SEO content has taken a slant towards opinions and reviews, giving writers a chance to raise their voice for profit. But writing reviews online is a tricky business. It’s very much a balancing act, and expects the writer to keep both the readers and the company having their product reviewed satisfied. Honesty is critical to loyal readership, which means that you will write negative reviews. At the same time, however, reviews that are too harsh or seem bias against a brand can create bad relationships between writers and companies. It is possible to be honest, readable, and keep a good standing with your clients, but it takes a little know-how. Here are some tips for better SEO reviews.
Quarantine the Negative
Never let your negative opinion of a product cross over into a negative opinion of the company that produced it. Lines such as “Company A makes yet another disgusting beverage,” and “Company B’s design sense couldn’t be worse, as this rug shows,” are a quick way to losing trust and credibility with both companies and readers. A great review writer understands the difference between an insult and a true critique and knows how to avoid crossing the line. Never let your dislike of a product turn into insults that are pointed directly at the company.
Remember the Positive
When writing a review, avoid the piece becoming one big hyperbole. Many inexperienced reviewers will praise a product they love without a single negative or even deep thought, and it’s just as easy to write a hateful rant about a product you greatly dislike. You’ll very rarely – if ever – be asked to review a product has absolutely no positive traits to be found, so don’t forget to include a little about the product’s good intentions, even if your review is negative. Maybe a poor tasting product is very healthy, or a web browser lacking features is lightning fast. These traits not only help balance your review, but help the creators of a product see what they should be keeping about the product.
Write Without Bias
If you are offered a review opportunity that you know you can’t do, saying “no” on occasion can actually improve your relationship with your client. If you’re a food critic who hates sweets and is asked to review a new candy bar, let your client know why you wouldn’t be able to offer a fair review and ask if anything else is available. The same goes for products you don’t have enough knowledge of to fairly comment on. If you’re a video game reviewer asked to look at a business program or vise versa, ask yourself what experience you have in the field. Not every writer has the opportunity to turn down a piece, so when you do have the choice, make it carefully.
About the Author: @JulianaPayson is a content manager for InMotion Hosting who looks after their blog and newsletter for a 100k+ webmaster audience. InMotion Hosting is a Los Angeles based web hosting company with US based Tech support for their largely web-pro customer base. If you have tips, information, collaboration ideas to share which could be mutually beneficial to our audiences, please get in touch.
