By skyforbes 
You’ve started affiliate marketing, have added links to your site and then nothing happens. Nobody is clicking your links and you’re not getting any traction. You know you need to learn how to write affiliate product reviews that convert into clicks and sales!
Because it all starts with a click.
If you’ve done a good enough job with your product review, you may just have an affiliate sale that day. Or perhaps a few days later. With that tracking cookie, the commission will go to you.
YESS! (imagine me doing a fist bump here).
That’s a success.
However, many new bloggers – myself included – struggle to figure out how to write the perfect affiliate product review that actually converts. This is because it’s not like the usual blogging that one does on a regular basis.
There’s a bit more to it.
Today I’ll take you through the key elements of a very well-written product review, so your content can start converting into sales, sooner than later!
DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a product or service, and decide to purchase it, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All recommended products and services are based on my positive experience with them. For more information, please read my Disclaimer.
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Before You Start To Write Affiliate Reviews…
Have you read up on how to get started with affiliate marketing first?
I’ve run through the essentials in my ultimate guide to affiliate marketing for bloggers.
Before you read further, this is a pre-requisite post:
READ: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide To Affiliate Marketing For Bloggers
How To Write Affiliate Product Reviews That Convert
As you begin to write affiliate product reviews, there’s one thing to consider first.
What are the key problems you’re solving by recommending your affiliate products or services?
Always use the formula of problem and solution. Once you’ve got this straight, your messaging in the review will make sense to your reader. It’ll be easier to identify WHY they need that product or service.
Create A Template & Outline
To make it easier for yourself, create a template for your affiliate product reviews. This is a series of sections for your blog post which help you include everything you need to share with your readers.
This will make crafting the perfect affiliate product review much easier and faster.
How I Draft My Affiliate Review Posts
I like to start with an outline and bullet points, pulling information from the product pages from the brand as needed.
In addition to this, I write a few notes as to what I personally love about the affiliate product.
So let’s get started with the elements of a well-written affiliate product review that converts casual readers into interested buyers.
1. Choose Affiliate Products And Services You Already Use And Love
Want to know the secret to getting people to click your affiliate links?
Every great affiliate marketer will tell you that to convert a reader into a buyer you must:
Write affiliate reviews on products and services you know very well and can speak to based on your experience with them.
Think about it: you’re more likely to provide personal stories, anecdotes and examples if you’ve tried something.
If your readers trust and know you (work on that personal branding!), they will find your feedback credible. That’s a powerful psychological driver when it comes to affiliate link conversions.
The latest Google recommendations on reviews say the same thing. Speak from your own personal experience!
2. Attract Clicks On Your Affiliate Product Review With A Short, Enticing SEO Title
You should be applying SEO best practices to any piece of blog content you publish. However, with affiliate product reviews, there’s usually way more competition.
So your SEO title – the one that shows up in search engine results – needs to:
- stand out with dynamic, powerful words that relay a benefit if possible
- be short & sweet
- accurately speak to the content of the post
Here are two SEO titles. Which one would you click on?
You’re probably more interested in finding out why I’m saying it’s going to be your favourite.
TIP: Add the year so that somebody who’s searching for the most up-to-date review will be able to find it. I like to do this in parentheses, right after the word “review” – like this: ABC Gadget Review (2024).
| RELATED: How To Write Blog Post Titles That Consistently Get Clicks
Research Your SEO Keywords For Affiliate Reviews
Like with any blog post you write, start with a long-tail keyword.
When you start to write an affiliate product review think about what the reader may be using for their search term. The easiest is “product name review”.
Use KeySearch or other keyword analyzing tools to see which ones have the best low competition, and high volume status.
Need some help with SEO? Take my free SEO mini-course to get started!
3. Grab Their Attention And Build Credibility In The Intro
When you write affiliate product reviews, the best thing you can do is to grab the interest of the reader within the first two paragraphs.
- Make it relatable to their problem: what is the core problem the product/service solves?
- Position yourself as a credible reviewer because you’ve actually used the product/service to solve the same problem for yourself!
This means the content in your first few paragraphs needs to be carefully written. You have to include the keyword in there too for good on-page SEO.
Let’s say we’re talking about that kitchen gadget again. Here’s what my intro would be:
“Nobody loves peeling potatoes. I sure don’t! So when I was searching for a potato peeler that worked at making peeling faster, I checked out many. This ABC Potato Peeler review tells you exactly why I think you should make it your choice for peeling potatoes – quickly and easily.
I purchased the ABC Potato Peeler last winter, as I was constantly making hearty potato-based comfort food meals like Sheperds Pie. They’re time intensive recipes,and peeling potatoes is always an extra time suck. With the ABC Potato Peeler I cut down my peeling time for six medium sized potatoes from 15 minutes to 5 minutes!”
I did a few things with this intro:
- Noted the problem: peeling potatoes is tedious and time-consuming
- I reviewed many options, so you don’t have to
- I’ve found the solution in ABC Potato Peeler that has greatly reduced my peeling time for six potatoes (by 10 minutes!)
- I used my personal tone of voice to build the credibility factor
Spend time carefully crafting your affiliate product review intro. Edit it and re-read it before publishing. Does it invite the reader to continue reading?
4. Show The Proof
Before you write the pros and cons part of your affiliate product review, and the product features and benefits, show the proof.
This could be anything from:
- Before and after screenshots or photos
- Examples of work created with a product (e.g. a SaaS product)
- A video walkthrough of the solution happening in real time
- Social media posts from others remarking on your experience
- If third-party validation is required – for example, if you’re reviewing an at-home hair colour product and others are thinking you went to a salon to have it done, since it’s looking so good.
Visuals are an excellent way to illustrate the capabilities of a product or service.
For example, in my Podia review, I included visuals of the Confident Blogger Academy site I created using it.
5. Share The Pros And The Cons
The best way to write affiliate product reviews is to balance them with the good and the bad.
People know that no product or service is going to be perfect. They’re expecting to hear your critical opinion of it.
However, how you write each requires a bit of finessing.
Tips For Writing Pros
- Think features and benefits – what the great feature is, and why it’s beneficial
- Start with the things that solve the big problems first
- Add the extra “nice to have” features next
- Don’t be too “salesy”
Tips For Writing The Cons
No product is without flaws. Perfect reviews are unrealistic. So you’ll need to add a few negatives, however, remember:
- Don’t be too negative!
- Soften your language: e.g., replaces “issues” with “drawbacks”
- Use the Oreo cookie method used in constructive criticism: the good stuff, what could be better, and then overall, why it’s still a great product/service.
6. Add A Features And Benefits Table
People want to know what they’re getting for the money they’re spending.
When you write affiliate product reviews, you should lay out all of the key features and benefits. You may want to do this in a table format as they’re easily scannable.
Include the price points if there are different options that your audience would be most interested in. For example, if you’re writing for bloggers, not large businesses, you don’t need to add a column for what’s featured in the business enterprise option.
TIP: Try Lasso Affiliate plugin which gives you the power to create beautiful product displays, grids and lists.
Here’s an example of what one of them looks like:
7. Speak To The Alternatives Briefly
Your readers will want to know what are the options.
You don’t have to go into great details. Showcase 2 to 5 alternatives and their key differences in a brief chart.
Explain why this product is a better solution than the others.
8. Add A Video Featuring Key Benefits & Your Commentary
This is a bonus. If you can create a video that walks through the key features and benefits, add it!
Keep it short and to the point. I’ve seen long, rambling reviews of online platforms, with lengthy intros that aren’t relevant to the review itself.
Make it easy for your viewers to get the information they need, quickly.
9. Add A FAQ Section
You want your affiliate review post to be found in Google searches, so when you’re writing your product review, there’s one that helps greatly.
For an SEO boost, add a FAQ section.
- Google long-tail question keywords people use with your product or service
- Use the “People also ask” section questions for your FAQ questions
- Create an H2 header with “FAQ”
- Add the questions as H3 headers.
- Use paragraph text to answer the questions succinctly.
These questions I found for “Podia review” as my keyword – and I can add them as a FAQ for my review.
10. Create A Call-To-Action Ending
The final step when you write affiliate product reviews is creating a call-to-action.
This, along with a general summary of key points, is a final push to get the reader to click your affiliate link.
You may want to add a button for this section to make it stand out.
Always note if there’s a free trial. Trying something for free, especially online platforms and services often leads to an easy purchase.
Reiterate the benefits and how it’s worked to help you, with a positive – it may be exactly what you’re looking for too.
| RELATED: 7 Powerful Ways To End A Blog Post To Boost Engagement
Make Your Content Easily Readable And Scannable
Like with any good format for blog posts, your formatting for affiliate product reviews should be easy to read.
Many facts and features about a product can get lost in paragraphs.
These are some ways I like to make my reviews an easy read and a great visitor experience:
- Use bullet points where you can
- Tables and columns are perfect for comparison and organizing lists
- Remember white space. Keep paragraphs short.
- Break up copy with visuals and examples of the product in use.
Adding a table of contents (there are free plugins for this), at the beginning of your post lets readers jump to the area of most interest.
Make it EASY for them to find the relevant information in your post.
Remember Your Affiliate Disclosure Statement
Don’t forget to include this when you write affiliate product reviews!
You’ll want to add it BEFORE your first affiliate link.
Read my guide to affiliate marketing for beginners for more information on how to properly add this disclosure.
| RELATED: How To Fix Your Your Blog Posts So They’re Irresistibly Readable And Shareable
Write Product Reviews That Answer Reader’s Questions!
What is of most importance, information-wise – about the product or service you are reviewing?
Personally, I always consider my blog reader. What are their main challenges and how does this product help solve them?
By using subtle sales techniques when you write affiliate product reviews, you can greatly influence a click on a link.
Now you know how I like to write affiliate product reviews with this easy formula:
- Choose products you already use and love
- Create a short, enticing keyword-rich SEO title
- Make it relatable and credible in the intro
- Show the proof of your use
- Share the pros and the cons of the product/service
- Include a features & benefits list/table
- Briefly speak to alternatives
- Add a video if it makes sense
- Add a FAQ section
- Summarize in the end with a call-to-action
That’s it! See what works for your niche, products and audience.
Need more affiliate marketing tips?
Wondering if you’ve chosen the right affiliate programs? Read up on how to choose the best affiliate programs that work for your niche.
Check out my post on where to add affiliate links on your blog, social media and in other places you may not have thought to use.
QUESTION: What works for you when you write affiliate product reviews?
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