How is AI Impacting Affiliate Publishers?

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

​AI has changed everything, from the way people discover news and how they shop, to where they seek mental and physical health advice and emotional support.

Regulation has been slow to catch up, and the consequences of mass adoption are vast: rising emissions and water consumption, misinformation, job losses, and growing safety and security risks — to name a few. ​

Across industries, LLMs and other AI tools have changed how work is done, who it's done by, who it's seen by and in some cases, raised questions about how it’s paid for. This is the case for affiliate, an industry bracing itself for the shock.​

While news websites have reported significant drop-offs in click-through rates, reducing traffic and revenue, when it comes to the affiliate industry, comprehensive data on the impact of AI search has not yet been gathered — and the Affiliate and Partner Marketing Association (APMA) is steering a course correction here.

​In May, the industry association launched its first publisher AI and LLM survey to gain a better understanding of the visibility, traffic, and financial impact on affiliates.

The survey zones in on assessing whether the affiliate industry is suffering the same fate as traditional publishers, with declines in organic search traffic and website traffic, and how AI-driven search is impacting total earnings — for better or worse.

The APMA research is also looking at how companies are measuring and managing AI-driven visibility. Indeed, in recent months, we’ve seen a fair amount of movement in this space, from cross-industry initiatives to tech launches.

The survey also seeks to surface how affiliates are using AI to engage with their audience directly.

Publishers and affiliates who want to participate in the survey can submit their responses here.