and a keyword difficulty of 70.
Here's how we approached it.
1. Starting Point – July 2026
When the client approached us, the website had virtually no organic keyword visibility.We couldn't simply build random backlinks and expect results. We first needed to understand the competition and identify what was required to compete in the Thai gambling SERPs.
Our initial analysis covered:
- Website structure and on-page SEO.
- Primary and secondary keyword opportunities.
- Competitors ranking for UFABET-related search terms.
- Competitor backlink profiles and referring domains.
- Relevant backlink sources within the Thai market.
- Content and internal linking opportunities.
2. Month 1 – July 2026: Analysis & On-Page Strategy
During the first month, we concentrated on understanding the website and preparing the foundation.Our work included:
- Complete website and competitor analysis.
- On-page SEO recommendations.
- Keyword mapping and targeting.
- Competitor backlink profile analysis.
- Identifying relevant and authoritative backlink opportunities.
- Preparing a diversified link-building strategy.
3. Month 2 – August 2026: Link Building Execution
In August, we moved into the off-page SEO execution phase.We analyzed the websites already ranking for the target keywords and identified backlink opportunities from their referring domains.
The campaign included:
- Backlink opportunities identified through competitor analysis.
- Relevant industry and niche placements.
- Additional authority-building sources.
- Diversified backlink placements.
- Supporting links targeting the primary and secondary keywords.
4. Results – September 2026
This is where things started getting interesting.By the beginning of September, the website started gaining visibility for its targeted search terms.
From having no meaningful keyword rankings in July, we started seeing the following positions in Google Thailand:
Keyword Ranking
UFA #2
UFA Login App #2
UFA Login #3
The primary business target was UFABET, and these supporting keyword improvements were an encouraging indication that the website was gaining search visibility around its target brand.
The keyword UFA alone has approximately 119K monthly searches in Thailand, with a KD of 70.
I've attached the keyword competition data and actual Google SERP screenshots for reference.
5. Google Search Console Performance
The Google Search Console data also showed encouraging improvements.28-day country performance:
- Thailand: 4,324 clicks.
- Thailand: 38,739 impressions.
- Laos: 9 clicks and 102 impressions.
- Total clicks: 1.19K.
- Total impressions: 10.5K.
- Average CTR: 11.3%.
- Average position: 4.3.
These numbers demonstrate that the website had started generating meaningful organic search traffic and visibility.
6. What Happened Next?
Unfortunately, this is where the campaign stopped.Just when the website started gaining traction and ranking for its important target terms, the client decided to discontinue the SEO business with us.
The next month's planned link-building activities were not continued, and eventually, communication stopped.
Later, we noticed that the client had started working with other SEO vendors.
Over the following period, the rankings we had initially helped establish dropped significantly.
Since we were no longer managing the website, we cannot conclusively attribute the decline to any particular change or activity after our engagement ended.
However, this campaign highlights something important: SEO isn't a one-time activity. Getting initial rankings is one milestone; maintaining and improving them requires continued work.
7. My Takeaway
A few things worth highlighting from this campaign:- A website starting with zero keyword visibility can still compete for highly competitive search terms.
- Competitor backlink analysis helps identify opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.
- On-page optimization and off-page SEO should complement each other.
- Initial ranking improvements are encouraging, but they shouldn't be mistaken for a completed SEO campaign.
- Consistency is particularly important in competitive niches like Thai gambling.
If you're targeting highly competitive keywords such as UFABET, don't expect to reach and maintain top positions with just one or two months of SEO.
In our experience, 4–6 months of consistent SEO work is a more realistic timeframe to build authority, strengthen keyword relevance, improve ranking stability, and compete for top positions.
The first two months can help establish momentum, but stopping just when the website starts gaining traction can mean losing the opportunity to capitalize on that progress.
That's exactly what happened with this campaign.
I've attached the keyword competition data, Google Search Console performance, and Google SERP screenshots so you can evaluate the progress yourself.
Happy to hear your thoughts!
