Happy Tuesday!
Since hearing Partnerize CEO Matt Gilbert's keynote on the opportunity for affiliate marketing in AI search, I've been keen to understand just how affiliate fits into these models, and how the industry can actively seek out opportunity.
Last week marked a revelation in this ongoing story, as I spoke with Profound's Ben Grosse. Profound is a GEO platform that helps marketers understand how they're performing in LLMs. Grosse shared a ton of insights into how affiliate marketing is performing across LLMs, the platforms that favour affiliate content the most, how to optimise for these platforms, and more. We also spoke about how AI platforms might integrate affiliate marketing and what the industry should do to prepare.
On the whole, Grosse's outlook was optimistic. "AI search is such a transformative shift and everybody has the chance to make a lot of money, frankly, and do quite well."
The full interview is exclusive to our cherished Partner+ readers, but I’ve shared one of the most useful takeaways in this week’s Top Tip: a table of the top AI platforms and how frequently they cite affiliate content.
You’ll find it below.
On with the news!
In today's newsletter:
- Pick of the day: Profound's Ben Grosse on affiliate marketing and AI search
- Trending: AI Mode introduces ads, and CJ announces "groundbreaking" TikTok Shop integration
- Top Tip of the Week: Affiliate citations in LLMs
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It's a week you won't want to miss.
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Pick of the day
“This Is the New Reality, You’ve Got to Play the Game” Profound’s Ben Grosse Talks Affiliate Strategy in the LLM Era
Profound’s Ben Grosse shares thoughts, data, and strategies on how affiliate is currently performing in AI search and what it needs to do to seize this new market.
Trending
What's hot on Hello Partner right now
Google Brings Ads to AI Mode in US and India
Conversational search now features ad placements, content guidance for publishers, and targeting tools for advertisers.
CJ Announces “Groundbreaking” TikTok Shop Integration
The affiliate network’s expanded partnership now allows affiliates to share links outside of the app and earn commissions, as well as monitor cross-channel performance.
Skimlinks and ChineseAN Partner to Expand Affiliate Access Across Greater China and Southeast Asia
The deal opens up new opportunities for publishers and advertisers across key Asian markets.
Google Blocks Ad Tracking for Sites Without Consent Mode v2
New enforcement affects conversions and remarketing across the EU.
Tip of the Week
Stay at the top of your game
As mentioned, Ben Grosse shared new data on how LLMs handle affiliate content.
Microsoft Copilot leads the pack, with nearly one in ten answers citing an affiliate link. Meta AI also shares a decent amount, while ChatGPT features affiliate content in around one in twenty responses. Google's models, especially Gemini, are the least affiliate-friendly – fewer than one in a hundred answers include affiliate links.
This gives us a sense of visibility, but not engagement. Overall, LLMs tend to reduce clickthrough rates. However, the clicks that do happen are typically high intent. So, if you can optimise for the top-performing platforms, there’s still potential for strong conversions.
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Until next time,
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Sol Wilkinson Journalist Email me Connect with me on LinkedIn |
