👀 Did Google Just Become a Marketplace?

Welcome to another Affiliate Pulse!

This week, we’ve got big tech changes, a CMA shake-up, and a whole lot of AI...who would have thunk it.

Silverbean's Annabel Gray delves into what the Google I/O announcements mean for publishers, affiliate marketers and advertisers, and we share insight into the new CMA changes introduced in the UK: publishers can now opt out of Google AI Overviews — I’m interested in the industry’s thoughts on this.

Cloudflare’s CEO says that bots have now surpassed human traffic online, sooner than he thought, and we also share details on an upcoming OpenAttribution event on content in the age of AI.

Plus, a session on Card-Linked Offers and insight into what’s stopping affiliate programmes from transforming into a scalable growth channel.

We’re also only a few days away from announcing the 2026 USPA winners — there are some truly outstanding entries this year. We’re looking forward to celebrating on Thursday.

Now, let’s dive in.

In today's newsletter:

• Pick of the day: Google: The New Marketplace.
• Trending: Publishers to Get “Fairer Deal” in CMA Shake-up.
• Industry Insight: Can Your Affiliate Program Survive Without You?

Pick of the day

Google: The New Marketplace

In this piece for Hello Partner, Silverbean's Annabel Gray breaks down what the I/O announcements mean for publishers, affiliate marketers and advertisers.

“The implications land differently depending on where you sit. For publishers, it’s a traffic and revenue problem. For advertisers, it’s a visibility and measurement problem. For the affiliate industry, it’s both.”

But Annabel explains that while the changes are set to disrupt the very foundations of the industry, there is still opportunity.

At the same time, measurement models need to catch up, she says.

“Influence is increasingly happening upstream of the click, and most attribution frameworks weren’t built to see it.”

Trending

What's hot on Hello Partner right now

Bots Have Now Surpassed Human Traffic Online, Says Cloudflare CEO

Data from Cloudflare shows that 57% of HTTP requests now come from bots.

How is AI Impacting Affiliate Publishers?

The APMA’s AI and LLM Publisher survey is looking to find out.

Card-Linked Offers: Promise, Proof, or Problem?

This session puts CLOs under the microscope, with experts from across the ecosystem, brands, platforms, and publishers, debating their true value, challenges, and future in the partnership economy.

Publishers to Get “Fairer Deal” in CMA Shake-up

Publishers can now choose to opt out of Google AI Overviews in a “world-first.”

Under the Microscope: Content in the Age of AI

The OpenAttribution.org event, of which Hello Partner is a media partner, will explore content value amidst the new AI reality.

Industry Insight

Stay at the top of your game

This week, we’ve got words from Emmet Gibney, who asks you to test: could your affiliate program survive if you disappeared for two weeks?

He lays out the following hypothetical:

A high-potential partner signs up and hits a small technical snag — but, without the processes already in place to catch them, they could walk away.

A week into your absence, an attribution dispute arrives, but without tracking logic in a transparent dashboard, the partner loses confidence…another one bites the dust.

Then, two top affiliates need assistance with a custom landing page, silence rings out, they never hear back, and jump ship.

​“Nothing broke in the traditional sense. The affiliate program simply struggled to exist without you.”

​Emmet’s takeaway? If your affiliate program requires constant attention to keep afloat, you don’t have a scalable growth channel.

What are your thoughts on the ingredients for creating a scalable growth channel? Sharing is caring.

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Until next time,

Madaline Dunn Community Editor Email me Connect with me on LinkedIn