Emerging AI technologies are rapidly reshaping the affiliate and influencer marketing landscape, changing how content is created, optimized and discovered across platforms. Affiliate marketing is no longer just a sales channel; it’s a strategic driver of AI search visibility. With 58% of consumers already turning to generative AI for product recommendations over traditional search results, a holistic digital strategy is no longer optional. As generative AI changes how people discover and engage with brands, affiliate marketing has a more influential seat at the digital table than ever before. In this article, Account Director Ben Norton explores how large language models (LLMs) are changing the landscape, how affiliate partnerships can boost discoverability in AI responses, and practical steps to future-proof your affiliate program through Large Language Model Optimization (LLMO).
Who are the main LLMs and how are they supporting e-commerce?
Gemini, OpenAI, and Perplexity are the three primary LLM operators, each offering distinct solutions that are transforming e-commerce discovery and interaction.
- Gemini – Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), powered by Gemini, is redefining how users interact with content. Embedded across Google’s ecosystem, Gemini influences every stage of the customer journey, from product research and consideration to purchase decisions.
- OpenAI – While Google dominates traditional search, OpenAI leads the LLM market, with over 800 million active users, a number that has doubled since February 2025. OpenAI continues to roll out new features that make it easier for consumers to shop directly from AI-generated results, including the launch of its in-app ecommerce solution, enabling consumers to purchase without leaving the app.
- Perplexity – Often described as an “answer engine,” Perplexity combines LLM technology with real-time sourcing and citation-led responses. By merging AI-generated insights with verifiable web links, it provides both trust and visibility, making it an increasingly powerful channel for brands and affiliates to surface in product discovery.
What is the difference between an SEO & LLM Strategy?
Whilst there are synergies between SEO and LLM activity, strategies should remain fundamentally different as they tap into different logics. With new technology comes new acronyms that every marketer should be aware of:
- SEO. Optimizes content for search engine algorithms to rank in traditional search results.
- LLMO. Focuses on shaping how language models interpret, summarize, and present your brand in AI-driven responses across chat, voice, and search interfaces.
- LLM SEO. A subset of LLMO that specifically targets visibility within AI-powered search results (such as Google’s SGE), blending traditional SEO tactics with AI-driven content signals.
The Affiliate Marketing Opportunity
The rise of AI-powered search is rewriting the rules for affiliate marketing. Many affiliate partners are seeing significant drops in organic traffic because these AI search summaries don’t drive clicks, impacting their ability to monetize and stay invested in brands. At the same time, high-authority publishers being favored in AI-driven visibility, with their structured content, reviews, and deal data forming the foundation of AI discovery. By aligning affiliate strategies with LLM logic, brands can increase their chances of being surfaced in AI-generated responses. Key tactics include:
- Activate Content on High Domain Authority Sites with Search Equity. Partner with affiliates that have high domain authority. These sites are favored by LLM models and typically provide brands with high-quality content.
- Optimize Content for Discoverability. Encourage affiliates to use natural, question-based phrasing like “What are the most comfortable running shoes?” or “How do I open a crypto wallet?” That’s how users talk to AI.
- Structure Content for AI Visibility. LLMs prefer well-structured content. Collaborate with affiliate partners to optimize content formats (Q&A, lists, comparisons) to increase AI visibility (AEO/GEO), rather than relying solely on keywords. Brands that actively coach affiliates on formatting, internal linking, and natural language can boost discoverability across AI tools and get ahead of the curve.
- Refine Product Data. Prepare your product feed for AI environments, including rich metadata like price, availability, category, images, descriptions, reviews, and shipping information. Structured data improves the chances of your products being included in AI-generated shopping answers.
- Improve Brand Sentiment, at Scale. LLMs summarise a brand using third-party content. When partners clearly and positively explain a brand, it helps shape AI’s language and sentiment towards the brand. Ensure partners go beyond simple link placement. Detailed product and brand context improves the chances of being surfaced in AI summaries.
- Implement tracking. Add unique tracking codes to product links shared with affiliates or early AI integrations (e.g., links embedded in a ChatGPT-generated list). These codes can help with monitoring traffic sources and basic partner attribution, even if affiliate tracking technology is still evolving.
- Bigger Role for Trusted Content Partners. As LLMs lean into quality, there’s an opportunity to double down on editorial-style affiliates who publish structured, helpful content.
How to find partners suitable to support LLMO?
A combination of traditional affiliate and SEO specialist tools can be utilised in tandem when searching for relevant partners.
- Leverage SEO Tools to Identify High-Ranking Partners. SEO tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Surfer SEO identify domains’ rankings for intent-rich queries related to a brand or category.
- Combine SEO and Affiliate Data. Once you have identified SEO-strong partners, compare these with your current affiliate platform data. Program approaches will vary, but generally, it is essential to strike the right balance between high-ranking domains and overall performance.
- Manually source LLM outputs directly. Run relevant brand and product queries directly within LLM platforms. It’s free, fast, and provides a clear view of which sites LLMs are surfacing most often. These affiliates make strong candidates for partnership. Don’t stop at your own brand; run competitor queries too, which can reveal opportunities for conquesting and content gaps to target.
In a world where AI writes the rules, affiliates hold the pen. Brands that adapt now won’t just keep up; they’ll be the ones LLMs love to quote.
