Where to Put Affiliate Links Without Sounding Like a Used Car Salesman. Get this wrong and you will destroy your credibility and trust factor
Post by Peter Hanley bizbitspro.com
I ruined my first affiliate blog by doing exactly what I thought I was supposed to do: stuffing links everywhere like I was getting paid per click. Spoiler alert—I wasn’t getting paid at all, because nobody was clicking.
The problem wasn’t that I had affiliate links. The problem was that they felt like affiliate links. They disrupted the reading experience, broke trust, and made every recommendation feel like a pitch. Readers could smell the desperation through their screens.
It took me six months and a lot of trial and error to figure out what actually works: affiliate links convert best when they don’t feel like affiliate links at all. They should feel like natural extensions of genuinely helpful content.
Here’s everything I learned about where, when, and how to place affiliate links so people actually click them—and don’t hate you for it.
The Golden Rule: Value First, Link Second
This is the foundation everything else builds on. Your affiliate link should never be the reason a section exists. The valuable information is the reason. The link is just the convenient next step for someone who’s already convinced.
Bad example: “If you want to start email marketing, click here to sign up for ConvertKit!”
Good example: “I spent two weeks testing different email platforms specifically for solopreneurs. The winner wasn’t even close—ConvertKit’s automation builder actually makes sense without a PhD in marketing technology, and their deliverability rates consistently hit 98% in my tests. You can try it free for 14 days here.”
See the difference? The second version earns the click by providing specific, valuable information first. The link becomes the natural next step, not the entire purpose of the paragraph.
The “Problem-Solution-Tool” Sandwich
This is my highest-converting link placement structure, and I use it constantly. Here’s the formula:
Layer 1 (Problem): Describe a specific pain point your reader faces. Be detailed. Make them nod and think “yes, that’s exactly my situation.”
Layer 2 (Solution): Explain the approach or strategy that solves this problem. This is pure value—no product mentions yet.
Layer 3 (Tool): Now introduce the specific tool that implements this solution most effectively. This is where your affiliate link lives.
Real example from one of my articles:
“The biggest time-killer in my content workflow used to be formatting. I’d write something in Google Docs, then spend 20 minutes reformatting it for my blog, then another 15 minutes adapting it for LinkedIn, then more time for my newsletter. Four hours of writing became six hours of total work.
The solution isn’t writing less—it’s writing once in a format that adapts easily. That means using a system that separates your content from its formatting, so you can repurpose without rebuilding from scratch.
That’s why I switched everything to Notion. I write once in a clean, distraction-free environment, then use their database views to instantly adapt the same content for different platforms. What used to take me six hours now takes four, and the Notion AI features help me generate platform-specific variations in seconds. You can try it free here.”
That link earned its placement by solving a real, specific problem first. Nobody feels sold to—they feel helped.
The Comparison Table Sweet Spot
If you’re writing comparison content (and you should be—it converts incredibly well), your affiliate links belong in two specific places.
Place 1: Inside the comparison table itself. Next to each tool name, include a small text link that says “Try Free” or “See Pricing” or “Get Started.” Keep it minimal and consistent across all options. This works because readers are actively in decision mode—they’re comparing, which means they’re ready to click through and evaluate.
Place 2: In your final recommendation paragraph. After you’ve done the fair comparison, give your honest opinion about which tool wins for specific use cases. This is where deeper affiliate links go, embedded naturally in sentences like “For solopreneurs just starting out, I’d go with ConvertKit because…” or “If you’re scaling past 50K subscribers, you’ll want the advanced segmentation in ActiveCampaign.”
The key here is honesty. If Tool A is genuinely better for Scenario X and Tool B is better for Scenario Y, say that—even if one pays better commissions. Readers aren’t stupid. They can tell when you’re being genuine versus when you’re chasing the highest payout.
The Tutorial Method
This is probably my highest-converting strategy overall. When you’re teaching someone how to do something and a tool is genuinely necessary for the process, your affiliate link becomes completely natural.
Example: “Step 3: Set up your automation sequence. In ConvertKit, click ‘Automations’ in the left sidebar, then ‘New Automation.’ You’ll see a visual builder that looks like this…” [Include screenshot]
The link to sign up for ConvertKit can go right before Step 1 (“First, you’ll need an email platform. I use and recommend ConvertKit—here’s a free trial link”) or even mid-tutorial when it becomes relevant.
Why this works so well: people following a tutorial are in implementation mode. They’re not browsing—they’re doing. If they need the tool to complete the steps you’re teaching, they’ll sign up right then and there.
The Resource Section Strategy
At the end of comprehensive articles, include a “Tools and Resources” section that lists everything mentioned in the article. This serves multiple purposes:
One, it’s genuinely helpful—readers love having everything in one place. Two, it catches people who skimmed the article and want the quick version. Three, it gives you a natural place to include affiliate links without disrupting the main content flow.
Format it cleanly:
- Tool Name – Brief description (one sentence max) – [Affiliate link]
Example:
- Claude Pro – The AI I use for all content creation and strategic thinking – Try it here
- Notion – Where I organize my content calendar and mastermind sessions – Start free
- ConvertKit – Email platform built specifically for creators – 14-day free trial
Keep descriptions factual and specific. Avoid hype language. This section should feel like a helpful quick reference, not a sales page.
The Context Link (Most Overlooked)
This is where you mention a tool in passing because it’s genuinely relevant to the point you’re making, and you link it casually without breaking stride.
Example: “I keep all my mastermind prompts organized in Notion so I can pull them up instantly during Friday sessions.”
That “Notion” is hyperlinked to your affiliate link, but you’re not making a big deal about it. You’re just mentioning what you actually use. These contextual links work because there’s zero pressure—you’re not asking anyone to do anything. You’re just documenting your actual process.
The conversion rate on these is lower than tutorial or comparison links, but they’re effortless to include and they build up over time. In a 2,000-word article, you might have 8-10 natural opportunities to mention tools this way.
Where Links Kill Conversions
Just as important as knowing where to put links is knowing where NOT to put them.
Never in your introduction. Your intro needs to build trust and provide value before you ask for anything, including a click. Affiliate links in the first two paragraphs scream “this article exists to sell you something.”
Never breaking up a valuable explanation. If you’re in the middle of teaching something important, don’t interrupt with a link. Let the teaching breathe. The link can come after you’ve delivered the value.
Never without context. A random “Check out this tool!” in the middle of unrelated content is jarring and breaks trust. Every link needs to feel like it belongs exactly where it is.
The Disclosure Dance
You legally need to disclose affiliate relationships, but how you do it matters. A massive disclaimer at the top of every article feels defensive and sets the wrong tone.
I prefer a brief, honest disclosure that frames affiliate links positively: “This article contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through my links at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools I personally use and genuinely believe in.”
Put this somewhere visible but not overwhelming—either in a sidebar, at the bottom of the intro, or at the beginning of your resources section. Be transparent, but don’t make the disclosure bigger than the content itself.
The Real Secret
Here’s what nobody tells you: the placement of your affiliate links matters less than the quality of everything around them.
A perfectly placed affiliate link in mediocre content won’t convert. But a casually mentioned tool in genuinely helpful, specific, detailed content will generate clicks and commissions almost by accident.
Write content that actually helps people. Use tools you genuinely rely on. Be specific about why they work and when they don’t. Put links where they naturally support the helpful thing you’re already saying.
Do that consistently, and affiliate link placement stops being a puzzle to solve. It just becomes part of telling people about solutions that actually worked for you.
This concept was introduced to me in the millionaires Apprentice program where continual traing is everything