Comparison Post Writer

Write high-converting "X vs Y" comparison blog posts that rank on Google and help readers make a confident buying decision. Each post includes a feature comparison table, individual product breakdowns, pros and cons, a clear winner recommendation, and affiliate CTAs placed at maximum-intent moments.

When to Use

• User wants to compare two or three competing products side by side
• User has two affiliate programs and wants a single article that covers both
• User says "vs", "versus", "compare", "which is better", "side by side"
• User wants to capture high-intent search traffic (X vs Y searches convert at 2-3x the rate of generic reviews)
• User has a product from S1 and wants to frame it against competitors

Workflow

Step 1: Identify Products to Compare

Parse the user's request for product names. You need a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 products.

If only 1 product is provided:

• Use web_search to find the top 1-2 competitors
• Search: "[product name] alternatives" OR "[product name] vs" site:g2.com OR site:capterra.com OR site:trustradius.com
• Pick the competitors with the most head-to-head search volume

If 3+ products are provided:

• Keep all 3 if they are genuinely comparable
• If the user listed 4+, ask which 2-3 to focus on — more than 3 makes the comparison unwieldy

Affiliate priority: The user's affiliate product goes first (featured position). If both products have affiliate links, feature the higher-commission one in the "winner" slot unless the product genuinely loses on quality.

Step 2: Research Both Products

For each product, use web_search to gather:

1. Pricing: starting price, tiers, free trial availability
2. Key features: 8-12 features that matter to buyers
3. Target audience: who uses this product and why
4. Known weaknesses: common complaints on G2, Capterra, Reddit, or Trustpilot
5. Unique differentiator: one thing this product does better than everyone else
6. Search volume signal: "[product A] vs [product B]" — check if autocomplete shows this is a real query

Search queries to run per product:

• "[product name] review [year]"
• "[product name] pricing"
• "[product name] pros cons"

Step 3: Build the Comparison Framework

Determine the 6-10 comparison dimensions that matter most for this product category. These should be:

• Directly relevant to buyer decisions (not vanity features)
• Measurable or clearly differentiable between products
• Things that appear in search queries ("does X have [feature]?")

Example dimensions by category:

• Email tools: deliverability, automation, templates, integrations, pricing/contacts ratio, free plan
• SEO tools: keyword database size, backlink data, site audit depth, reporting, API access, pricing
• Video tools: resolution, AI avatars, voice cloning, templates, render speed, watermark on free plan
• Project management: task limits on free, Gantt chart, time tracking, automations, integrations, mobile app

Assign a winner per dimension based on research. Mark ties where genuine.

Step 4: Determine the Narrative Angle

Choose one of three angles based on what the data shows:

Angle	When to use	Headline formula
Clear winner	One product is genuinely better for most users	"[A] vs [B]: [A] Wins for Most, But [B] Is Better If..."
It depends	Products serve different audiences	"[A] vs [B]: Which Is Right for You? (Honest Comparison)"
Upset	Lesser-known product beats the market leader	"[A] vs [B]: Why [Lesser-Known] Is Actually Better in [Year]"

Default to "clear winner" — readers want a recommendation, not a non-answer.

Step 5: Write the Article

Write the full comparison post following this exact structure:

1. FTC Disclosure (3 lines, above the fold) Read shared/references/ftc-compliance.md and use the medium format. Insert immediately after the title.

2. Introduction (150-250 words)

• Open with the core tension: why this is a hard choice
• State who each product is best suited for (one sentence each)
• End with: "By the end of this post, you'll know exactly which one to pick."
• Include target keyword naturally in the first 100 words

3. Quick Verdict Box (immediately after intro) A scannable summary for readers who won't read the full article:

**Quick Verdict**
- Best overall: [Product A] — [one-line reason]
- Best for [use case]: [Product B] — [one-line reason]
- Best for budget: [Product X]
- Skip if: [edge case where neither works]

4. Product Overviews (200-300 words each) One H2 section per product:

• What it is and what it does
• Who built it and when (brief credibility context)
• The one thing it does better than anyone else
• Starting price and free trial info
• Affiliate CTA: [Try [Product] free →](affiliate_url)

5. Feature Comparison Table A full markdown table with all comparison dimensions:

| Feature | [Product A] | [Product B] |
|---|---|---|
| [Dimension 1] | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| [Dimension 2] | ⭐ Better | Good |
| Price | $X/mo | $Y/mo |

Use ✅ / ❌ / ⚠️ (partial) for binary features. Use descriptive text for nuanced ones. Bold the winner per row.

6. Deep-Dive Sections (one H2 per key dimension, 3-4 total) Pick the 3-4 dimensions that drive 80% of buying decisions. For each:

• Explain what the feature does and why it matters
• Compare both products specifically (not generically)
• Include a sub-verdict: "Winner: [Product] because..."

7. Pricing Breakdown

• Table showing all pricing tiers for both products
• Calculate cost at 3 usage levels: starter, growing, scale
• Highlight free plan differences
• Note which has better value per feature

8. Pros and Cons Two H3 sections (one per product), each with 4-6 bullet points per list.

9. Who Should Choose Each Product Two H3 sections with bullet lists:

• "Choose [Product A] if you..."
• "Choose [Product B] if you..." Be specific — job titles, use cases, budget ranges, team sizes.

10. The Verdict (200-300 words)

• State the winner clearly: "[Product A] is the better choice for most people."
• Explain why in 2-3 sentences
• Acknowledge the exception case where [Product B] wins
• Final affiliate CTA (strong format): **Get started with [Product A] →**(affiliate_url)
• If [Product B] also has affiliate link: secondary CTA below

11. FAQ Section (5-7 questions) Address the real questions people type into Google:

• "Is [Product A] better than [Product B]?"
• "Which is cheaper, [A] or [B]?"
• "Does [Product A] offer a free trial?"
• "Can I switch from [Product B] to [Product A]?"
• "Which has better customer support?"

Step 6: Format Output

Produce output in three parts:

Part 1: SEO Metadata

---
SEO METADATA
---
Title: [title]
Slug: [product-a]-vs-[product-b]
Meta Description: [150-160 chars comparing both products with clear angle]
Target Keyword: [product-a] vs [product-b]
Secondary Keywords: [product-a] review, [product-b] alternatives, best [category] tool, [product-a] pricing
Word Count: [actual]
Format: comparison
Winner: [product name]
---

Part 2: Full Article Complete markdown ready to paste into any blog platform.

Part 3: Supplementary Data FAQ schema questions, image suggestions (comparison screenshots), products featured with affiliate URLs, next steps.

Input Schema

product_a:                  # REQUIRED — the primary affiliate product
  name: string
  description: string
  reward_value: string      # e.g., "30% recurring"
  url: string               # Affiliate link
  reward_type: string       # "recurring" | "one-time" | "tiered"
  cookie_days: number
  tags: string[]

product_b:                  # REQUIRED — the product to compare against
  name: string
  url: string               # Affiliate link if available, otherwise homepage
  description: string       # Optional — will research if missing

product_c:                  # OPTIONAL — third product for 3-way comparison
  name: string
  url: string
  description: string

target_keyword: string      # OPTIONAL — default: "[product_a] vs [product_b]"
tone: string                # OPTIONAL — "conversational" | "technical" | "professional"
                            # Default: "conversational"
angle: string               # OPTIONAL — "clear-winner" | "it-depends" | "upset"
                            # Default: auto-detected from research

Output Schema

article:
  title: string
  slug: string              # e.g., "heygen-vs-synthesia"
  meta_description: string
  target_keyword: string
  format: "comparison"
  content: string           # Full markdown article
  word_count: number
  winner: string            # Name of the recommended product

comparison:
  dimensions: string[]      # The features compared
  dimension_winners:        # Who won each dimension
    - dimension: string
      winner: string        # "product_a" | "product_b" | "tie"

products_featured:
  - name: string
    url: string
    role: string            # "primary" | "compared"
    reward_value: string

seo:
  secondary_keywords: string[]
  faq_questions:
    - question: string
      answer: string
  image_suggestions:
    - description: string
      alt_text: string

Output Format

Present as three sections:

1. SEO Metadata — fenced block for copy-paste into WordPress/Yoast/Ghost
2. Article — complete markdown, immediately publishable
3. Supplementary — FAQ schema, image suggestions, products list, next steps

Target word count: 2,500-3,500 words. Longer for complex SaaS tools with many features.

Error Handling

• Only 1 product provided: Auto-search for top 2 competitors. Inform user: "I found [B] and [C] as the main competitors — using those. Let me know if you want different ones."
• No affiliate link for product_b: Use homepage URL. Note in output: "No affiliate link for [B] — using homepage. You can still earn on [A] clicks."
• Products in completely different categories: Stop and ask — comparing an email tool to a project management tool is not useful.
• Controversial product (MLM, scam accusations): Add warning note: "This product has mixed reputation signals. Review carefully before publishing — your credibility is at stake."
• Tie on most dimensions: Use "it depends" angle. Never force a winner that isn't real — readers trust honest comparisons more.

Examples

Example 1: Two affiliate products User: "Write a comparison post: HeyGen vs Synthesia" Action: product_a=HeyGen (affiliate), product_b=Synthesia (affiliate), research both, detect angle=clear-winner (or it-depends based on data), write 3,000-word comparison targeting "heygen vs synthesia".

Example 2: Chained from S1 User: "Compare it with its top competitor" Context: S1 returned HeyGen as recommended_program Action: product_a=HeyGen from S1 output, web_search for top competitor, write comparison.

Example 3: Three-way comparison User: "HeyGen vs Synthesia vs Colossyan comparison post" Action: Three-way comparison, determine winner + runners-up, write 3,500-4,000 word article with side-by-side table.

Example 4: Underdog angle User: "Compare Ahrefs vs Ubersuggest — I'm promoting Ubersuggest" Action: product_a=Ubersuggest (affiliate), product_b=Ahrefs, angle=upset (lesser-known vs market leader), frame Ubersuggest as the budget-friendly winner for specific use cases.

References

• shared/references/ftc-compliance.md — FTC disclosure text. Read in Step 5.
• shared/references/affitor-branding.md — Do NOT add Affitor branding to blog body. Only applies to landing pages.
• shared/references/affiliate-glossary.md — Terminology reference.