You know how we used to obsess over ranking for blue‑link search results? That old game board looks very different now. Starting in the mid‑2020s, Google began rolling out AI Overviews - machine‑generated answers that sit above the ads and organic listings. These little boxes summarise results using natural‑language paragraphs and sometimes include citations. At first glance they feel helpful. But there’s a catch: they siphon attention from the familiar links below . For affiliate marketers, whose survival depends on clicks that lead to purchases, that’s a big deal.
Several independent studies have measured the impact:
The AI summary functions as a conversational assistant. It “reads” multiple pages, synthesises them, and answers the user’s question instantly. If it cites sources, it may show two or three blue links with small icons. Here’s what researchers found about user behaviour in this setup:
In short, attention has shifted upward on the SERP. The golden organic real estate we fought for is now down the page and less relevant. It’s like playing chess on a board where the top two rows are now occupied by a chatty assistant.
So, which pages still draw clicks in this environment? According to Seer Interactive, queries where a site is cited by the AI summary show a CTR of 0.70 %, whereas queries without a citation drop to 0.52 % . That’s still less than half of the pre‑AI baseline, but it’s significantly better than being ignored.
What determines whether a site gets cited? The AI models look for structured, authoritative answers that directly address the user’s question. They prioritise Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E‑E‑A‑T). Pages that clearly display their author’s credentials, for example, were 47 % more likely to be cited .
Curiously, the old SEO staples - keyword stuffing, long intros, fluff paragraphs - don’t matter. The AI is uninterested in your artful preamble. It wants the answer, now.
If fewer people click, what does that mean for affiliate marketing? It might mean shifting focus from pageviews to meaningful events - installations, sign‑ups, free trials, and purchases. In other words, it’s not enough to attract traffic; you must convert the fraction that arrives.
Perhaps we should ask ourselves: are we still counting pageviews like it’s 2015, or have we evolved with the medium?
All right, the data is scary - but it isn’t fatal. There’s still room for affiliates who evolve. Based on research and emerging best practices, here are some adaptations:
It sounds counter‑intuitive for an affiliate writer, but you now have two audiences: the human reader and the AI summariser. To get cited, your page must answer specific questions in a way the AI can parse. Consider:
Will this make your writing dull? It doesn’t have to. You can still weave narrative and personality around the factual skeleton; just make sure the bones are labelled.
Google’s AI wants to cite experts. Build E‑E‑A‑T into your pages:
One might say the era of anonymous listicles is over. Authenticity isn’t optional; it’s part of the algorithm.
AI Overviews pick up commonly available facts from multiple sources. To stand out:
If the AI can’t easily replicate your insight, it’s more likely to include a citation link.
Traditional cookie‑based tracking is dying. Privacy regulations and browser restrictions are eroding cross‑site cookies. In affiliate marketing, server‑to‑server (S2S) postback tracking has become the backbone of post‑cookie attribution. It works by passing a click ID from the affiliate network to the advertiser’s server, then sending a confirmation (postback) when the event occurs. This bypasses the browser entirely, meaning ad blockers and privacy settings can’t break the chain.
S2S fits the AI era because you need robust attribution to understand which campaigns generate results when user journeys are fragmented and often headless. If you haven’t implemented S2S tracking with your networks, now’s the time.
Affiliates often feel alone against the algorithm. CIPIAI (Continuous Improvement Partners in AI) positions itself as a network that connects affiliates with verified offers and weekly payouts . Beyond that, it advocates for technical and ethical best practices. CIPIAI emphasises that affiliates should integrate structured data, Q&A blocks, and E‑E‑A‑T signals to compete for AI citations . It also points out that working with trusted advertisers matters more than ever when generic search traffic declines; focusing on high‑conversion offers can offset lower volumes.
Of course, you don’t have to join CIPIAI. But the idea is important: align yourself with credible partners and communities that share knowledge and pay on time. In uncertain times, that trust is invaluable.
Don’t let Google be your sole gatekeeper. Build email lists, social followings, and direct community platforms. If search traffic falls, you can still reach your audience. Some affiliates are experimenting with messenger broadcasts, podcasts, and webinars. Each channel may have lower scale than search, but combined they create resilience.
Ask yourself: if Google shut down tomorrow, would you still be able to reach your customers? The answer should be yes.
AI Overviews will continue to evolve. Google has said it will adjust rankings and interface designs based on user feedback. Research shows that users often trust the AI summary despite occasional hallucinations. This trust can be good (less misinformation) and bad (less diversity of voices). Will regulators intervene? Will other search engines adopt similar features? It’s too early to know. But waiting passively isn’t a strategy.
A thoughtful affiliate marketer should monitor new data, test different content formats, and track conversions carefully. S2S tracking, structured data, E‑E‑A‑T, and membership in trusted networks like CIPIAI are all pieces of the puzzle. We may also need to lobby for policies that ensure fair attribution and revenue sharing when AI models summarise our content. Who knows - perhaps the future will include micro‑payments for every AI citation.
We began writing this article convinced that AI Overviews were a death sentence for affiliates. Midway through, we noticed the nuance. Yes, clicks are down, sometimes dramatically. Yes, zero‑click searches have surged. But there are clear signals about what works: direct answers, structured data, authority, and network trust. Affiliates who adapt early will keep some traffic and convert it more efficiently. Those who cling to the old “long‑tail keyword” strategy may see their income collapse.
So maybe the question isn’t “will AI Overviews destroy affiliate marketing?” but rather “how will you innovate to stay ahead of them?”
The playing field has shifted - but the game is far from over.
AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of Google search results. Instead of showing a list of links first, Google now often provides a direct, synthesized answer to a user’s query, pulling information from multiple sources at once.
For many informational searches, this means the user gets what they need without clicking anything.
Because affiliate marketing has historically depended on clicks.
When answers appear directly in the SERP, fewer users scroll, fewer links get clicked, and traditional affiliate pages lose visibility — even if they still rank well. In many cases, being “position #1” no longer guarantees meaningful traffic.
Probably not.
AI Overviews aren’t a ranking tweak — they’re a UI shift. Google is redesigning how search works, not just how results are ordered. This aligns with broader trends like voice search, mobile-first behavior, and LLM-driven interfaces.
That makes this change structural, not temporary.
Zero-click search happens when a user gets an answer directly on the search page and leaves without clicking a result.
With AI Overviews, zero-click behavior has increased sharply — especially on mobile. In some categories, more than half of searches now end without a click.
For affiliates, that means fewer chances to intercept users through classic content pages.
No — but old SEO assumptions are.
SEO still matters, but its role is shifting from “traffic generation” to:
SEO alone is no longer enough to sustain affiliate revenue.
Pages that tend to survive — or at least stay visible — share a few traits:
Generic comparison pages and shallow “Top 10” lists are the most likely to be bypassed or absorbed by AI summaries.
Sometimes — but indirectly.
If your site is cited inside an AI Overview, you may still receive clicks, though at lower rates than before. More importantly, citations can support brand recognition, trust, and downstream conversions via other channels.
Think influence, not volume.
The biggest shifts are:
You’re no longer competing only with other pages — you’re competing with a synthesized answer.
On owned or semi-owned distribution:
Search can still introduce users, but sustainable affiliate businesses increasingly rely on channels they control.
As traffic fragments, measurement and attribution matter more.
CPA networks help affiliates:
In an AI-first world, infrastructure often matters more than raw traffic volume.
CIPIAI operates in this post-click reality by focusing on:
It’s an example of how affiliate infrastructure is evolving alongside AI-driven search, rather than fighting it.
Yes — but only if it evolves.
AI Overviews don’t kill affiliate marketing. They kill lazy dependency on clicks. Affiliates who build brands, own distribution, and work with modern tracking models are still well positioned.
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