How to Write a Product Review

Surely you’ve wanted to write some kind of product review on your blog. In other words, write a test report. But when you started it, it looked kind of boring. There was no rating at the end, no box for a conclusion and none of the typical elements that usually appear in a classic review.

A product review, a review or a test report is all about describing and evaluating something. It can be a product, a service, or a trip. Learn how to write the best product review to serve your visitors and Google.

It’s review time! With these tips and tricks, you can upgrade your reviews quickly and easily.

But don’t worry, as always, WordPress already exists suitable plugins for such purposes. In addition, I have many tips and tricks in store for you, with which you can write better reviews in no time. Exactly these I would like to introduce to you in today’s article. I’ll show you how to write awesome reviews and how to use WordPress plugins to make sure that a review really looks like a review. Namely, exactly how it would be presented in a major magazine.

What is important for a review?

A review or test report should not only present a product, but also shed light on its characteristics. How does it work in everyday use, what accessories are included, how much fun does it bring, and what are the manufacturer’s prospects for the near future? What is important depends on the product itself.

With shoes, for example, it’s worth comparing the soles, and with pillows it’s all about the filling. If you write about video games, then consider the price, scope and graphics. This is always to be considered individually. However, there are some points that should always be thought through in advance when writing a review. That’s what I’m going to show you here.

Is this really a test?

The term “test” has already caused warnings in Germany. Namely, whenever it was about niche sites that had not really tested the product. So anyone who writes “test report” anywhere should act honestly. Not only to avoid trouble, but also to avoid deceiving potential readers. If you don’t fulfill the visitors’ intentions, you won’t have much success with Google later on.

So always ask yourself beforehand whether you are merely presenting the product or really subjecting it to a test. A test contains a little more and includes, among other things, information about long-term use and many pictures from everyday life. A presentation is something completely different.

Review sample or self-bought?

Here, too, it is important to declare. Did you get the product from the manufacturer, or did you buy it yourself? Such information was not common in the past, but today readers expect a corresponding note immediately. Do not try to deceive here and be transparent. If you have received the product, you should point this out openly and honestly.

What does it do, how does it help?

Always put yourself in the position of your readers. Always look at the product with another eye. Blogs are very personal, but it’s important to think outside the box when it comes to reviews. You don’t write reviews for yourself, but so that others can make a buying decision based on it.

So ask yourself from the beginning what your readers are interested in. What problems might they have that you might not know about? If you got the product for free for your test, you should always ask yourself whether it would have been worth the money to you. Is it all still as exciting if you would have had to pay a lot of money for it? Many products are great as a gift, but to be honest you often wouldn’t buy them yourself at the price offered.

Clearly name advantages and disadvantages

Every test report should contain a list of pluses and minuses, or advantages and disadvantages. Many readers immediately scroll to the place of such bulleted lists, because it is precisely these that interest them most in test reports. They want to see how you evaluate things and what they can derive from it for their own purchase decision. Try to communicate that clearly to them.

Storytelling or listing?

In the end, the longest review is useless if it doesn’t contain a common thread. Almost all articles live from their storytelling. So always tell your own story about and with the product. How did you find out about it, what makes it special for you, how do you personally use it?

Don’t be too factual in reviews, and don’t be too playful either. Reviews should be a mixture of dry data and exciting report. If you succeed in this combination, you have written a truly successful test report. Then it’s just a matter of making it look like a test.

With this checklist for writing product reviews, nothing will stand in the way of your rankings.

The best WordPress review plugins and themes

And what belongs to every real review? Exactly, a final test box that gives a rating, lists positive and negative things once again and above all looks nice. You probably know the rating boxes of popular magazines and so do your readers. We all got used to the fact that test reports end with a conclusion and a rating.

Please don’t reinvent the wheel here. Those who are specifically looking for a test want and expect exactly what they already know from other magazines and blogs. You should give him that by adding a test box. WordPress makes it very easy for you via plugins here.

If you want a deeper integration, you can also look for special WordPress themes. There are some themes for the CMS that come with such scoring boxes and features out of the box and have them deeply embedded in the design. This can be useful, but often plugins are much more flexible.

My personal pick of the best WordPress review plugins:

WP Review Pro

WP Review Pro is particularly recommended. The extension provides many templates, which seems interesting for niche sites that want to be as close to Amazon as possible, among others. There is also a feature that allows users to leave their own reviews as well. Of course, the extension for WordPress has much more to offer. Just check out the corresponding plugin page to learn more.

The price for the Pro version is reasonable and worth it if you publish more than a handful of reviews a year.

I also use WP Review Pro on my Kurs Profi website and can only recommend it. On the screenshot you can see the review box of a standard template on the left. The box in the sidebar I created myself and customized using CSS.

WP Ultimate Review

WP Ultimate Review is also a quick and easy way to create review boxes that show some kind of rating. The included designs are a bit simpler here, but they are also very expressive. In addition, they fit into almost any blog.

So this plugin would also be worth a look if you’re looking for ways to add a graphical rating to your reviews.

Taqyeem – WordPress Review Plugin

I’ve been using this review plugin for a few years now here on Blogger Pilot, and I’m basically happy with it as well. The name Taqyeem takes a lot of getting used to, but that doesn’t do anything to the functions.

I chose this solution for writing product reviews because it’s simple and snappy. But there are no elaborate tables, or other functions with which you can compare different products. Also there are real function updates only once a year.

Rehub Review Theme

If you really want to go in the direction of pure review website or price comparison, WordPress theme REHub is the best solution for you.

This kind of integration of reviews, price comparison and features is only possible with one theme. A real alternative to REHub would then still be the custom development.

Promote affiliate marketing products

Let’s face it, most reviews and product ratings are created for affiliate marketing.

If this term doesn’t mean anything to you, it’s referral marketing. You recommend a product to your visitors and get a small margin for it. Same way I do it here.

There is nothing wrong with this in principle, however, many bloggers abuse the trust of their readers by writing product reviews that are not honest and are only out to make money.

Don’t do that!

Once you lose the trust of your readers and Google, it’s very hard to fix.

I only write about products here on BloggerPilot that I use myself or know very well. For my hosting reviews, for example, I got myself test accounts for the providers I don’t currently use. This allowed me to write an honest review.

Read on for why you won’t rank with fake reviews.

Google Product Review Update 2022

With the Product Review Update google has made sure that product reviews with inferior quality can no longer rank in front. To be exact, there were actually three updates. Two in 2021 and the last one in March 2022.

Google wants from your product reviews:

• Describe in-depth details, such as the pros and cons of a particular item, details about a product’s performance, or how the product differs from previous versions.
• Reviews are from people who have actually used the product and show how the product looks or how it is used.
• Unique information that goes beyond what the manufacturer provides. E.g., visuals, audio, or links to other content that describes the reviewer’s experience.
• Cover comparable products. Or explain what sets a product apart from its competitors.

With the latest update, Google has expanded the list even more significantly.

Questions and answers

Conclusion on product review writing

It is not that easy to publish a coherent and exciting review. You need tables for comparison, lists of pros and cons, and all of that needs to be combined with clear headlines and images. Ideally, you should use storytelling for your review and combine everything at the end. This is the only way to keep your readers interested until the end.

Of course, you also need a test box or a rating box. Unfortunately, there are not so many plugins that are worth a recommendation. But if you have finally found a suitable WordPress plugin and customized it a bit, nothing stands in the way of your own test reports.

I think my article was helpful to get you started in the world of test reports. Maybe you are now ready and will publish your first own review soon. I would be happy to read from you.

Have fun writing your product review!