How To Become A Product Review Blogger – 15 Simple And Effective Steps
If you’re looking to make money online, becoming a product review blogger could be a great idea.
Product review bloggers write and publish product reviews and product comparisons on their sites, and try to get their articles found by people searching for these reviews on search engines like Google.
Product review bloggers join affiliate programs and are given an affiliate link for each product that they can place strategically within their articles.
When a reader reads a product review, clicks on one of the affiliate links in the article, and makes a purchase, the product review blogger is paid a commission of that sale.
I myself am a product review blogger, and I’ve had my blog up and running for more than a year now.
It is pretty simple to set up a successful product review blog, and I’m here to show you how.
Ready?
Let’s start.
Disclaimer: If you buy something using the links in this article, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Know that I only promote stuff that I use and trust for the sake of my readers and the reputation of this website.
What Are Product Review Blogs?
People are always looking for product reviews online before they make a purchase.
Think about it.
When was the last time you made a purchase without first checking for honest reviews online?
Product review blogs usually review products and give people valuable tips to buy stuff online.
How Do Product Review Bloggers Make Money Online?
Here’s how it works: a product review blogger sets up a product review site and finds products to review in their niche.
They then join an affiliate program (such as the Amazon Associates program) and get a unique affiliate link for the particular product they want to promote.
A product review blogger could choose to buy the products themselves or approach the company to get free products to review.
The product review blogger then must review products and write honest feedback online in the form of a blog post and publish them on their product review blog.
When readers click on the affiliate link on the blog post, they are directed to the merchant site where they can purchase the product.
The product review blogger then makes a commission from the sale depending on the company’s commission rates.
How To Become A Product Review Blogger – 15 Steps
I will now show you step-by-step how you can become a product review blogger and set up your own blog.
STEP 1: Pick a niche
The very first step you need to take when you decide to become a product review blogger is to pick a niche.
It is easy to think that promoting products in every niche under the sun will help you get more purchases through your affiliate links.
I mean the more products you promote and the wider your audience, the better your chances of making more sales. Right?
Wrong.
The first thing people look for in a product review blog is credibility and trustworthiness.
When a person lands on your blog and finds product reviews for every product under the sun, it is going to look like a very general blog with no expertise.
In short, people trust a product review blogger who specializes in a certain field.
For example, if you have a beauty blog and write about beauty reviews and beauty tips, readers are going to trust that you know a lot about beauty products.
Or say you write restaurant reviews. If you focus on one niche you can learn more about the field and write reviews that are more detailed and professional.
Take a moment to think about your interests and expertise.
Is there anything that connects the two together?
What could you write passionately about for many years to come?
Once you’ve found the point where your passion and expertise meet, it’s time to research profitability.
Is the niche profitable? Do people search for products in that niche online?
Once you’ve picked a niche, it’s time to set up your product review blog.
STEP 2: Select a domain name
Before you buy a domain for your own product review blog, you must first choose a domain name.
That’s the fun part! 🙂
Choosing a domain name for your product reviews site need not be complicated.
Be open while choosing your domain name because it may be that the name you wanted so badly is no longer available.
Remember there are many other bloggers with product review sites in your niche that are trying to get similar domain names that relate to your niche.
You do not have to do extensive research just to pick a domain name that you absolutely love.
Keep a few options and try out different combinations of words.
It could be a good idea to insert one or two keywords into your domain name so that people understand what your site is about just by the domain name.
A domain name is just an indicator of your online presence as a review blogger.
It does nothing much to improve your blog traffic, so don’t sweat it too much.
Here are some quick tips on picking a domain name for your product review blog:
- Check if your domain name is in use by someone else.
- Pick a name that is relevant to the products you will be reviewing on your blog.
- Avoid hyphens in the domain.
- Pick a domain that is easy to remember.
- Avoid trademarked words or brand names in the domain name.
- Do not put numbers in the name.
- Check if a .com version is available.
You can use a site like NameCheap to check the availability of your domain name.
Just make a choice and move on to the next step.
You can provide a detailed description of your blog on your product review site later on.
STEP 3: Select a web host provider
The next step to creating your product review blog is to select a website hosting service provider.
A web host provider is basically a service that allows you to rent out space on the internet for your blog to live in.
There are tons of website hosting providers out there, and it can be confusing to choose the best one for you.
STEP 4: Set up your web host account
Now that you’ve chosen your web host, it’s time to set up your account. This process will vary depending on the host you’ve selected, but you’ll need to provide some basic information about yourself and your website. After that, you can choose your web hosting package and plan.
The first thing you’ll need to do is create a username and password. You will use these two to log in to your account and access your website’s control panel. Once you’ve done that, you can provide personal information, such as your name and address.
Next, you’ll need to select your hosting package. This package will determine how much space your website will have on the server and how much bandwidth you get allotted each month.
Once you’ve selected your package, you’ll be able to choose your domain name. This name is the address that people will use to access your website. If you’ve already determined your domain name in the previous step, you can enter it here.
STEP 5: Start a product reviews blog
Yay! You’re one step closer to starting your product review blog!
Once you’ve set up an account with a web hosting service provider, you need to install WordPress for your blog to start writing your own product reviews.
Most web hosting services these days offer one-click WordPress installation, so it’s quite easy to do.
After you’ve installed WordPress, it’s time to pick a WordPress theme to make your blog look good.
There are a ton of WordPress themes you can choose from, and most of them are free – so all you need to do is check for reviews and install a theme that looks good to you and you’re ready to go!
Designing your blog:
The sky’s the limit when it comes to design, so have fun with it! If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of templates and themes available online that you can use.
You could also choose to hire an affordable web designer from sites like Fiverr, UpWork, and 99designs.
STEP 6: Secure your blog
Now that you have your blog set up and are ready to start posting, it’s essential to take some security measures to safeguard your site. Here are a few things you can do:
1. Choose a strong password for your hosting account and WordPress admin area, and change it regularly. A strong password should be at least eight characters long and include a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.
2. Install a security plugin like Wordfence or Sucuri to help protect your site from malware and hackers.
3. Use a secure connection (HTTPS) whenever possible, especially when logging into your WordPress admin area.
4. Back up your site regularly so you can restore it if it’s ever hacked or damaged. Again, you can use a plugin like BackupBuddy or VaultPress to automate this process.
5. Keep your WordPress version and all plugins and themes up to date. Updated versions are often released to fix security vulnerabilities, so staying up to date is essential.
These simple steps can help ensure that your product review blog is secure and protected from potential threats.
STEP 7: Create your blog’s logo and essential pages
If you’re serious about becoming a product review blogger, you need to have a professional-looking blog. One of the methods to do this is to create a logo for your blog. You can hire a designer to create a logo or use a free online service like Canva to make one yourself.
Once you have your logo, you’ll need to create some essential pages for your blog. These would include an About page, a Contact page, and a Privacy Policy page. You can find free templates for these pages online, or you can hire a designer to create them for you.
STEP 8: Use a product review template
Before you begin writing product reviews for a particular product, take a step back and plan your writing.
What products are you going to review?
How can you connect the product reviews and link them to each other?
Will you be only writing good reviews or will you include the occasional bad review as well?
Prepare a product review template so that you develop uniformity within your blog posts, touch upon all the important points that need to be included in your product reviews, and your readers know what to expect from your blog.
How To Create A Product Review Template
Here are the important elements of every product review.
Make sure that these elements are included in your product review template so that you cover all of them in every review you write.
1. BRAND NAME AND LOGO
The most important thing to remember while writing a product review is to include the brand name and logo in your title.
People are typing in the brand name or product name in the search bar of search engines like Google, and your review post must be the first one they see – or at least on the first page of the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
Include the brand logo in the featured image of your blog post or at the beginning of your blog post so that people are clear in their minds that your blog post is going to help them understand more about that particular product.
2. RATING
Right at the start of your blog post, it is a good idea to give a rating for the product you are reviewing.
You could set a 5-star or 10-star standard rating for all products so that it is easy for people to get a quick picture of what you think about the product even before they read your whole blog post.
You could also use a tool like Affiliatable to create comparisons tables and give ratings for each product you review.
I personally use Affiliatable for my blog.
Here’s an example of a comparison table from Affiliatable:
3. SUMMARY
You could also provide your readers with a quick summary of your product review at the beginning of the post in bullet point format.
This helps readers decide whether to read your full blog post for more details.
For example, in this post, I’ve started with a review of all the databases on the list and why I’ve chosen them:
After the summary, I get into the details of each database software.
That way readers can decide whether they want to continue reading the post instead of being overwhelmed with all the information right at the start of the blog post.
It also helps readers who want a quick overview of the product instead of reading a 2,000-word blog post on it.
How to create a summary box for your product review blog posts
As a product review blogger, the summary box is one of the most critical aspects of your blog post. This summary box is what will give potential readers a snapshot of what your review is about and help them determine whether or not they want to read it.
Creating a practical summary box can be tricky, but it’s worth getting it right. Here are five simple and helpful tips for creating summary boxes for your product review blog posts:
1. Keep it short and sweet. The summary box is not the place for a long, drawn-out description of your review. Instead, keep it brief and to the point.
2. Start with a strong headline. The headline is the first thing potential readers will see, so make sure it’s catchy and encourages them to read.
3. Use keywords and phrases. When people are searching for product reviews, they’ll often use specific keywords and phrases. Including these in your summary box will make you more likely to appear in search results.
4. Be honest. Don’t try to trick potential readers into thinking your review is something it’s not. Be upfront about what you’re reviewing and what your opinion is.
5. Use images. An eye-catching image can make a huge difference in whether or not someone decides to read your review. If possible, include a photo of the product you’re reviewing.
4. PROS AND CONS
It’s not fair to only focus on the pros of the product you are trying to promote.
Take care to include the negative aspects as well so that buyers can make an informed decision before purchasing through your link.
You could write pros and cons in the form of bullet points to make it easier to read.
Here’s an example:
Do not mislead your audience – it will only decrease your trustworthiness and hurt your business in the long run.
You can also use Affiliatable to create a Pros and Cons table for each of your products. Here’s an example:
5. FEATURES
Point out the key features of the product you want to sell along with the benefits customers will gain by using the product.
Example:
6. WHAT IS “BRAND NAME”?
Include a section in your blog post at the beginning introducing the brand to your audience and talking about the company and other products they may sell.
Here’s an example:
7. SCREENSHOTS
It is helpful to include screenshots of each of the important features of the product so that customers can easily see how the product works.
You could also include screenshots of the steps customers need to take to buy a product or use it for the first time:
Visuals are very important in any blog post, so use as many screenshots and other images as you can.
8. PRICING
Include a screenshot of the pricing page of the brand. You could also elaborate on the various pricing plans of a SaaS product, for example, and mention the features and benefits of each of those plans.
Here’s an example:
9. ALTERNATIVES
Provide alternatives to the product so that the customer can look for other similar products, especially if the product you are promoting is expensive.
For example, check out this post:
10. DISCLOSURES
Remember to include proper disclosures at the beginning of the blog post right before you include your affiliate links.
You need to disclose all affiliate links by law.
Here’s an example from one of my blog posts:
STEP 9: Create content for your product review blog
Round-up reviews: These are reviews of multiple products in a specific category. For example, you could do a round-up review of the best hair dryers on the market.
Product comparisons:
These are where you compare two or more products side-by-side. This comparison is helpful for your readers if they can’t decide between two similar products and want to know the differences.
How-to guides:
These helpful guides show your readers how to use a product or do something related to the product. For example, you could write a guide on styling your hair with a hair dryer.
Product reviews:
These are in-depth reviews of a single product. This review is where you detail a product’s features, benefits, and whether you think it’s worth the price.
Product unboxing:
These are videos or posts where you show your readers what’s inside a product box when you first receive it. This video is helpful for folks who want to see what they’re getting before they buy it.
Product demo:
These are videos or posts where you show your readers how to use a product. Thes posts are helpful for people who want to see the product in action before buying it.
Product Q&A:
These are posts or videos where you answer your readers’ questions about a product. These answers are helpful for people who have specific questions about a product before buying it.
Product alternatives:
Product alternatives are posts where you recommend similar products to your readers. This recommendation is helpful for people looking for a product but can’t find the exact one they want or if they’re looking for a cheaper alternative.
When creating content for your product review blog, it’s essential to keep your target audience in mind. What type of content will interest the viewers. How can you help them decide whether or not to buy a product? Bear these aspects in mind when creating your content, and you’ll be sure to engage and inform your readers.
STEP 10: Sign up for affiliate programs
Now that your blog is set up and running, it’s time to start making money! A great way to do this is by signing up for affiliate programs.
What are affiliate programs? They are agreements between a merchant (the company that makes the product) and an affiliate (you). The affiliate agrees to promote the merchant’s effects on their blog, and in return, the merchant pays the affiliate a commission for every sale made.
There are tons of different affiliate programs out there, so it’s just a matter of finding ones that fit your niche. Once you find some excellent programs, sign up and start promoting!
Here are some tips for finding and signing up for affiliate programs:
1. Do a Google search for “affiliate programs + your niche.” This search should bring up a bunch of programs you can apply to.
2. Look for programs that offer products relevant to your blog’s topic. For example, if the blog is about parenting, you would want to find affiliate programs that sell products for parents.
3. Make sure the program offers good commissions. A good commission is typically around 10-20% but varies from program to program.
4. Read the terms and conditions of each program carefully. Some programs have strict rules about how you can promote their products.
5. Sign up for a few different programs for a start. You can always add more later on.
6. Promote the products on your blog in a helpful and informative way, not just a sales pitch. Your readers will appreciate your honesty about your recommendations, especially when it comes to tech product reviews.
7. Keep track of your sales and commissions to get paid!
Signing up for affiliate programs is an excellent way to monetize your blog and earn some extra income. make sure to research and find programs that are a good fit for you and your blog.
STEP 11: Grow your search traffic
So you’ve written your first product review blog post.
That’s awesome!
The next step is to grow your blog audience by increasing your search traffic.
Whether you’re a tech blogger or a full-time professional mom blogger with a lifestyle blog, you need to make sure that people are searching for the topics you write about and are able to find you.
Remember that most people use a search engine like Google to search for online reviews of products.
Make sure that your blog post comes on top of the search results when customers look for specific keywords.
Here’s how you can grow your search traffic:
1. Start creating content
The most important part of your product review blog is your content!
Make a plan of what kind of content you’ll be creating on your product review blog.
You could create the following types of blog posts to promote your affiliate links and review products:
- Single product reviews
- Product A vs. Product B
- List of products in a particular category
- Gift guides
You will need to use a content management system like WordPress to start publishing posts on your site.
Here’s what the backend of a WordPress website looks like:
You can create your blog posts here.
2. Add security to your blog
Many bloggers face the trouble of hacking and lose all their hard work due to a lack of security for their blogs.
Here are some ways you can improve the security of your blog:
- Create a strong password for your account that is different from your other passwords.
- Make sure you have the latest WordPress update installed.
- Back up the content of your site regularly.
- Delete unnecessary plugins.
- Install security plugins for your blog (such as Google Authenticator).
3. Update content regularly
The trick to staying on top of the SERPs is to update your content regularly.
Once you’ve written a blog post, don’t just leave it idle for years together expecting it to continue working as well as it did when you first wrote it.
Constantly update your product reviews so that you are not serving your audience outdated content that is not relevant anymore.
Many companies discontinue products or upgrade their products.
So keep a check on your blog posts (especially your high-performing blog posts) and try to update and improve them over time.
STEP 12: Monetize your product review blog
There are several ways to monetize your product review blog. Some methods are more effective than others, but it ultimately depends on your niche, traffic, and comfort zone.
1. Affiliate Links
It is a standard method to monetize a blog through affiliate links. When you include an affiliate link in one of your blog posts, you’re essentially promoting a product or service and earning a commission for every purchase that results from your link.
This method can be effective, but it’s essential to ensure that the products you’re promoting are relevant to your niche and that your audience will likely be interested in them. Otherwise, you risk alienating your readers and damaging your credibility.
2. Sponsored Posts
Another standard method of monetization is through sponsored posts. In a sponsored post, a brand pays you to write about their product or service in a positive light.
These posts can be an effective way to monetize your blog, but it’s essential to be transparent with your readers about the fact that it is a sponsored post. Otherwise, you risk damaging your credibility.
3. Advertising
Advertising is another standard method of monetization. You can sell ad space on your blog or use a program like Google AdSense to place ads on your site. You can also join ad networks.
This method can be effective, but it’s essential to balance the number of ads on your site and your blog’s content. Too many ads can be intrusive, and readers may leave, while too little can make it challenging to generate enough revenue to justify the effort.
4. Product Reviews
Another way to monetize your blog is by writing product reviews. You can review products that are relevant to your niche and accept payments from companies in exchange for writing a positive review.
You can also choose to write negative reviews.
This method can be effective, but you must disclose any payments you receive in exchange for the review. Otherwise, you risk damaging your credibility.
5. Consulting
If you are an expert in a specific area, you can monetize your blog by offering consulting services. This service could involve anything from advising businesses to coaching individuals on a particular topic.
This method can be effective, but you must ensure you’re qualified to offer your advertising services. Otherwise, you risk damaging your credibility.
These are a few methods to monetize your product review blog. Of course, the best way for you depends on your niche, traffic, and preferences. Experiment with varied techniques and find the one that works best for you.
STEP 13: Use tools to increase efficiency as a blogger
There are many tools out there that help bloggers do a lot of tasks faster and more easily. There are both free and paid options on this list.
Here are some of the tools I recommend:
Surfer SEO
Surfer SEO is a great tool that can help you optimize your blog posts to rank high above your competitors in search engines.
Affiliatable
Affiliatable is a cloud-based tool that helps you create neat comparison tables and pros and cons tables for your product reviews.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs helps you outrank your competitors and dominate your niche through keyword research and content gap analysis tools.
Thirsty Affiliates
ThirstyAffiliates helps you cloak your affiliate links in your blog post.
RankMath
RankMath uses SEO best practices to give you suggestions on what you can do to improve the SEO of your blog posts.
That way you stand a better chance of ranking at the top of the SERPs.
GetResponse
GetResponse is an email marketing and page-building tool that helps you attract a large audience and reach out to them through email marketing and marketing funnels.
Monster Insights
Monster Insights is a Google Analytics plugin for WordPress.
You can set up Google Analytics with just a few clicks using Monster Insights.
You can then track the performance of your product review blog with Google Analytics.
Canva
Canva is a graphic design tool used by many review bloggers to design banners, images, infographics, and social media graphics.
CoSchedule’s Headline Studio
CoSchedule’s Headline Studio allows you to create headlines that appeal to both your readers as well as search engines.
Grammarly
Grammarly helps you write posts that are grammatically correct and sound readable to your audience.
STEP 14: Promote Your Product Review Blog
Now that you’ve created your product review blog, it’s time to start promoting it. You can do this in various ways, and the best method for you will depend on your niche, budget, and goals.
1. Social Media
Social media is one of the most effective methods to promote your blog. You can use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to drive traffic to your blog and connect with potential readers.
Make sure to post regularly on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram and share interesting, relevant content. Of course, it would help if you also took advantage of social media ads when promoting your blog.
2. Search Engine Optimization
Another effective method to promote your blog is through search engine optimization (SEO). This SEO optimization involves optimizing your blog posts and website for specific keywords that people are sure to search for when looking for information in your niche.
If you can get your blog to rank high in search engine results, you’ll get more traffic and potential readers. There are various ways to optimize your blog for SEO, so do your research.
3. Guest Posts
Guest posting is another effective way to promote your blog. This aspect involves writing blog posts for other blogs in your niche and including a link back to your blog.
This method is excellent for getting exposure for your blog and connecting with potential readers. Just be sure to only guest post on high-quality blogs relevant to your niche.
4. Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is another option for promoting your blog. You can use platforms like Google AdWords and Facebook Ads to place ads on websites and social media platforms.
This method can effectively generate traffic, but it’s important to carefully target your ads so that you’re only paying for clicks from potential readers.
5. Email Marketing
Email marketing is another excellent way to promote your blog. You can build a list of email subscribers and then send periodic updates about your blog posts.
This method is a great way to keep your readers updated and encourage them to visit your blog regularly. Just be sure to only send emails to people who have subscribed to your list.
These are just a few of the many ways you can promote your product review blog. Of course, the best method for you depends on your niche, traffic, and preferences. Experiment with different techniques and find the one that works best for you.
Step 15: Research other successful product review bloggers in your niche
Product review bloggers are a dime a dozen. To succeed in this field, you must research other bloggers who have found success and learn from their examples.
Here are three simple and practical steps that will help you become a successful product review blogger:
1. Find successful product review bloggers in your niche and study their blogs. What are they doing that is working? How often do they post? What type of content do they share?
2. Reach out to successful bloggers in your niche and ask for advice. Many bloggers are happy to help others who are just starting.
3. Create a list of products that you would like to review. Make sure to choose products that are popular in your niche and that you would personally use.
Product Review Blog – FAQs
How do I monetize my product review?
There are many ways you can monetize your product reviews.
Here are the three most popular monetization methods:
- Ads – run ads on your product review blog
- Affiliate marketing – add affiliate links to your product reviews. When a reader purchases through your links, you earn a commission.
- Sponsored review posts – Reach out to companies in your niche to sponsor your content. You could review their products in exchange for a fee or free products.
How do I join ad agencies?
Most ad agencies have very low requirements.
All you need to do is go to their website, check out their terms and conditions, and apply to them.
If your product review blog fits their requirements, they will accept you into their program or network.
What blog networks should I join?
A blog network is not a great idea if you are planning to run a blog.
Blog networks exist for the sole purpose of linking to a particular site to “increase authority” of the site.
Google is getting smarter and could penalize you for this practice.
Should I pitch brands for review?
Yes!
You can totally pitch brands to ask them for free products to review or to sponsor your review.
Brands consider influencer marketing as a cheap way of marketing their company and products, and will readily pay you to review their products.
Conclusion
Becoming a product review blogger is a great way to earn some extra money online.
And if you stick to it and work hard enough, you could make a decent and stable income out of it.
But before you start blogging and reviewing products, there are certain things you need to keep in mind in order to be successful.
- Make sure to pick a niche and set clear goals before you start your blogging journey so that you know what you want your blog to be in the future.
- Find and join affiliate programs in your niche for products that you would like to promote to your readers.
- Use the various tools available online to make your blogging easier and less time-consuming so that you can stay consistent and grow your blog.
- Don’t compare yourself to other reviewers. Bring uniqueness and character to your blog posts. Remember – people follow people, not blogs.
- Optimize your blog posts for search engines so that you can be found online more easily and bring more traffic to your blog organically
- Create quality content. Whether you’re reviewing a physical product or a digital product, remember that the key to increased traffic and increased sales is to provide your readers with up-to-date honest reviews so that they can make an informed decision.
- Reach a targeted audience so that you can become an authority in your niche.
Do you have any other tips or advice for newbie product review bloggers?
Leave a comment and help the blogger community!
Happy blogging!
