Short version: Some of the links on SearchEngineU are affiliate links. If you click one and buy something, we may earn a commission. The price you pay does not change. We only recommend products we have used and would recommend to a friend.
The rest of this page explains how that actually works in practice.
What an affiliate link is
When we recommend a product on SearchEngineU, we sometimes link to it using a tracking URL provided by the product’s affiliate program. If you click that link and later make a purchase, the vendor pays us a small commission as a thank-you for the referral. The commission comes out of the vendor’s marketing budget — it does not increase your price.
Which programs we participate in
SearchEngineU is a participant in multiple affiliate programs, including but not limited to:
- Amazon Associates
- Awin (ShareASale network)
- Impact
- Commission Junction (CJ)
- PartnerStack
- Direct affiliate programs with various SaaS and financial services companies
As an Amazon Associates participant, we specifically note: SearchEngineU is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
How it affects our reviews (and what we will not let it affect)
We build editorial independence into our workflow:
- Our top pick is the tool we would recommend to a friend — not the one with the highest commission rate.
- Our ranking order is not influenced by commission rate. If the #3 option pays more than the #1 option, the #1 option still ranks #1.
- We regularly publish negative assessments of products with which we have active affiliate relationships, when the evidence warrants it.
- When a previously-recommended tool degrades (price hike, feature removal, policy change), we update the review even if it means losing affiliate income on that product.
Full methodology on our editorial policy page.
Identifying affiliate links
We disclose prominently at the top of any article that contains affiliate links. Individual links may also be marked with rel="sponsored" and rel="nofollow" attributes per search engine guidance. You can hover over any outbound link to see the destination URL before you click.
Why we do this
Running an independent publication costs money. Affiliate commissions let us:
- Buy the tools we review (many at retail prices — not free review copies)
- Pay for hosting, email, and the other infrastructure the site runs on
- Spend time writing thoroughly rather than rushing to publish
The alternative funding models — paywalls, sponsored posts disguised as editorial, clickbait driven by display ad volume — all compromise the thing readers come here for: useful, honest product information.
Questions
Email marcus@searchengineu.com if anything on this page is unclear, or if you notice a missed disclosure on an article.
Disclosure policy consistent with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s “Endorsement Guides” (16 CFR Part 255). Last reviewed April 2026.