The sports and betting industries are constantly innovating. Whether this be new products, changes to regulations or enhanced safer gambling measures, it’s a sector that is always evolving.

James Clark, the former Head of Editorial Content at bet365, was responsible for the editorial, SEO and content strategies across 15 countries. Before joining the gambling operator, James spent 10 years working at ITV News where he held numerous senior reporting, producing and presenting positions across television and digital.

Now, Rise at Seven are delighted that James has joined the Senior Management Team as our new Head of Organic Growth & Content Marketing, to lead our growing sports and betting global content proposition.

In our latest Q&A, Ray Saddiq, Head of Marketing at Rise at Seven, sat down with James to discuss all things organic and content.

Ray: First off, welcome James! Before we dive into the details, tell us about your time so far with Rise.

James: Thank you very much, Ray. It’s a real pleasure to be with you all here at Rise. I’ve only been on board a few weeks and it’s been nothing short of fantastic.

I’ve had a lot of quality in-person time meeting all the team across our various offices, pitched for new business, met with a long-standing client of Rise in Costa Rica, recruiting lots of news talent and working with the board to establish our new content proposition. It’s been very busy and great!

What has struck me the most is the talent and energy across the company. There are so many super skilled individuals at Rise which I’m really looking forward to working with and learning from. And this is mixed with so much energy and passion for what we do. Marketing should be challenging, but it should also be great fun, and I’ve got a real sense from my first few weeks here at Rise that everyone working here loves what they do and that is obvious to see from the quality of work that is being produced for our clients.

Ray: What convinced you to make the move, and what did Carrie say that sealed the deal?

James: So the short answer to this question is - Carrie, herself. I remember our very first video call. It was scheduled for 30 minutes. And at least 29 of these minutes was Carrie and I chatting about Nottingham (as this is where we are both originally from), telling stories about both of our pasts, and discussing our love for content marketing within the sports and gambling industries.

Carrie’s enthusiasm, dedication and passion for Rise is infectious. Above all, this is what made me want to make the move to work alongside her. We both had a strongly aligned vision from the very start of where we want to take organic content for our clients and it’s now time to make that happen.

Between us, and the rest of the talented team, we’ve extensive experience in the sports and gambling industry, so it felt like the perfect partnership to take our proposition to new heights.

Ray: You’ve worked in content for 15 years, what is it that you love about your work?

James: From a very young age, I have always been fascinated by journalism. Growing up, I’d always be either reading a newspaper or watching the news on television. It was such an honour to join ITV News when I was 20 years old while still studying Broadcast Journalism at university. I remember really early on in my career a very experienced editor telling me: “You’re not a journalist. You’re not a producer. You’re not a presenter. You’re not a reporter. You’re a story teller.” And this piece of advice has remained with me throughout my career to this very day.

It’s what content is all about. Telling stories. And this is what I love about my job. I’m fortunate enough to be able to work in a job where I get to mix strategy, data and storytelling that answers questions, offers help and provides solutions. Content is fun, creative, and allows you to connect directly with your audience.

My career has taken me all across the world and I’ve worked within a variety of media platforms. I’m really excited to now be bringing all this experience to our clients here at Rise, growing out our content team, and elevating our proposition even further.

Ray: With Google’s recent algorithm updates, how do you think the approach to SEO in sports and gambling will need to change moving forward?

James: Google had four core updates in 2024 and they always generate a lot of talk amongst the SEO community. My main bit of advice here (and this is not just within the sports and gambling space, but for all industries), is ensure quality sits at the heart of your content.

Your content strategy should always centre around content that is genuinely helpful and valuable for your audience. It’s about answering questions, offering help and providing solutions. Always make sure your content is quality, helpful and valuable to the user.

Ray: Marketing in the sports betting industry is highly competitive. What are some of the biggest challenges brands face?

James: It’s exactly that - highly competitive. I always approach this with an ‘opportunity’ mindset. A challenge is always an opportunity.

Yes, commanding strong positions across the SERPs is a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity to showcase your USP and what sets you apart. Many industries are super competitive, so my advice would always be to leverage your unique position in the market, always focus on quality over quantity, and remain agile - SEO keeps us all on our toes!

Ray: Why is it important to have an organic content marketing strategy?

James: How many times have you already searched for something today online? And you are probably using more than one platform when you’re searching? As humans, we’re constantly looking for help, answers and solutions. It’s such a key part of everyday life. Ensuring your company has an organic content marketing strategy is vitally important for your brand awareness, reputation, customers and business. Whether you want to drive demand or increase discovery, the production of organic content should be in every business's wider marketing plans. It’s about taking people on a journey. From that initial search query, all the way through to being a loyal and valued customer. Content marketing has the ability to connect with your audience in so many ways.

Ray: Looking ahead, what are the biggest opportunities for sports and gambling brands in SEO and content marketing over the next 12 months?

James: Google SERPs are always changing. As we know, it’s no longer a list of blue links. We’ve now got a much wider variation of content pulling into the SERPs, from AI overviews, to short-form videos, and much more.

This presents an opportunity for all brands to showcase what they have to offer. It’s no longer just about a blog, for example. SERPs are presenting content in a variety of formats and to appear you need to ensure your content strategy is tailored to this and remains flexible.

People are also changing the way they search. I was listening to your podcast you did recently Ray where you mentioned that people don’t just solely search for people on social media anymore, they search for so much more, and this is so true.

So for all industries, the opportunities are huge, you’ve just got to make sure you’re consistently adapting to advances in technology and shifts in customer behaviour. I’m excited to see the landscape change even further across the next 12 months.

Ray: Finally, if you had one piece of advice for content teams, what would it be?

James: This is simple. And something I tell myself always. Keep learning. Every single day.

James will be speaking at BrightonSEO this year so make sure to catch him there.

If you're looking to take your sports and gambling SEO and content strategy to the next level, speak to the team at Rise today and discover how we can help you stay ahead of the competition.