You wake up, check your blog stats, and your heart sinks. Your traffic has dropped by 70%, 80%, or even 90%. Whether you run an affiliate site, a niche blog, a review site, or just share your expertise online you’re watching months or years of hard work vanish overnight. You’re not alone, and you didn’t necessarily do anything “wrong” in the traditional sense.
I’m not just talking about affiliate links. The mistakes that got blogs penalized affect all types of content creators food bloggers, tech reviewers, lifestyle writers, hobbyist bloggers, and yes, affiliate marketers too. The core issues are about content quality, user value, and trust signals that every blogger needs to understand.
If you’re feeling devastated right now, this guide is for you. I’ll explain what happened, why it happened to your blog specifically, and most importantly how to fix it even if you’re just starting out, regardless of your blog’s focus.
What Actually Happened to Your Blog?
Let’s start with the basics. Between March 2024 and March 2025, Google rolled out several major updates to how it ranks websites. These updates specifically targeted affiliate blogs websites that recommend products and earn commissions when people buy through their links.
The Simple Truth: Google Got Tired of Low-Effort Affiliate Content
Here’s what Google saw: thousands of blogs all writing the same “Top 10 Best Coffee Makers” articles, none of which were actually written by people who tested 10 coffee makers. Most were just rewriting information from Amazon reviews or manufacturer websites, slapping in affiliate links, and hoping to make money.
Your blog might have been genuinely helpful, but if it looked like those other sites, Google couldn’t tell the difference.
Why Did This Happen to Your Blog? (The Honest Reality Check)
Before we fix anything, let’s understand what made your blog vulnerable. These are the most common beginner mistakes that triggered the drop:
1: You Wrote Reviews for Products You Never Used
Be honest did you actually buy and test every product you recommended? Or did you
- Read other reviews and summarize them
- Copy features from Amazon listings
- Write based on what "seems good" from product descriptions
- Use the same template for every review
Why Google penalized this: Anyone could write these reviews. They don’t help users make better decisions than just reading the manufacturer’s website.
2: Your Articles Were Mostly Affiliate Links
Count your affiliate links on your typical article. Now count how many words of actual helpful information you provided. If you had:
- Affiliate links in the first paragraph
- More than 5-6 product links in a 1,000-word article
- Buttons saying "Check Price" every few paragraphs
- Very little explanation about WHY you recommend something
Why Google penalized this: Your blog looked like it existed just to get clicks on affiliate links, not to genuinely help people.
3: You Targeted Only "Best" and "Top" Keywords
Did most of your articles have titles like:
- Best [Product] for [Use]
- Top 10 [Products]
- [Product A] vs [Product B]
- [Product] Review
And did you write 30+ articles all following this exact pattern?
Why Google penalized this: This pattern screams “affiliate site trying to rank for buying keywords.” Google wants variety.
Why Google penalized this: This pattern screams “affiliate site trying to rank for buying keywords.” Google wants variety.
4: Your "About" Page Was Generic or Missing
Quick test: Look at your About page. Does it:
- Actually exist? (Many beginners skip this)
- Have your real name and photo?
- Explain your expertise or experience?
- Show why anyone should trust your recommendations?
Why Google penalized this: Google can’t tell if you’re a real person with real expertise or just someone trying to make quick money.
5: All Your Content Sounded the Same
Did you use a formula like:
- Introduction (100 words)
- "Quick comparison table"
- Product 1 (with affiliate link)
- Product 2 (with affiliate link)
- Buying guide
- Conclusion
…for every single article?
Why Google penalized this: This templated approach makes your blog look mass-produced, not genuinely helpful.
Why Google penalized this: This templated approach makes your blog look mass-produced, not genuinely helpful.
Your 5-Step Recovery Plan (Beginner-Friendly)
Here’s the good news: you can recover from this. It won’t be instant, but if you follow these steps, you can start seeing improvement in 2-3 months. Let’s break it down into simple, actionable steps.
1: Clean Up Your Worst Content (Start This Week)
Open Google Analytics or your stats dashboard. Sort your articles by traffic. Focus on the ones getting almost ZERO visitors now.
DELETE IT if- It's under 800 words
- You never used the product yourself
- It's basically copied information from other sites
- You have 5+ similar articles on the same topic
- It was getting good traffic before
- You actually have experience with the topic
- It could be expanded into something genuinely useful
- Go to your WordPress dashboard (or whatever platform you use)
- Move the post to Trash
- Go to Google Search Console, Request removal of that URL
- If you have a similar better article, set up a redirect
Beginner tip: Start with just 5-10 of your worst articles. Don’t delete everything at once.
2. Completely Rewrite Your Top 5 Articles (This Is Critical)
Pick your 5 articles that USED TO get the most traffic. You're going to transform these from
The new standard for each article
Length: Aim for 2,000-3,000 words minimum (yes, really)
Need help planning your content strategy? We've created a detailed blog content system workflow that shows exactly how to produce high-quality, consistent content without burning out. This system has helped us maintain quality while scaling our own blog.
- Photos of you actually using the product
- Specific details only someone who used it would know
- Your honest opinion, including negatives
- Explain the problem your reader is trying to solve
- Include comparison data with specific numbers
- Add affiliate links naturally in context, not in big buttons
3: Fix Your Affiliate Link Problem (Do This Today)
You need to dramatically reduce your affiliate links. This feels scary (less links = less money, right?) but trust me ranking higher with fewer links makes you MORE money than ranking nowhere with lots of links.
New affiliate link rules
- Maximum 2-3 affiliate links per 1,000 words
- First affiliate link only appears after 300+ words of valuable content
- Remove or replace aggressive "Check Price" and "Buy Now" buttons
- Add a clear disclosure at the top: "This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you."
Free Tools to help manage your links
ThirstyAffiliates (FREE version available)
- Makes managing affiliate links easier
- Helps you track which links get clicked
- Lets you change all links at once if needed
- Download from WordPress plugins section
Pretty Links (FREE version available)
- Cleans up ugly Amazon links
- Tracks click data
- Easy for beginners to use
My recommendation: Start with Thirsty Affiliates free version. It’s simpler for beginners and does everything you need.
Speaking of affiliate tools, many beginners struggle with choosing the right affiliate programs that are worth promoting. We’ve compared the highest paying affiliate programs for 2025 to help you focus on quality partnerships that convert better with fewer links.
4: Build Trust Signals (This Helps Google Trust You)
Google needs to know you're a real person, not a spam website. Here's how to show that:
Create/Update Your About Page (do this today)
- Add your real name and photo
- Write 300-500 words about
- Add contact information (even just an email form)
- Who you are
- Why you started this blog
- What experience you have in this topic
- What makes your recommendations trustworthy
Create a Disclosure/Editorial Policy Page
- Explain you use affiliate links
- Explain your review process
5: Add Different Types of Content (Start This Month)
This is where beginners struggle most, but it's crucial. Google wants to see you're not JUST trying to sell stuff.
New content types to add (aim for 1 per week)
Informational guides (NO affiliate links)
- How to Choose [Product Type]: Complete Beginner's Guide
- Common Mistakes When Using [Product]
- Understanding [Topic] in Plain English
Create a Disclosure/Editorial Policy Page
- Explain you use affiliate links
- Explain your review process
Your Action Plan for This Week
Feeling overwhelmed? Just do these 5 things this week:
Day 1-2:
- Review your Google Analytics
- Identify your 5 worst-performing articles
- Delete 3 of them properly
Day 3-4:
- Pick your former #1 article
- Start rewriting it (aim for 2,000+ words)
- Add personal experience and photos
Day 5:
- Create/update your About page
- Add your photo and real story
Day 6:
- Go through your top 10 articles
- Remove excessive affiliate links
- Add disclosure statements
Day 7:
- Set up Google Search Console if you haven’t
- Plan your content calendar for next month
- Include at least 2 informational articles (no affiliate links)
Bonus – Day 8-9 (If Time Allows):
- Review our blog tips for making your first $100 to set realistic monetization goals
- Consider applying for Google AdSense to diversify income beyond just affiliate links
- Explore AI productivity tools that can help you maintain quality while scaling content production