How SBK’s Title & Keyword Strategy Drove Downloads at Cheltenham. 

Maximizing downloads with precise changes.

SBK, a leading sports betting app in the UK, achieved significant growth during the Cheltenham Festival, one of the most important horse racing events in the country. By optimizing the app's title, keyword strategy, and app store visuals, SBK saw impressive increases in downloads, engagement, and conversion rates. These changes helped SBK become more relevant for users searching for Cheltenham-related betting options, ultimately resulting in record-breaking performance during the event.

Challenges

  • Highly competitive UK market for sports betting during significant events like Cheltenham Festival.

  • Low organic visibility for Cheltenham-specific and horse racing-related keywords in search results.

  • The need to increase app relevance for users searching for Cheltenham betting options during the event to improve conversion rates on both organic and paid search channels.

+133%

Increase in organic downloads

+52%

Increased in Android organic downloads

+155%

Increase in conversion rate

Our approach: Keyword Research, Title Optimization & Visual Updates.

Keyword Research & Trend Analysis

  • We began by researching trending keywords related to Cheltenham Festival and horse racing to identify which terms were gaining popularity as the event approached.

  • We specifically targeted multiple Cheltenham-related terms such as:

    • "Bet on Cheltenham"

    • "Cheltenham betting"

    • "Cheltenham horse racing"

  • This research allowed us to align the app's visibility with these highly relevant search terms, ensuring that SBK would rank higher when users searched for them.

Title Optimization

  • We changed the app title from "SBK Sports Betting Online" to "SBK Cheltenham Sports Betting" to make the app more relevant to users actively searching for Cheltenham-specific betting.

  • This strategic title change led to significant improvements in both organic and paid search rankings, as the app became highly aligned with user intent during the Cheltenham Festival.

In-App Event and Visual Updates

  • We also launched a Cheltenham In-App Event on the App Store, further promoting the festival within the app and attracting more users interested in placing bets on Cheltenham races.

  • Alongside the title change and In-App Event, we updated the app screenshots to focus more on horse racing and Cheltenham-specific content. This visual update highlighted the horse racing, reinforcing the app’s relevance to the event.

The results and impact.

Download & Ranking Results

  • iOS downloads:

    • +133% increase in organic downloads during Cheltenham Festival 2025 compared to 2024.

    • High download volumes during the festival days helped to outperform the whole month of March 2024 by 1K downloads within just 16 days in March 2025.

  • Android downloads:

    • +52% increase in Android organic downloads during the Cheltenham Festival YoY.

Keyword Ranking Improvements

  • The title change resulted in SBK ranking number one for several Cheltenham-related terms, which had previously underperformed. Notable improvements included:

    • Rank 1 for 4 keywords.

    • Rank 2-4 for 3 keywords.

These improvements reflect the direct impact of the title change and keyword targeting, making SBK the go-to app for Cheltenham betting.

Conversion Rate Improvements

  • +155% increase in Conversion Rate for search downloads during the Cheltenham Festival YoY

  • 15.79% in 2025 vs 6.2% in 2024

Key takeaways.

  • Title Optimization Drives Growth: Including “Cheltenham Sports Betting” in the app title helped SBK rank number one for key Cheltenham-related search terms, resulting in a significant increase in organic rankings and conversion rates.

  • Targeted Keyword Strategy Pays Off: By researching and targeting the right Cheltenham specific terms, SBK ensured the app appeared in relevant search results, which boosted user engagement and downloads.

  • In-App Event & Visual Updates Enhance Relevance: The Cheltenham In-App Event and updated app screenshots further highlighted the festival and positioned SBK as the top choice for users interested in betting on Cheltenham races.

Conclusion.

Through strategic title optimization, targeted keyword research, and impactful visual updates, SBK experienced record-breaking downloads during the Cheltenham Festival 2025. By aligning the app with Cheltenham-related search terms, SBK not only improved its organic rankings but also significantly boosted user acquisition and conversion rates. The title change, along with event-specific targeting, helped make SBK more relevant to users during the festival, positioning it as the go-to app for Cheltenham betting.

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