Playbook · Industry startups
SEO & AI search playbook for gaming studios
Players find games through stores, streams and friends, and then they search: the game's name, release date, system requirements, tips. Many studio sites are a splash page with store buttons, which leaves those searches to fan wikis and news sites.
An official site doesn't need to beat the store page for the game's name. It needs to be the best source for things only the studio knows: patch notes, official guides, requirements, press assets.
Updated By the LaunchRanked team3 sources checked
Searches to plan around
Query patterns and the intent behind them. We don’t quote search volumes: check your own Search Console for the ones you already appear for.
“[game] release date”, “[game] platforms”
FactsPut these on the homepage in text.
“[game] system requirements”
Can I run itA dedicated page, updated with patches.
“[game] patch notes”, “[game] update”
What changedA page per patch with a date.
“[game] tips”, “how to beat [boss]”
HelpFan wikis often win. Official guides for key moments can compete.
“games like [game]”
DiscoveryListicles and communities own these. Get featured; don't build spam pages.
Page families that work
Patch notes
/news/patch-1-4
Each patch is unique and dated.
System requirements
/requirements
Minimum and recommended, per platform.
Press kit
/press
Facts, screenshots, logos, trailer links. Journalists link to it.
Trailer watch pages
/videos/launch-trailer
Google's video guidance suggests pages where the video is the main content.
Risky page types
Mass “games like X” pages
Pages for every popular game with the same pitch are doorway-style.
Age gates blocking the whole site
A full-page gate can stop crawlers reading content. Gate only what's required.
Technical pitfalls
A splash page with no text
Release date, platforms, genre and a description should be in HTML.
Trailers only on YouTube
Fine for reach, but a watch page on your site helps your own domain appear for video searches.
News only on social media
Patch notes on social platforms disappear. Keep a dated archive on your site.
How AI assistants answer questions in this category
Players ask assistants for tips, release dates and “games like X”. Tips often come from fan wikis the assistant retrieves; release dates and requirements from official and news sources. Official pages with dates and platforms in plain text are the easiest source for factual questions.
What tends to earn a citation
- Release date, platforms and price in text on the homepage.
- Dated patch notes.
- A press kit with a factual summary.
Check whether the AI crawlers you want can reach your site with our AI crawler checker.
Where links come from
Press and creators
A good press kit makes coverage and streaming easier; coverage links back.
Festivals and showcases
Event pages list featured games.
Launch platforms and directories
For mobile or indie games, mobile app directories and launch platforms.
Directory lists that fit gaming studios
- Mobile app directories
- Product launch platforms
- Startup directories
- Where to submit: iOS apps
- Where to submit: Android apps
- All directories
Each directory is checked on its own site: price, link type and review process. We never sell links.
A 90-day plan
Days 1–30
Official facts
- Put release date, platforms and description in HTML.
- Publish a system requirements page.
- Build a press kit.
Days 31–60
Archive
- Start dated patch notes.
- Add trailer watch pages with video markup.
- Limit age gates to what's required.
Days 61–90
Guides and loop
- Write official guides for key moments.
- Pitch press and creators with the kit.
- Check Search Console for game-name queries landing elsewhere.
What to watch in Search Console
The Performance report gives clicks, impressions, CTR and average position by query, page, country, device and date. Traffic from Google's AI features is counted there too, under the Web search type (Google).
- Game-name queries
- Shows how much of your brand demand your site catches.
- Patch notes impressions
- Spikes with updates; shows players come to you for news.
- Video appearances
- Search Console's video reports show whether watch pages are indexed.
Frequently asked questions
Can our site outrank the store page?
Often not for the game's name, and that's fine. Be the best source for official facts and updates.
Should we write guides if a fan wiki exists?
For key moments and official information, yes. Support the wiki community rather than competing everywhere.
Do age gates hurt SEO?
Full-site gates can stop crawlers reading content. Gate only what's required.
What should a press kit include?
A factual summary, release date, platforms, screenshots, logos and trailers.
Sources
Checked on September 23, 2026. Search patterns and page advice are our own judgement from running this playbook; we don’t quote search volumes or third-party statistics.