OpenAI just slipped product recommendations into ChatGPT—and we can’t decide if we should break out a high-five or clutch our affiliate reports in terror. Now, when you give ChatGPT shopping vibes, it’ll “surface relevant products.” On one hand, it feels like pure progress: instant, conversational shopping guidance. On the other hand… well, it threatens to siphon off the clicks and conversions that affiliate sites sweat for.
The Advertising Honeypot
At first glance, there aren’t any traditional ads. No banners blinking “buy now!” Yet in practice, product recommendations are an obvious stepping stone toward affiliate-style commissions. OpenAI isn’t charging for this today, but it’s clearly erecting the scaffolding for a revenue engine. Think of it like planting seeds in fertile ground—you don’t see the forest yet, but you know it’s coming.
It’s hard not to salivate over the numbers: the US affiliate industry is set to hit $11.99 billion this year, growing nearly 12%. That’s not chump change. Could OpenAI pocket a slice of that pie? Absolutely. And if they can funnel traffic straight to retailers without intermediaries, who’s going to turn down that extra margin?
But—and here’s my sticking point—what happens to the rest of us? If ChatGPT becomes the default shopping assistant, do we shrink into obscurity? Or is there a clever way to share in the spoils?
Scraping the Spoon: Where’s ChatGPT Getting Its Info?
My biggest concern is where those recommendation algorithms source their data. A lot of it probably comes from heavy-hitters like Wirecutter, CNET, and other publishers who’ve meticulously test-driven products for years. In essence, ChatGPT scrapes this goldmine of reviews, personalizes the output, and hands it to users on a silver platter.
Imagine pouring your best work into a detailed review—only to watch ChatGPT recite your conclusions, skipping your affiliate links entirely. Publishers aren’t blind to this. Some have flat-fee agreements with OpenAI, but those fees are often a drop in the bucket compared to lost clickthroughs.
Expect a scramble for better deals:
- Performance-based revenue shares that scale with sales
- Commission splits tied to incremental traffic
- Data access so publishers can track what ChatGPT’s actually recommending
Without these, publishers could get understandably prickly, threatening to block or watermark their content. And nobody wants a battle royale with the AI overlord.
The Zero-Click Conundrum
We’ve already felt the pinch from AI-powered search. In 2024, nearly 60% of Google searches ended without a single click. ChatGPT likely pushes that number higher, since it often gives the full answer—no click required. That’s death for affiliates: no click equals no commission.
It’s a gut punch to digital publishers that rely on ad revenue and affiliate fees. Your referral counts tanked 20–30% practically overnight after AI overviews rolled out. You sit at your desk, coffee in hand, and wonder: did someone break the Internet…or just the old business model?
Riding the Google Wave—For Now
Yes, Google still commands around 87% of US search traffic. That’s comforting. But Google’s own AI snippets and SEO changes have already clipped retail affiliate revenues by more than 15% in Q2 2024. So while affiliates catch breath from Google’s search share, a new wave—ChatGPT’s recs—is forming just offshore.
It begs the question: how many more hits can affiliate marketing stomach before it’s forced into a radical overhaul?
What Affiliate Marketers Can Do Right Now
- Audit and strengthen your unique content—go deeper than a chatbot’s one-liner.
- Proactively pitch partnerships to OpenAI and other AI platforms.
- Experiment with your own chat-driven tools to see what sticks.
Adapt or risk obsolescence—those are the bracing words of our moment.
At the end of the day, OpenAI’s shopping push is both promise and peril. Will we evolve, forging new alliances and reinventing our strategies? Or cling to old playbooks until they crumble?
I’m eager to see your thoughts—excited, anxious, or a little bit of both? Drop a comment below, share your frontline tales, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram for more raw, unfiltered affiliate insights. Let’s navigate this together.
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Sources:
- www.emarketer.com/content/openai-new-shopping-initiatives-pose-major-threat-affiliate-marketing
- www.practicalecommerce.com/ai-shopping-tools-threaten-affiliates
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