Review Article Template

Please read this content brief until the end, every detail is important and we will
be checking against this brief when approving or refusing the content.

Title: [list post title here]

Word Count: 1000-1500 words

Description of the post: This post is a review of a specific product, the people that
read it will either already be interested in the product or followers of our site. In both
cases they need someone to bridge the features and the benefits, we are not here to
hard sell, merely to give a 3rd party opinion. This post should focus on real life use of
the product and what it can do for the user, not a list of features without meaning.

General Editorial Rules & Writing Style

● Tone: Relaxed, informative, fun

● Avoid: "Salesy" language & fluffy writing
● Go for: Simple, information-heavy, honest review of a good product
● Use first and second person: "I," "we," and "you"

● Use the word “you” frequently to help the reader connect with the story

o BAD: “It’s also quite small, which might be a system shock to anyone
used to beefier gaming mice.”
 o GOOD: “It’s also quite small, which might be a system shock to you if you
are used to beefier gaming mice.”

Rules
● NEVER mention other reviewers professional. 
o Try to link product features with benefits using a lot of sentences like
▪ "This product has [feature], which is great because..."
▪ "Another good feature is [feature], which can help you with..."
o Try to mention personal stories when linking features and benefits like

▪ That would have been really useful when <insert story>.

▪ I really appreciate that feature considering <some personal issue or
story>
● Do NOT make definitive value judgement (e.g. "This is the best Hair Vitamin")
but you can express personal preference (“this is my favorite Hair Vitamin
because…”)
● please backup ALL your facts with links to evidence preferably from a site with
some kind of authority in the market
● Please include all reference links in content in parentheses and pointing to the
exact deep page containing the information not the top level domain so we can
easily refer to them in the final publication

Style

● No salesy language.
o Wrong: “You’ll find peace of mind when your dog finally stops barking!”
o Wrong: “You can rest easy knowing your dog behavior troubles are finally
over.”
o Wrong: Anything else that sounds like it could be in an infomercial
● Instead, use conditional language (“If,” “might,” “could,” etc.) if you make
recommendations:
 o Correct: “This might be a good choice for those who want an in-home
training option.”
o Correct: “If it’s important to you to find a positive dog trainer, this might be
a good place to start.”
● No filler language.
o Every sentence should add information.
o No BS’ing
▪ Wrong: “If your dog is acting up, you might need a dog trainer” (…
duh).
▪ Wrong: “This company teaches your dog to walk politely. They also
offer leash training.” (…says the same thing twice)
▪ Wrong: Anything else that doesn’t add information to the article.

>> Article Template To Follow (Important)<<

Please use the following template for all articles. Each section should have its own
heading. 

Section 1: Introduction - Empathize with the reader

50-75 words

please include the exact keyword somewhere in here as naturally as possible

● Talk from the point of view of the author and share the initial problem he had
in his/her that pushed him/her to look for the product

o Example: I used to be 40lbs overweight and I was feeling TERRIBLE

about myself. I had no energy and felt judged every time someone would
lay their eyes on me.
 ● Explain why that problem had to be solved and what the complications would
be if it was not solved

o Example: I knew I really had to address the issue because I was putting
myself at risk of heart attack and diabetes if the issue was not solved and
that would mean not being here for my family when they need me the
most.

● Do not necessarily say you used the product just say it would have helped you a
lot.

o Example: The venus factor did not exist when I solved this issue but I wish
it did. The program addresses all the typical issue of <people with this
problem> and does a great job at it!.

Section 2: Things to consider before buying a <product category>

150 - 250 words
● Briefly remind the reader of the problems that product category solves and why
one would seek to buy an item in it.
● Describe the ideal customer for the product category and who should not buy,
why and what they should buy instead.
● List the things the buyer needs to think about before buying the product

Section 3: Presenting the product

100-200 words
● Give a brief description of what the product is, the promise that it makes and
what comes with it when you purchase it. also compare it to the market leader
and its previous versions.
○ Example: P90x is the little brother of the Insanity workout by the same
company. It ưclaims to help you lose fat and build muscle in just 90 days
by following a rigorous diet and exercise plan from the comfort of your
 home. It is now the 3rd edition of this product and it seems like the major
changes with this iteration are better video production and aesthetics.

● Explain who that specific product is for and who it is not for

○ Example: The venus factor can definitely help if you are looking to change
your life around and lose weight fast but be warned: you WILL have to
change your diet so if this is something you are not ready to do you should
look for other alternatives.

● Write a bulleted list of 3-5 pros and 3-5 cons for the product

● if possible include a nice package shot of the product

Section 4: Features & Benefits

800-1300 words broken down into sub sections for each feature
● Now start going through the features or core principle of the product and write a
section for each explaining both how it performs/feel and why this feature is
important (what benefits it provides and how it helps solving the core problem)
○ Example: This laptop is completely fanless which is nice because it makes
it 100% silent (I like that when I’m traveling, often surrounded by other
people). However, this also means it can heat up a fair bit if the room is
too hot.
● Add 1 picture or youtube video for each feature to demonstrate it

Section 5 : Social Proof

50 - 100 words
● Say you scoured the internet and found some user reviews that seemed rather
positive
● Include a screenshot of a few testimonials from users around the web (3-5) that
share their journey using the product
Section 6 : Alternatives
300 - 400 words
 ● list 3 alternatives available for the product
○ <insert alternative 1 here>
○ <insert alternative 2 here>
○ <insert alternative 3 here>
● For each of them write a paragraph or two on how they differ from the main
product reviewed (price, features, benefits, etc) and who should use it then
provide a bulleted comparaison list and a call to action for the reader to check the
alternative product out

Section 7 : Conclusion
50 - 100 words

● reiterate the problem the product solves and why it needs to be solved by the
reader (complications).
● give 2-3 reasons why the product reviewed is a great fit to solve that problem
● conclude telling people to click here to check the product out

DETAILED SINGLE POST

Single product reviews = articles where we are reviewing just one product.

Almost always, these articles will be targeting “...review”-type keywords.

Like roundup reviews, single product reviews target people who are almost

ready to buy something; they’re just reading reviews to help them make a

decision.

So, the goal of single product reviews is to:

 ● Help people understand the key features of a product

● Give people a rating/review criteria to use and then use it to review

the product

● Briefly discuss competitors and alternatives

With these goals in mind, the structure of a single product review is usually:

● SECTION 1: Short introduction

● SECTION 2: Pros & Cons

● SECTION 3: Discussion of key features

● SECTION 4: Discussion of similar products

some of the nuances of single product reviews.

What not to do…

This advice is going to be similar to roundup reviews, but it’s still super

important because the consequences of not doing it can be pretty severe.

We do not want to simply rehash product information.

Aside from sacrificing our uniqueness, which is how we differentiate

ourselves from our competitors, if all of the content on our review page simply

rephrases product information, we’re at a much greater risk for “thin content”

penalties.

Instead… research and compile the key features of the product and help the

reader understand what they mean compared to other stuff they could buy.

This is where your expert advice comes in, and it’s what can make you money.

Quick Rundown of Each

Section
Here’s a quick rundown of the purpose of each section in a single review

article.

Introduction
The purpose of the introduction here is pretty much the same as the roundup

review: to creatively introduce the topic and provide a bit of text we can use to

wrap around an ad if we ever ad one in the future.

Pros & Cons

We like to put pros and cons up front because it’s almost always the most

valuable information for someone looking to buy a specific product.

So, instead of making people dig for it, we like to put it right up front along

with an affiliate link.

Discussion of Key Features

This is where you (or your writers) will have to get a bit creative, because it

can honestly be tough not to simply rehash product information in this

section.

The idea is to mention key features and then discuss what that means.

Here’s an example from a hypothetical golf club review. “This club has a more

flexible shaft, which means you’re going to be producing a bit of extra swing

speed. That can be a tad unwieldy if you’re a beginner, but if you’re a veteran

golfer looking for some extra distance on your drives, this club might give you

an extra nudge downrange.”

See how all most all of that paragraph discussed why the feature was

important and who it was good for instead of simply talking about product

specs?

Discussion of Competitors & Alternatives

Lastly, we like to mention a few similar products and discuss why they might

also be good choices.

Like in our review, we want to avoid talking about product specs only; instead,

discuss the pros and cons of each and compare it to the product you’re

reviewing.

Quick Note on Writing Negative Reviews

It’s certainly important to be honest when writing reviews.

However, there have been a nasty string of lawsuits against affiliate marketers

who’ve written negative reviews.

Additionally, you do want people to buy the thing you’re reviewing.

For these reasons, it’s a good idea to stick to reviews of products that are

actually good choices. You absolutely want to be honestly about flaws and

drawbacks, but, just for safety’s sake and conversion’s sake, at least when

you’re just starting out, try to review good products.