Affiliate Blog Builder Agent Skill

Affiliate Blog Builder

Write full SEO-optimized blog articles that rank on Google and drive passive affiliate revenue. Supports four formats: product review, head-to-head comparison, best-of listicle, and how-to guide. Each article includes keyword strategy, structured headings, comparison tables, CTAs, FAQ schema, and FTC-compliant disclosure.

Stage

S3: Blog — The highest-value content type in the affiliate funnel. Blog articles rank on Google, drive organic traffic for months/years, and convert at higher rates than social posts because readers have high purchase intent.

When to Use

• User wants to write a blog post reviewing an affiliate product
• User wants a comparison article (Product A vs Product B)
• User wants a "best of" listicle for a product category
• User wants a how-to tutorial that naturally promotes an affiliate product
• User has a product from S1 (affiliate-program-search) and wants to create long-form content
• User says anything like "write a blog", "SEO article", "product review post", "roundup post"

Input Schema

product:                    # REQUIRED — the affiliate product to feature
  name: string              # Product name (e.g., "HeyGen")
  description: string       # What it does
  reward_value: string      # Commission (e.g., "30% recurring")
  url: string               # Affiliate link URL
  reward_type: string       # "recurring" | "one-time" | "tiered"
  cookie_days: number       # Cookie duration
  tags: string[]            # e.g., ["ai", "video", "saas"]

format: string              # OPTIONAL — "review" | "comparison" | "listicle" | "how-to"
                            # Default: "listicle" (highest traffic potential)

compare_with: object[]      # OPTIONAL — competitors for comparison/listicle formats
  - name: string            # Competitor name
    description: string     # Brief description
    url: string             # URL (non-affiliate OK)
    pricing: string         # Starting price

target_keyword: string      # OPTIONAL — primary SEO keyword to target
                            # Default: auto-generated from product name + category

blog_platform: string       # OPTIONAL — "wordpress" | "ghost" | "hugo" | "astro" | "webflow" | "markdown"
                            # Default: "markdown" (universal)

tone: string                # OPTIONAL — "professional" | "conversational" | "technical"
                            # Default: "conversational"

word_count_target: number   # OPTIONAL — override default word count for the format

Chaining from S1: If affiliate-program-search was run earlier in the conversation, automatically pick up recommended_program from its output as the product input. The field mapping:

• recommended_program.name → product.name
• recommended_program.description → product.description
• recommended_program.reward_value → product.reward_value
• recommended_program.url → product.url
• recommended_program.reward_type → product.reward_type
• recommended_program.cookie_days → product.cookie_days
• recommended_program.tags → product.tags

If the user says "now write a blog about it" after running S1 — use the recommended program. No need to ask again.

Workflow

Step 1: Determine Format

Choose the article format based on user request or defaults:

| Signal | Format |

|---|---|

| User says "review", "my experience with" | review |

| User mentions two+ products, "vs", "compare" | comparison |

| User says "best", "top", "roundup", numbers | listicle |

| User says "how to", "tutorial", "guide", "step by step" | how-to |

| No clear signal | listicle (default — highest traffic potential) |

If format = comparison and compare_with is empty or has only 1 product:

• Use web_search to find 2-3 top competitors in the same category
• Search query: "best alternatives to [product.name]" OR "[product.name] vs" site:g2.com OR site:capterra.com

If format = listicle and compare_with is empty:

• Use web_search to find 4-6 products in the same category
• Search query: "best [product category] tools [year]"

Step 2: SEO Framework

Read references/seo-checklist.md for the complete SEO guidelines. Then:

• Generate target keyword (if not provided):
• Review format: [product name] review
• Comparison: [product A] vs [product B]
• Listicle: best [category] tools
• How-to: how to [goal] with [product/category]

• Generate secondary keywords (3-5):
• Use web_search for: "[target keyword]" related searches and "People Also Ask"
• Include: [product] pricing, [product] alternatives, [product] pros and cons, is [product] worth it

• Build title using the formula from seo-checklist.md matching the format

• Write meta description (150-160 chars) following the checklist format

• Plan heading structure:
• Map out all H2/H3 headings before writing
• Ensure target keyword appears in at least 2 H2s
• Ensure secondary keywords appear in H3s
• Follow the heading hierarchy from seo-checklist.md

• Generate slug from target keyword (lowercase, hyphens, no stop words)

Step 3: Write Article

Read references/blog-templates.md and use the template matching the chosen format. Then write the full article following these rules:

Content Rules:

• Follow the exact template structure for the chosen format
• Write in the specified tone (default: conversational)
• Hit the word count target for the format (review: 2-3.5K, comparison: 2.5-3.5K, listicle: 3-5K, how-to: 2-3K)
• Use short paragraphs (2-4 sentences max)
• Include bullet points and numbered lists for scannability
• Write like a real person who has used the product — specific details, not generic fluff

Required Sections (all formats):

• FTC disclosure near the top — read shared/references/ftc-compliance.md and use the medium format
• Comparison table (at least one, even in reviews — compare to alternatives)
• Pros and cons for every recommended product
• "Who is this best for?" audience targeting
• Pricing information with affiliate CTA
• FAQ section (3-5 questions)
• Final verdict with clear recommendation and affiliate CTA

Affiliate CTA Placement (2-4 per article):

• After the pricing section
• After a key feature demonstration
• In the final verdict
• Optionally: in a callout box after the "who is this for" section

CTA Formats:

• Soft: Try [Product] free →
• Medium: Ready to get started? Sign up for [Product] →
• Strong (verdict only): Our recommendation: Get [Product] here — [brief value prop].

Things to AVOID:

• No Affitor branding in the article body (this is the user's blog, not ours)
• No "AI-generated" disclaimers (the user will edit and personalize)
• No placeholder text like "[insert your experience here]" — write complete content. If personal experience is needed, write realistic example scenarios clearly marked as examples
• No keyword stuffing — natural language only
• No false claims about products

Step 4: Format Output

Produce the final output in this exact structure:

Part 1: SEO Metadata Block

---
SEO METADATA
---
Title: [SEO title]
Slug: [url-slug]
Meta Description: [150-160 chars]
Target Keyword: [primary keyword]
Secondary Keywords: [comma-separated list]
Word Count: [actual count]
Format: [review/comparison/listicle/how-to]
---

Part 2: Full Article

The complete markdown article ready to paste into any blogging platform.

Part 3: Supplementary Data

---
SUPPLEMENTARY
---
FAQ Questions (for schema markup):
1. [Question] → [Answer]
2. [Question] → [Answer]
...

Image Suggestions:
1. [Description] — alt: "[alt text]"
2. [Description] — alt: "[alt text]"
...

Products Featured:
- [Product 1]: [affiliate URL] (featured/mentioned)
- [Product 2]: [affiliate URL] (compared/mentioned)
...

Next Steps:
- Personalize: Add your own experience, screenshots, and results
- Images: Take product screenshots and add them at suggested locations
- Links: Replace affiliate URLs with your own tracking links
- Publish: See references/wordpress-deploy.md for WordPress setup guide
- Promote: Run viral-post-writer to create social posts promoting this article
---

Step 5: Self-Validation

Before presenting output, verify:

• [ ] Word count meets format target (review: 2-3.5K, comparison: 2.5-3.5K, listicle: 3-5K, how-to: 2-3K)
• [ ] FTC disclosure near top of article, medium format
• [ ] 2-4 CTAs placed at: after pricing, feature demo, verdict, optional callout box
• [ ] Meta description is 150-160 characters
• [ ] Target keyword appears naturally in first 100 words
• [ ] No placeholder text, no AI-generated disclaimers

If any check fails, fix the output before delivering. Do not flag the checklist to the user — just ensure the output passes.

Output Schema

output_schema_version: "1.0.0"  # Semver — bump major on breaking changes
article:
  title: string             # SEO-optimized title
  slug: string              # URL-friendly slug
  meta_description: string  # 150-160 character meta description
  target_keyword: string    # Primary keyword targeted
  format: string            # review | comparison | listicle | how-to
  content: string           # Full markdown article
  word_count: number        # Actual word count
  headings:                 # Article structure
    - level: number         # 2 for H2, 3 for H3
      text: string          # Heading text

seo:
  secondary_keywords: string[]    # 3-5 secondary keywords used
  faq_questions:                  # For FAQ schema markup
    - question: string
      answer: string
  image_suggestions:              # Recommended images
    - description: string         # What to screenshot/create
      alt_text: string            # SEO alt text
      placement: string           # After which section

products_featured:                # All products mentioned
  - name: string
    url: string                   # Affiliate URL
    role: string                  # "primary" | "compared" | "mentioned"
    reward_value: string          # Commission info
    pricing: string | null        # Starting price (e.g., "$49/mo") — for S4 landing page chaining

Output Format

Present the output as a single markdown document with three clearly separated sections:

• SEO Metadata — fenced block with all SEO settings for easy copy into WordPress/Yoast
• Article — the full blog post in markdown, ready to paste
• Supplementary — FAQ for schema markup, image suggestions, products list, and next steps

The article should be immediately publishable — not a draft or outline. The user should be able to copy-paste it into their blog editor, add their own screenshots and personal touches, and publish.

Error Handling

• No product provided: "I need a product to write about. Run /affiliate-program-search first to find one, or tell me the product name and I'll research it."
• Comparison with only 1 product: Auto-search for 2-3 competitors using web_search. Search: "best alternatives to [product]" on G2/Capterra.
• No compare_with for listicle: Auto-search for 4-6 products in the category. Inform user: "I found these products to include — let me know if you want to swap any."
• Unknown blog platform: Default to markdown output. Add note: "This is universal markdown — works with WordPress, Ghost, Hugo, Astro, and most platforms."
• Product has no public info: Use web_search to research the product. If still insufficient: "I couldn't find enough information about [product] to write a credible article. Can you provide more details about features, pricing, and your experience?"
• Controversial or questionable product: Include balanced pros/cons. Add note: "This product has mixed reviews — make sure you've personally verified these claims before publishing."

Examples

Example 1: Product Review (chained from S1)

User: "Now write a detailed review of HeyGen for my blog"

Context: S1 previously returned HeyGen as recommended_program

Action: Auto-detect format=review, pick up HeyGen product data from S1 output, generate full review article targeting "heygen review" keyword.

Example 2: Comparison Article

User: "Write a comparison blog post: HeyGen vs Synthesia vs Colossyan for AI video creation"

Action: Format=comparison, primary product=HeyGen (if from S1, else first mentioned), compare_with=[Synthesia, Colossyan], target keyword="heygen vs synthesia vs colossyan".

Example 3: Listicle (Default Format)

User: "Write a blog post about the best AI video tools"

Action: Format=listicle (matches "best"), web_search for top AI video tools, target keyword="best ai video tools", write 3-5K word roundup with 5-7 products.

Example 4: How-To Guide

User: "Write a tutorial blog post on how to create AI-generated videos for YouTube with HeyGen"

Action: Format=how-to (matches "tutorial", "how to"), target keyword="how to create ai videos for youtube", write step-by-step guide featuring HeyGen with affiliate CTAs.

Example 5: Minimal Input

User: "Blog post about Semrush"

Action: No format specified → default to listicle? No — single product implies review. Use format=review, web_search Semrush for features/pricing/reviews, target keyword="semrush review", generate full article.

Format detection logic for ambiguous cases: If only one product is mentioned with no format keyword, default to review. If a category is mentioned with no specific product, default to listicle.

References

• references/seo-checklist.md — Title formulas, meta description rules, heading hierarchy, keyword density, content depth guidelines. Read in Step 2.
• references/blog-templates.md — Four article format templates (review, comparison, listicle, how-to) with exact structure. Read in Step 3.
• references/wordpress-deploy.md — WordPress publishing guide, Yoast SEO setup, Pretty Links, FAQ schema implementation. Reference in Step 4 next steps.
• shared/references/ftc-compliance.md — FTC disclosure requirements and format templates. Read in Step 3 for disclosure text.
• shared/references/affitor-branding.md — Affitor brand guidelines. Note: NO Affitor branding in article body (user's blog). Only in tool output metadata.
• shared/references/affiliate-glossary.md — Affiliate marketing terminology reference.
• shared/references/flywheel-connections.md — master flywheel connection map

Flywheel Connections

Feeds Into

• landing-page-creator (S4) — products_featured for comparison landing pages
• content-pillar-atomizer (S2) — blog article as pillar content to atomize into social
• bonus-stack-builder (S4) — products featured inform bonus design
• internal-linking-optimizer (S6) — new article needs internal links within 48 hours

Fed By

• affiliate-program-search (S1) — recommended_program product data
• keyword-cluster-architect (S3) — target keywords and cluster topics
• proprietary-data-generator (S7) — unique data for differentiated articles
• internal-linking-optimizer (S6) — link suggestions for existing articles
• content-decay-detector (S3) — refresh instructions for decaying articles

Feedback Loop

• seo-audit (S6) and performance-report (S6) track article rankings and traffic → identify which article formats and topics perform best → optimize content strategy

Quality Gate

Before delivering output, verify:

• Would I share this on MY personal social?
• Contains specific, surprising detail? (not generic)
• Respects reader's intelligence?
• Remarkable enough to share? (Purple Cow test)
• Irresistible offer framing? (if S4 offer skills ran)

Any NO → rewrite before delivering.

chain_metadata:
  skill_slug: "affiliate-blog-builder"
  stage: "blog"
  timestamp: string
  suggested_next:
    - "content-pillar-atomizer"
    - "landing-page-creator"
    - "internal-linking-optimizer"
    - "seo-audit"