Vlad Chernov: “Today, for N1 Partners, the key focus is not just traffic volumes but also their quality, retention, and the player’s long-term value”

Focus Gaming News spoke to Vlad Chernov, Deputy Head of Affiliates at N1 Partners, about traffic efficiency, hybrid reward models, and the N1 SEO Traffic Cup.

Exclusive interview.- As affiliate marketing in igaming becomes increasingly competitive and data-driven, operators and affiliate programmes are placing greater emphasis on traffic quality, retention, and long-term player value rather than pure acquisition volumes.

In this exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Vlad Chernov, deputy head of affiliates at N1 Partners, discusses how the company is approaching modern affiliate strategy through KPI-driven models, AI-powered analytics, retention-focused optimisation, and community initiatives such as the N1 SEO Traffic Cup. He also shares his perspective on the evolution of affiliate management and the key factors driving sustainable ROI and long-term success in today’s affiliate ecosystem.

With your extensive experience as Deputy Head of Affiliates, what are the primary KPIs that N1 Partners prioritises today to ensure long-term traffic efficiency and a high ROI for both the brand and the affiliate?

Today, for N1 Partners, the key focus is not just traffic volumes but also their quality, retention, and the player’s long-term value. We operate as a multi-brand affiliate programme and direct advertiser with a portfolio of 14+ casino and betting brands, so it is important for us not only to attract players but also to retain them, ensuring a high LTV and stable ROI for partners.

The market is changing a lot now: PPC and SEO are becoming less stable, the cost of auctions is increasing, and GEO and sources are changing. Therefore, KPIs within the company are built around traffic quality, Reg2Dep, retention, player value, and sustainable ROI. 

We are moving towards KPI-driven and adaptive hybrid models, where the partner receives the best conditions for high-quality traffic and the agreed KPIs’ fulfilment. 

This is our approach: not to chase short-term numbers, but to build a sustainable and efficient ecosystem for partners.

N1 Partners is known for driving innovation in the sector. What specific tactics or operational shifts have you implemented recently to help your partners stay ahead in such a competitive landscape?

Recently, we have seriously strengthened our internal structure. Previously, the affiliate department consisted of three teams, but now we have four dedicated unit teams, each of which specialises in specific traffic sources. This allows partners to work with managers who deeply understand their traffic specifics and can help both with offers and scaling.

In addition, we are actively developing flexible cooperation models: adaptive hybrid, EPC-based deals, guarantee models and KPI-driven payouts.

Our work with analytics is also worth mentioning. We are actively testing AI-driven tools, predictive LTV modelling, and internal analytics systems to improve traffic quality evaluation, and it’s backed by a strong team of analysts and retention specialists who help partners scale efficiently.

In parallel, we are also developing the affiliate community. Projects such as N1 Traffic Cups and N1 Puzzle Promo are full-fledged tools for engaging and developing the partner community.

Beyond just volume, traffic efficiency is crucial. How does your team work with affiliates to refine the quality of their traffic and ensure it aligns with the high standards of the N1 brand?

We act as strategic partners for our affiliates and are deeply involved in working with their traffic.

First of all, we evaluate retention, player behaviour and engagement, LTV, and long-lasting monetisation. That is why N1 Partners is actively investing in CRM, retention funnels, and player quality analytics.

This is especially true for Facebook traffic, which currently accounts for a significant share of our traffic volumes. We are showing good results precisely because we understand the approaches of our partners and adapt product funnels to specific traffic sources. For example, N1 Bet and RollXO have retention funnels that are separately optimised for FB traffic.

In addition, adaptive hybrid models work for us: if a partner brings high-quality traffic and fulfils KPIs, they receive increased CPA, improved RevShare or individual conditions. In this way, we motivate our partners to focus not only on volume but also on the quality of the audience.

The first N1 SEO Traffic Cup of 2026 concluded on April 30. Looking back at the competition, what were some of the most impressive SEO strategies or results you observed from the participants?

We were most impressed with the partners who were able to adapt to the current instability of the SEO market and maintain the quality of traffic at the same time. The best results were shown by affiliates who are able to work with cross-branded traffic and parasite SEO.

Many participants already think like full-fledged product teams, not just SEO specialists, and this is very noticeable in their traffic quality.

N1 SEO Traffic Cup has shown how much the market is now shifting towards high-quality traffic standards.

“The best results were shown by affiliates who are able to work with cross-branded traffic and parasite SEO.”

Vlad Chernov, deputy head of affiliates at N1 Partners.

Now that the final of this first 2026 tournament has taken place, how do you feel these ‘Traffic Cups’ have impacted the community’s engagement and the overall quality of the traffic being generated?

I believe that such tournaments seriously strengthen the affiliate community and the partners’ trust. Participants weren’t just generating traffic — they were actively sharing strategies, discussing results, and learning from each other throughout the tournament.

Overall, the contest helped strengthen collaboration inside the community with more than 300 participating teams, while raising professional standards. It created energy, transparency, and healthy competition — and I believe this will have a lasting positive effect even beyond the event itself.

I’d like to note that the feedback was very positive – partners liked that this is a full-fledged long-term mechanic with transparent rules, constant activity and a clear goal. Many noted that such tournaments create additional engagement and enhance the sense of community within the partner programme.

For us, such contests are an important tool for developing the ecosystem around the brand — due to them, we invest in the community, partnerships, and motivation of our affiliates.

Following the success of the N1 Traffic Cups, have you noticed a significant difference in the ROI or player lifetime value between the traffic coming through these gamified tournaments versus traditional SEO traffic?

Yes, we’ve definitely observed some meaningful differences. Traffic generated through the N1 SEO Traffic Cup tends to demonstrate stronger early engagement metrics compared to traditional SEO traffic. Since affiliates are driven by competition and transparent performance tracking, they typically invest more effort into audience qualification, creative testing, and funnel optimisation.

These gamified mechanics encourage a more structured and data-driven approach to traffic acquisition. Partners begin working more deeply with analytics, content strategy, onboarding flows, and overall audience quality rather than focusing solely on traffic volume. As a result, the traffic becomes more stable and predictable, leading to more sustainable monetisation and improved ROI at longer distances.

While traditional SEO remains a reliable source of consistent growth, it often prioritises scale over engagement. The Traffic Cups, on the other hand, incentivise efficiency, experimentation, and high-quality performance. In short, SEO provides stability and a prolonged foundation, whereas the gamified tournament model introduces energy, innovation, and stronger short-term performance — making the two approaches highly complementary.

For those looking to grow within this field, what are the most important ‘nuances of the profession’ that a successful affiliate manager must master in the current market?

As mentioned before, an affiliate manager is a lot more than just a person who sells offers; he’s a real partner.

I assume that a successful affiliate manager needs to have a deep understanding of traffic sources, analytics, user behaviour, LTV, and compliance. Obviously, strong communication skills are very important because strong partnerships are built on transparency, constant contact and trust.

In addition, it is crucial to dive deep into products and retention. Now the winners are not those who just drive traffic but those who know how to keep the player and work with the player lifecycle. So, understanding CRM, analytics, performance models, and GEO features is a must.

The market is becoming more complex, and a superficial approach is not going to work.

“An affiliate manager is a lot more than just a person who sells offers; he’s a real partner.”

Vlad Chernov, deputy head of affiliates at N1 Partners.

Reflecting on your own path to a leadership role, what advice would you give to professionals in the affiliate space who are looking to scale their careers and take on more strategic responsibilities?

I don’t think that any strong affiliate manager automatically becomes a good leader. For growth, it is important to be ambitious, take responsibility, constantly learn and be ready for new challenges.

My own path in N1 Partners was built precisely through deep involvement in the processes: working with partners, developing traffic sources, helping the team, optimising internal processes and scaling results.

To move to the strategic level, it’s important to look beyond just your KPIs. You need to understand business, from product to analytics and retention. It is this combination of practical experience and strategic thinking that helps to scale the affiliate business.