A Simple Product Review Template That You Should Steal

Product reviews sit at the bottom of the funnel. People searching for them are ready to buy, and they convert at rates most content types never touch.

We’ve used the template below across our own affiliate properties and customer data for years. It has generated millions of dollars in affiliate conversions, and it held up through every Product Review and Reviews update Google rolled out from 2021 to 2023.

Below you’ll find the full step-by-step structure, examples worth studying, conversion tips, and how to track whether your reviews are actually earning.

Updated 2026.

1How We Tested This Template (and Why Trust Us)

This template is not theory. It comes from what the data shows works.

We run affiliate sites with a combined million visitors per month. We also built Lasso’s affiliate analytics platform, which helps affiliates track over 50 million page views per month to optimize conversions.

We’ve tested Lasso displays against product review page view data across that footprint. Every recommendation here reflects real-world conversion patterns, not blog post guesswork.

2What Should a Product Review Template Include?

Most publishers treat reviews as long-form sales pages. Operators who win treat them as structured decision tools. Steal this outline for your next review and you’ll cover the elements that build trust and drive clicks.

A strong product review template should include:

• Title: that stands out and gets clicks.

• Intro: that establishes authority and builds rapport.

• Brief description of the product: quick run-down and a value judgment.

• Product affiliate display: CTA, pros and cons, and buy now button.

• The main product review: the in-depth description.

• FAQs: answer any objections or questions the reader has.

• Alternatives: recommend based on any weaknesses the product has.

• Conclusion: and another affiliate CTA.

Your job is to help potential buyers make a purchasing decision. That means earning trust first. Show features and benefits through real-life examples, not spec dumps.

1. Write a title that stands out and gets clicks

Titles drive review performance. A good title:

• Gets clicks. CTR is considered an SEO ranking factor.

• Shows your audience that you understand them.

• Has your keyword in the title for the ranking boost.

Put the main keyword at the beginning when you can. That still helps product reviews rank higher.

Go one step further. Write a title that signals you understand the reader’s pain point, sparks curiosity, and earns the click.

That requires understanding why someone searched for this product in the first place. What are they worried about? That depends on the category.

For the keyword “investengine review,” you’re writing for beginner income investors who want a cheap entry point into investing.

The highest-ranking articles understand this. Their titles look like:

• InvestEngine review – is it the cheapest investment platform?

• InvestEngine review: the best place to invest for free? (2023)

Both put the keyword first. One adds the year to signal freshness. I recommend doing that.

If I were writing this review, I’d test titles like:

• InvestEngine Review: cheap yet reliable for beginner investors?

• InvestEngine Review: still the best cheap investing app?

That combines the low-cost angle with the reliability concern beginners carry about where their money actually sits.

2. Intro: Establish authority, build rapport, and show you can be trusted

Your intro has one job: make the reader trust you before they scroll past the fold.

One framework I use for affiliate intros is SPEAR:

• S: Search Intent. Let the reader know they’re in the right place immediately.

• P: Pain Points. Understand the needs that led them to this review.

• E: Expertise. Show you’re worth listening to without sounding insecure.

• A: Audience. Know who is on this page and who isn’t. Tailor your language accordingly.

• R: Rapport. Be likeable and authentic. Build a bond.

Empathize with the reader’s problem. If you can name what they’re struggling with, they’ll trust you to have the answer.

Writing a vacuum review? Open with a relatable story about dirt you couldn’t clean. Your audience has been there. When you present the product as the fix, the trust is already in place.

You can also add a “why you should trust us” section. Keep it brief. Highlight expertise, reliability, and that you actually tested the product.

Wirecutter does this well in their USB battery pack roundup:

Place product photos high in the intro. Real testing visuals signal legitimacy immediately.

Another option is the PAS intro formula:

Further reading: How to Write a “How to Guide” That People Want to Read (+ Template)

3. Summary of the product review

Sections 3 and 4 are the two most important parts of any product review. Done correctly, they account for up to 50% of your affiliate conversions.

Most readers won’t finish the full article. They want the verdict in a skim-friendly summary so they can decide if it’s right for them.

Wirecutter nails this pattern:

In this summary section, highlight:

• Which type of person this product best suits, and who it’s NOT for

• The key reasons why you should or should not buy the product

• The main features your audience cares about

Be specific. Is it great for beginners, budget buyers, Mac users, left-handers, football fans, heavy-duty professionals, or another defined segment? The more specific you get, the better your conversions.

You can include pros and cons here or in the affiliate display in section 4, plus a rating out of 5. Both the star rating and pros and cons can be added to schema with the Lasso WordPress plugin so they show up in search results.

Here’s a pros and cons example from a Robinhood review:

Don’t list every spec. Focus on the factors that actually drive purchase decisions.

Make it easy to skim, then follow with section 4: a display built to convert.

4. Affiliate display for conversions

The intro and summary warm the reader up. Section 4 is where you give them a clear path to buy.

Most sites still use plain text links or outdated tools that look like they belong on a 2015 affiliate blog. That leaves money on the table.

At Lasso, we’ve tested affiliate displays across more than 100 million affiliate page views that our 8,000 customers receive. We know what drives clicks and sales, and we built that into our displays.

Here’s an example summary box display for Grammarly, created with Lasso:

Our displays convert better than the alternatives we’ve benchmarked. Jared Bauman, host of the Niche Pursuits podcast, increased his affiliate earnings by 88% after switching from AAWP to Lasso.

July’s earnings with Lasso were 106% higher than June’s earnings with AAWP.

June: $639.88
July: $1,317.98

• jared bauman (@jaredbauman) August 9, 2023

Shawna Newman, founder of Skipblast, saw the same pattern:

Lasso was definitely the winner against Affiliatable and AAWP when I published my testing results in February. What are you moving from?

• Shawna Newman (@ShawnaNewman) July 20, 2023

To increase clicks and conversions, you can easily add:

• Pros and cons

• Product ratings (star rating out of 5)

• Multiple seller options (or have the second button link to a review or product comparison)

• Button text and color designed to convert

• Price (yes, showing price can increase buyer intent on your clicks)

• Another brief product description highlighting the main reasons to buy, or a feature list

• Automatically add an affiliate disclosure

If you’re looking to level up as an affiliate marketer, consider Lasso.

Further reading: 11 Simple Product Description Writing Tips (That You Can Swipe)

5. The product review: how it works, main product’s features, and show your real-life testing

This is the core of your review. Structure it with subheadings for each main feature or comparison point, then go deep on each one.

Pick sections based on what buyers actually weigh before purchasing. Those are the parts that lead to affiliate sales. For a PC review, that might mean:

• Speed: RAM, graphics card, etc

• Audio quality

• Resolution

• Storage

• Software

• Available accessories you can buy

• Any extra features that come with it

For each section, show how the product solves a real problem. Walk the reader through a scenario where a specific feature fixed something you experienced.

Use visual, precise language. Put the reader inside the story.

Add supporting images and ideally videos showing those specifics in action. This is non-negotiable for trust.

Keep naming the segments who benefit most. The more often you say “this is for X type of person,” the more confident those readers become that the product fits them.

Reviewing a lawnmower? A before-and-after of your yard, or a side-by-side against an alternative model, is compelling proof.

It doesn’t need to be all positive. Showing where the product falls short builds trust and keeps the wrong buyers from clicking through and bouncing.

For weak areas, recommend an alternative that excels there. Include an affiliate link so you still capture the conversion.

Take mountaineering tents. Buyers weigh capacity, weight, number of poles, and price before they commit.

NerdWallet uses feature tables effectively:

G2.com asks users, “What problems are you solving with the product?” That framing surfaces real use cases:

6. Add FAQs that actually help curious buyers

FAQs come from several sources: the product’s website, Google’s “People Also Ask,” and “Searches Related To.”

Both the brand and Google are telling you these questions matter. Answering them in your review gets ahead of objections before they kill a click.

For a Firewire surfboard review, you’d check the brand site and People Also Ask:

These questions can shape your entire outline.

Here’s what FAQ sections look like in practice:

People Also Ask isn’t always accurate for your specific audience. If you know your readers, you’ll know the questions they actually have.

If you hit writer’s block, AI can help here. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude can surface FAQ ideas for your review content.

Here’s a prompt I sometimes use to catch gaps:

“You’re an interested customer looking to buy a {insert product here}. Before feeling comfortable buying, what questions might you have that you want answered?”

If those feel too generic, try this:

“You’re an interested customer looking to buy a {insert product here}. What are some less common and unconventional questions you might have before buying?”

Those often surface specific angles worth covering. Answer them well and you give readers everything they need to purchase.

Another approach: publish the draft, share it with your audience, and ask what questions remain. What feels obvious to you often isn’t obvious to them. Turn that feedback into new FAQ entries.

7. Recommend alternative products that match weaknesses of the product

If a reader reaches this section without clicking, the main product probably wasn’t the right fit.

That doesn’t mean they’re done buying.

The key to a high-converting alternatives section is specificity. Don’t recommend generic similar products.

Recommend alternatives that win at a specific use case.

Your review might cover the best lawn mower under $50. An alternative could be a premium model built for thicker, longer grass, or one that handles a specific terrain better.

A time-saver: map each con to an alternative that excels in that area. Small and expensive? Recommend something larger and cheaper. You’re turning unconverted traffic into affiliate clicks.

You can display alternative products as grids using Lasso:

Before you publish net-new reviews, run an Opportunities Scan on pages that already rank. Most operators find product mentions sitting unmonetized in URLs that already get traffic.

8. Conclusion and re-sell at the end

Close with a clear summary: your opinion, why the product works, who it’s best for, then another affiliate display CTA to capture the conversion.

If you’re still reading and haven’t tried Lasso yet, here’s the case in one line: better displays mean better conversion per click on the review pages you’re already publishing.

One more trick: link to internal content higher in the buyer funnel for readers who haven’t clicked any affiliate links yet. In a lawnmower review, that might mean articles on:

• How much does a lawnmower cost?

• Types of lawnmowers

• Factors to consider when buying a lawnmower

Those posts give readers the context they need before they’re ready to buy. For a structured approach to comparison content, see our guide on how to write product comparison posts.

3How to Write a Product Review: 6 Extra Tips

These tips don’t fit a single template section, but they separate reviews that rank and convert from reviews that just take up crawl budget.

1. Make it easy to scan read

Long paragraph blocks scare readers off. They miss the points that drive conversions.

Make reviews scannable with:

• Bulleted lists or tables for specs and pros and cons

• Short paragraphs, with bold text for the main takeaways

• Affiliate displays like Lasso that grab attention

2. Cover the negatives, not just the positives

The best reviews are balanced, authentic, and honest. They tell you who the product is for and who should skip it.

If you’re too scared of losing the sale, you’ll never earn the trust that closes it anyway.

This also aligns with Google’s Review guidelines, including:

• “Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of something, based on your own original research.”

• “Cover comparable things to consider, or explain which might be best for certain uses or circumstances.”

3. Show empathy

Write with a friendly voice. Be real. Focus on helping the reader decide, not pushing a click.

Mention problems you hit during testing, or mistakes you made, in an “Oops! Don’t do what I did!” way. Self-deprecation builds rapport.

Empathize with the problem that led them to search for this product. That’s the R in SPEAR.

4. Use plenty of images

Nothing builds trust like real product photos and videos of you testing the product in situations your reader would recognize. Before-and-afters are especially strong.

Wirecutter does this in their phone editing app roundup:

Plenty of review sites use stock or fake images. Readers can tell. The more real visuals you include, the clearer it is that you actually tested the product.

5. Write in first person

Write from first person and highlight your personal experience. That builds the most trust with your audience and signals to search engines that this is a real review, not a rewritten Amazon description.

Use language like:

• “During my test, I found that…”

• “I personally found that X feature was…”

Mention details only someone who actually used the product would know.

One of Google’s Review guidelines:

“When recommending something as the best overall or the best for a certain purpose, include why you consider it the best, with first-hand supporting evidence.”

First person matches that requirement directly.

6. Also show other reviews of people who like the product

Your opinion matters, but so do other perspectives. Include reviews from other sources, even when they disagree with you. That gives readers a fuller picture so they can decide for themselves.

That could mean linking to other full reviews or pulling quotes from Amazon, G2, or Google.

This also partially meets another Google Reviews guideline:

“Include links to other useful resources (your own or from other sites) to help a reader make a decision.”

Link to sources you used, or add screenshots.

4Great Product Review Examples to Take Inspiration From

1. Up The Gains – Personal Finance Reviews

Up The Gains’ Wealthify review is a strong model. Up The Gains is one of the fastest-growing UK personal finance sites.

The topic is YMYL. Getting someone to invest money requires a far higher trust bar than a standard product review.

Up The Gains handles it with clear author bios and images detailing expertise before the article even starts.

The introduction delivers a value judgment immediately. The following paragraphs explain who the product is for (beginner investors).

The affiliate display includes main selling points, social proof via star rating, a banner for who it’s best for, and a buy button.

Two things I’d tweak:

• The intro line “I really like the way Wealthify operate” builds rapport, but the value judgment could be sharper. Google may not read it as a clear verdict, which can cost you a featured snippet. Human readers may want more detail too.

• The button color could be more contrasting to pull more clicks.

2. RetroDodo – Gaming Product Review

RetroDodo’s Powkiddy RGB20S review covers a retro handheld console.

The review opens with a video. That’s powerful social proof.

The buy box appears before much selling copy. That works if most readers watch the video first. If they don’t, the CTA may land too early, before they’re warmed up.

I’d increase conversions by stating a clearer buy-or-skip verdict in the intro summary, naming who should and shouldn’t buy, and telling readers which site the “Buy Here” button sends them to.

The review itself shows deep expertise. It reads authentic and trustworthy throughout.

5How to Track Product Review Performance

This template gives you the structure. Tracking tells you whether it’s working.

The easiest way to track product review affiliate links is Lasso Performance. It automatically generates unique SubIDs on every affiliate link on your site so you can measure each one individually.

From there, you see how much revenue every product review page earns, plus CTR, EPC, and other metrics for each link on each page.

Here’s an example from one of my product reviews:

With that data, you can optimize pages to maximize conversion rates and revenue. Setup takes a few minutes and a single JavaScript snippet.

For a deeper look at the metrics that matter, read our guide on earnings per click in affiliate marketing.

We’ve helped thousands of websites double their affiliate incomes (or more) with the tools you need to run reviews at scale.

At Lasso, we built the link infrastructure so you can focus on reviews instead of guessing which pages earn. See how Lasso fits your stack. Get started with Lasso and run an Opportunities Scan on the pages you already have live.

Jamie I.F.

Lasso Team

Jamie heads up marketing at Lasso, runs a portfolio of niche sites, and tweets a lot about affiliate marketing and SEO.