Affiliate content: how to write a recommendation that sells and does not deceive

track.lt editorial team · 2026-10-11 · 5 min read

On this page · 8

What Google considers a good review
Four formats
Sentences that sell and sentences that do not
Labelling advertising
What not to write
Checklist before publishing
Frequently asked questions
Sources

An affiliate link sells nothing by itself. A person buys when your text or video makes them understand what the thing is, who it suits and why it is worth trusting. A recommendation that only praises works worse than one that honestly states the drawbacks too.

This article covers four recommendation formats, what Google's guidelines say about reviews, how to label advertising correctly and which claims to avoid so that you deceive neither the reader nor yourself.

In short

Content based on real use works best: your own photos, specific figures, named drawbacks.
Four reliable formats: review, comparison, “how I use it” and how-to.
Every recommendation with an affiliate link or code must be clearly labelled as advertising.
Do not promise results, do not write health claims and do not pretend to have bought something you have not.

What Google considers a good review

Google's search guidelines on high-quality reviews list what is expected of the author of a review. Even if you are writing for a social network rather than a website, it is a good checklist:

evaluate from a user's perspective;
show that you are knowledgeable about what you are reviewing;
provide evidence of your own experience – photos, audio or other;
provide measurable data on how the thing performs;
explain how it differs from its competitors;
describe similar options and who each one suits better;
if you call something the best, explain why, based on your own experience.

The same guidelines acknowledge that reviews often use affiliate links, and that this is not a bad thing – provided the review is useful in its own right. In its more general guidelines on helpful content Google stresses that its systems prioritise content created for people rather than for search rankings, and value trust – a clear author, sources, real experience.

Four formats

Format	When it fits	What is essential	Common mistake
Review	One product that you have tried	Your own photos, pros and cons, who it suits and who it does not	A rewritten seller's description
Comparison	The person is choosing between several options	The same criteria for all, a table, a clear conclusion for each need	The “winner” is always the one with the highest commission
“How I use it”	The product is part of your everyday life	A specific situation, the result, what you did not like	General phrases with no detail
How-to	The person wants to solve a problem	Steps in which the product is a tool, not the goal	A how-to with only a link and no content

Review

A structure that works: what it is and who it is for, how you used it and for how long, what you liked, what you did not like, who you would recommend it to and who not, the price and where to buy. The “who I would not recommend it to” part is the most important: it shows that you are evaluating, not advertising.

Comparison

Choose three to five criteria that really determine the choice and apply them to all the options. Write the conclusion not as “the best is X” but as “if A matters to you – choose X, if B – Y”. If you have an affiliate link for one of the compared products and not for another, say so.

“How I use it”

This format suits social networks. One specific situation works better than a list of features: not “a handy app” but “on Sunday I planned my week in ten minutes”. Show the process, not just the result.

How-to

People search for how to do something, not for which product to buy. A how-to that solves the problem and shows the tool along the way attracts readers for months or years – especially through search.

Sentences that sell and sentences that do not

Instead of	Write
“A wonderful product, I recommend it to everyone!”	“I have been using it for three months. It suits you if… It does not suit you if…”
“The best price on the market”	“It costs X euros; a similar option elsewhere is Y”
“It will change your life”	“It helped me solve this particular problem”
“Hurry, only a few left!”	“The offer is valid until such-and-such a date” – only if it is true
“Link in the description”	“I am leaving the link below – it is an affiliate link, I receive a commission on purchases”

Labelling advertising

A post with an affiliate link or a discount code is advertising, even if you bought the product yourself and your opinion is sincere. The State Consumer Rights Protection Authority (VVTAT) reminds that the label must be clearly visible – not hidden among hashtags and not behind the “more” button.

Social networks: “Reklama” (advertising) or “#reklama” at the start of the post, and in Stories – in a visible place; where available, also use the platform's paid partnership label.
Blog: a sentence before the first link saying that the article contains affiliate links and that you receive a commission on purchases.
Video: say it aloud and write it in the description.
Email: label it right next to the link.

On websites Google recommends marking paid and affiliate links with the attribute rel="sponsored".

What not to write

Claims that cause trouble

Health claims. “Cures”, “reduces pain”, “helps against a disease” – you cannot write this about products that are not medicines or medical devices.
Promises about results. “You will lose 5 kg”, “you will earn 1 000 euros”, “guaranteed to help”.
Made-up experience. Writing “I have been using it for a year” when you have never seen the product.
Fake reviews and “before and after” photos whose authenticity you cannot substantiate.
Artificial urgency. Invented deadlines and “last units”.
Disparaging competitors without facts.
Anything that is not on the product page. If the seller does not promise something, do not promise it either.

Responsibility for the content of advertising also falls on whoever published it. Programmes reject commissions and suspend accounts for misleading claims.

Checklist before publishing

Have I used the product or at least seen it with my own eyes?
Have I written at least one drawback?
Is it clear who the product does not suit?
Do the price and terms match what is on the seller's page today?
Is the advertising label visible straight away?
Does the link work and lead where I promise?
Would I publish this post if I received no commission?

The last question is the best filter. Many programmes give affiliates ready-made texts: they are fine as a start, but rewriting them in your own words and adding your own experience works better than copying.

Frequently asked questions

Can I recommend a product I have not used?

You can present it on the basis of publicly available information, but do not pretend that you have used it. Recommendations based on real experience work considerably better.

Do I need to write about a product's drawbacks?

Yes. Drawbacks increase trust and reduce the number of returns: the people who buy are those the product really suits.

How do I label an affiliate link?

Clearly and visibly: “Reklama” (advertising) at the start of the post, or a sentence before the link saying that you receive a commission on purchases.

Can I use the programme's ready-made texts?

Yes, if the programme provides them. It is better to rewrite them in your own words and add your own experience.

How long should a recommendation be?

Long enough to answer the buyer's main questions: what it is, who it suits, how much it costs and why you are worth believing.