What questions should I ask on a gift guide?

Keep it to three questions, in this order. The first takes one tap, so it gets the most answers. The others explain it.

• "Did this guide help you choose a gift?" (Yes / No)
• "Who are you shopping for?" (Partner, Parent, Child, Friend, Colleague, Myself), with more than one answer allowed
• "How did you find this guide?" (Search engine, AI assistant such as ChatGPT or Gemini, Social media, Newsletter, Someone sent me the link, I don't remember)
• "What were you hoping to find here?" (optional free text)

Readers who find their gift halfway down a guide may stop reading there, so an inline survey after the last pick can miss them. A side tab stays in reach while they scroll, and they can answer as soon as they have decided.

On a short guide with five or six picks, an inline survey after the last one works well.

Compare guides with each other, not the site as a whole, and wait for a few dozen answers on a guide before you read anything into it. Then put the answers next to your affiliate report:

• Many clicks and few "Yes" answers: readers are still hunting, so the picks may be too broad or miss a budget.
• Few clicks and many "Yes" answers: readers choose here and buy somewhere you have no link.
• "No" answers with a comment: the gift or price range the guide was missing.

"Who are you shopping for?" shows who each guide actually serves. If most readers of a "gifts for him" guide are buying for their dad, a guide for dads may do better next year than another one for partners.

Our post on gift guide reader feedback works through a full example, from the first answers to the changes made before the last delivery dates.