CEO of Kajino Media on winning the Golden Boomerang Awards 2025, challenges and trends in the affiliate marketing industry

Boomerang Partners hosted the second annual Golden Boomerang Awards 2025 on May 20 at the iconic San Siro stadium in Milan. The brand was facilitated by its Regional Partner, the renowned AC Milan. This football club Legend Andrea Pirlo attended the event and presented awards in 11 categories.

Grand Prix, for first place in points on the sports leaderboard, went to the Kajino Media team. This main prize at Golden Boomerang Awards 2025 celebrates its incredible performance and well-deserved leadership in the rankings. CEO of Kajino Media Nikita shared the secrets of team leadership, strengths of his company and trends in the affiliate marketing industry.

Victory in the tournament

Tell us about your first emotions when you heard that your team had won the Grand Prix. What do you and your company gain from participating in such a tournament?

Hearing that our team had won the Grand Prix filled me with a rush of excitement and immense pride. For us, participating in such tournaments as Golden Boomerang Awards is an opportunity to review our work from an outside perspective. It is not only about recognition, but also about reflecting how well we are developing. It gives the team confidence, and for me as a manager, it is a confirmation that we are moving in the right direction. Plus, it’s a great way to meet other strong market players.

What SEO tactics and decisions were key to maximizing the impact of this particular tournament?

We did not pursue something new or high-profile – a deep understanding of the niche was key. Instead of experimenting, we relied on systematic work, analysis, targeted actions, and effective team interaction. These are simple things, but they have yielded the best results within Golden Boomerang Awards 2025.

This year’s GBA Awards ceremony was held for the first time in Milan, at the legendary San Siro stadium. Please share your impressions: how do you rate the level of organization of the event, and what made the biggest impression?

It was very atmospheric. The very fact that the ceremony took place in San Siro created a sense of significance. The organization was of a very high level. Everything was thought out to the smallest detail. But what impressed me the most was the energy of the community itself – it’s a rare case when strong affiliate teams that truly know the industry gather in one place.

Do you take part in any other tournaments, and if so, what sets GBA apart from the rest?

We generally refrain from participating in competitions, as we are focused on our work and have always prioritized results over awards. But GBA is a different story: we have been cooperating with Boomerang Partners for a long time, and this time we decided to try our hand at their tournament. Somehow, it turned out that we won. Oops 🙂

Business and growth

Tell us the history of Kajino.Media began. How many years has the team existed, and how did the basic structure form?

The team was formed organically. We gathered around a shared vision: to build a project where SEO works not as a service but as a product. We started in February 2023, and since then, our only priority has been the result.

The basic structure was formed gradually, with key roles filled by individuals who not only had experience but also understood the context of the niche. At the same time, from the very beginning, we focused on people – on their potential, values, and ability to think systematically. We carefully selected those who shared our vision and always aimed to grow expertise from within.

We did not build verticals for the sake of organization – we built a team capable of solving problems, developing, and scaling ideas.

Which markets have become your focus and why? How do you decide in which direction to scale?

We work in digital gaming sector, and here, the focus is determined not by GEO but by the potential and speed of change. In short, we are looking for markets where SEO is still “working” as a channel, where there is competition, but there is no oversaturation yet. When choosing a direction, we always look at the balance between the complexity of entry, potential, and margins. The choice is always based on numbers, not intuition.

What challenges have you faced in the process of increasing SEO traffic? And what solutions have proved to be the most effective?

The primary challenge is scaling without compromising quality control. In SEO, this manifests itself in the most minor details: from the site structure to link building. The more sites you have, the harder it is to maintain consistency. The most effective solution has been automation where possible and standardization where it is critical. We invested heavily in processes before we started to drive volumes. This allowed us to scale without chaos.

What allows you to stay competitive in the overheated SEO arbitration market?

Competitiveness is not just about tools or budgets; it’s also about strategy. It is about the approach. We don’t think in a cookie-cutter way and don’t repeat models that are already at the top. We test, adapt, and make decisions faster than most.

We have a small team, but everyone is an indispensable part of this mechanism. That’s why we can react quickly to changes, maneuver efficiently without bureaucracy, and maintain a high speed of decision-making.

Add to this a strong internal culture, and you have a team that doesn’t just work in a niche but forms its own approach to it.

Industry and trends

What geographies do you see as the most promising for SEO traffic in the interactive entertainment sector in 2025?

We do not look at GEO, but at behavioral patterns and market dynamics. But speaking in general, we target markets where SEO strategies can be effectively implemented. These can include both Latin American markets and some local European regions, which are usually out of the focus of major players.

What technological trends – AI, automation – have you already integrated into your work?

Automation is a must-have; it is impossible to scale in digital gaming sector without it. We have automated both technical processes (data collection, clustering, updating) and part of the content production.

As for AI, we use it in specific areas, where it brings real efficiency, not just a “fashionable” thing. It is essential not only to integrate technologies but also to build processes around them that actually enhance the result, rather than creating an extra layer of control.

Personal story

How did you get into the SEO and traffic arbitrage niche? Did you have any experience in other areas of digital before?

I have been in SEO for over 10 years. I started with freelancing, then gained experience in client SEO, followed by experience in dating, and eventually founded my own SEO agency. I worked with e-commerce, SaaS, and various monetization models. This path provided me with a strong technical and strategic base, as well as an understanding of how to build scalable systems.

Over time, I realized that the affiliate model is also close to me because the ceiling of opportunities here is only in your head. You determine where and how much to grow. This gives you a very strong internal motivation.

I came to online gaming industry consciously: this is a market with high competition, complexity, and, at the same time, a huge degree of freedom of action. There is no place for random people, success in this field demands strategic expertise and disciplined execution. For me, it was a logical next step — and at the same time, a challenge that I really wanted to take on.

What was the turning point for you that made you realize you wanted to develop Kajino Media?

After many years in SEO, from freelancing to running my own agency, I realized that I no longer wanted to be part of other people’s projects. I wanted to build something of my own, a systematic one, where decisions are made based on long-term value rather than immediate benefits.

The turning point was the realization that the affiliate model, especially in online gaming industry, has no ceiling – neither for growth nor for influence. You are responsible for the result, and form a team, approach, and culture. This is what gave a boost to the creation of Kajino Media – not just as a project, but as a platform for realizing the potential of both me and the entire team.

What advice would you give to aspiring SEOs who are just taking their first steps in digital gaming sector?

First of all, do not look for a magic formula. There is no “secret button” in online gaming industry that will bring traffic or revenue. But there is discipline, analytics, and constant work with hypotheses.

I recommend deeply understanding the niche, audience behavior, and learning how to work with data. Don’t build a “wrapper” – create a system. And do not rush to scale until you understand what works. And most importantly, don’t be afraid of competition. The competition here is high, but there is room for those who are ready to think and act one step ahead of most.

I’m incredibly grateful to Boomerang Partners for organizing such a fantastic event, as a Golden Boomerang Awards 2025 ceremony. It was a pleasure to be part of it, and we’re proud to have them as our partners. The event was a great success, bringing together amazing industry talents and creating opportunities for everyone involved. We’d like to extend a big thank you to Boomerang Partners for their hard work and dedication. Next year we will be participating in the Golden Boomerang Awards again!