Transforming MMOGames.com from the ground up
As Head of Content and Editor in Chief, I took over a website in decline. I put together a team on a shoestring budget and over my three-year tenure (March 2020-April 2023) breathed new life into the site, quadrupling readership and ad revenue.
Background
Having worked as a freelance writer for MMOGames’ owner (Adspree Media) and its parent company (Media Elements Group), I was entrusted with the editorial reins of the games media outlet. Given a modest budget, I was tasked with stabilising the site’s dwindling ad revenue despite the MMO genre’s long-waning popularity and the outlet’s fading relevance. Not content with maintaining the status quo, I set out to bring the site back to its former glory.
Solution
I assembled an all-new team of trusted freelance writers and devised a new editorial direction focused on quality, creativity, and search engine optimisation.
Competitive Analysis
Editorial Overhaul
SEO Mastery
To elevate MMOGames’ digital presence, I conducted a rigorous competitive analysis, pinpointing market gaps and identifying reader cynicism that stemmed from small writing teams spreading themselves too thin in a genre that requires specialist knowledge. I narrowed the focus and overhauled the content strategy while ensuring alignment with SEO best practices, including on-page optimisations, a strong backlink strategy, and continuous performance monitoring.
Following more consistent output via weekly news segments such as World of Warcraft Wednesdays and Feelgood Fridays (highlighting accessibility, diversity, and inclusion initiatives), we were re-added to Google News. To further expand reach, I developed a vibrant social media strategy comprising an array of custom graphics and giveaways.
In tandem with the expanded reach, I improved the site’s retention by carefully selecting a reduced number of games (trending MMO-adjacent games, unorthodox new releases, and reliable genre-stalwarts) and publishing more in-depth and innovative articles, including guest posts, interviews, collaborations, reviews, awards, and feature series.
We re-established MMOGames in the gaming media ecosystem and were inundated with invitations for collaborations, partnerships, and attendance at international events from the Netherlands to Iceland.
Results
• Annual readership increased to 4,000,000+
• Social media followers increased to 30,000
• 400% increase in ad revenue, driven by the revitalised readership
• I was headhunted by other games media owners, like MobileGames.com, to run their sites too
“Combining strategic insight with creative energy, Alex revitalised MMOGames and delivered phenomenal improvements in CTR, CPV, and campaign success elsewhere.”
Benjamin Robson, VP of Adspree Media, owners of MMOGames.com
“A master of his craft, Alex helped to hone my skills to an invaluable extent. He was keenly responsive to market trends and evolving behaviours within the target audience.”
Oliver Bradley, MMOGames.com Content Writer
“Alex's ability to ideate, research, plan, and then deliver stellar copy for a variety of different outlets with varying themes and audiences was imperative to our successful organic growth. Having his editorial touch meant that our copy maintained cohesive voicing and a stringent high quality that we required to build out our offerings and create a valuable recurring audience.”
Marc Gilbert – Operations Manager at Media Elements Group