In case you are stuck, here’s a great idea for your next article: Compare two or more products (or tools or apps or books) in your niche. You’ll see a huge difference!
Comparison posts have been a big part of many people’s shopping habits these days. They are a useful way to make sure you are getting the best possible item before you waste the money on a potentially faulty (or just not quite right) product.
Product comparison posts are what bring traffic, affiliate earnings, and new leads. You’ll find your readers much more engaged than with your regular blog post: Fans will protect their favorite tools, brands will comment to clarify some of your points, future buyers will share the article, and experienced buyers will comment to share what they encountered.
Here are a few easy ways to start writing successful tool/product comparison posts:
Table of Contents
Properly Identify Competing Products
Make sure you are identifying two (or more) products that your readers would have trouble deciding between. They shouldn’t necessarily have largely similar features, be within the same price region, and have a couple of distinguishing differences or results.
The main point: Your readers should have trouble choosing one over another and you can help them.
Google Autocomplete is a great way to find these sets of competing products or apps: Just type the name of the app or a product that is popular in your niche then put in “vs” and click space. Google will suggest you most common alternatives:
Once you have identified what you are comparing:
- Try them yourself: Buy a sample, join the trial package, contact the companies asking for a demo, etc.
- Join the products’ affiliate programs*
*At the beginning of your comparison article, put a little disclaimer that you are using affiliate links but your reviews are completely unbiased.
Product comparison articles may become your blog’s income generators if you do them right!
Understand The Point Behind The Comparison Blog Post
Before you get started, you need to understand why you are making the post. I have seen quite a few where the author (obviously) only wrote the post to get views, and they put no thought into the needs of the people reading it.
You are trying to help your readers. So start by searching out the most commonly asked questions about the products.
Consider the needs of your audience. It is not a good idea to involve your future audience in the process. For example, you can publish social media surveys or polls to gather their votes and use this data in your reviews.
Encourage them to connect and share their personal experience with any of the products you are reviewing. Ask them why they chose one product over the other and what they feel about that choice. On-site surveys are always a great idea too!
Not only will it allow you to better understand where your target audience is coming from and which problems they are seeking to solve, but this pre-publication research will turn out to be more trustworthy and well-balanced because you will share more opinions and experiences besides your own.
Have a Strong, Clear Format
I can’t stress this enough: make all of your comparison posts follow the same format! It should be clear and easy to read, with plenty of headers and a simple rating system.
Make your comparison articles stand out! For example, create a comparison chart that would follow any list of tools. The charts are really helpful and readers have always enjoyed them because they provide a clear breakdown of differences between the compared solutions.
Emphasize Your First-Hand Experience
Google has done a couple of product review updates so far and their guidelines explicitly state that any product review should come from first-hand experience of using that product.
Google’s EEAT guidelines have also been updated to add an extra “E” for experience in the document.
You may not be an expert in a topic you are describing but if you have a first-hand experience with it, you give Google a strong signal that your content should be surfaced for searchers.
Make sure to make it clear that you actually used the tools (or bought the products) you are comparing.
Make the Most of Your Social Media Sharing
When sharing your comparison post:
- Tag the products/brands/tools you are comparing
- Re-package your comparison charts as social media visuals
- Use ChatGPT to create value-adding social media posts to save time
- Use tools like Linkpop to put your multiple shares on various channels on a single page.
Product comparison articles can be very useful for both readers and writers. For readers, a well-written comparison allows them to easily see the key differences between products they may be trying to choose between. For writers, comparison articles tend to attract more traffic and engagement as they tap into readers’ shopping research habits.
The keys to writing an effective product comparison article are:
- Properly identify competing products that readers would have difficulty deciding between
- Understand the purpose behind the comparison from the reader’s perspective
- Actively engage your target audience in the process by surveying their needs and preferences
- Use a consistent, easy-to-follow format with visual comparison charts
If done well, product comparison articles can become go-to resources for your niche, driving ongoing traffic and affiliate revenue. Just remember that the goal is to provide genuine value for readers struggling with a purchasing decision.
Key Takeaways
- Comparison articles tap into reader shopping habits and attract high-engagement
- Choose products readers would have trouble deciding between
- Understand reader needs and involve them in the process
- Use consistent templates and visual charts
- Write from your experience with the products you are comparing, and make it clear that you actually used both.
- Goal is to provide value, not just drive affiliate links
Ann Smarty is the founder of Smarty Marketing, a boutique SEO agency based in New York, and Viral Content Bee, a social media promotion tool. Ann’s search engine optimization career began in 2010. She is the former editor-in-chief of Search Engine Journal and contributor to prominent search and social blogs, including Small Business Trends and Mashable.
