AI search is eating the affiliate review
We pulled 1,761 live Google results pages for SaaS review, alternatives, pricing and affiliate-program searches, then asked ChatGPT and Gemini 479 questions. Here's what that means if you write about software for a living.
How often does Google answer with an AI Overview?
Almost always on commercial software searches. Share of results pages with an AI Overview, by query type (number of SERPs in brackets):
Pricing queries are the least covered, because Google often sends people straight to the vendor's pricing page. Everything else is close to 100%, so a page that only ranks and doesn't get cited is fighting for what's left below the fold.
Are people still searching for reviews?
Less than they used to. Of the 177 "[brand] review" keywords with at least 50 searches a month, 86% are down on the previous year, with a median change of -50%. Some of that demand hasn't disappeared. It moved into AI tools, where the question gets asked in a full sentence and answered without a click.
The review SERPs themselves are crowded with platforms. The most common domains across 422 review top 10s: trustpilot.com (376), reddit.com (312), g2.com (246), capterra.com (114), youtube.com (88), softwareadvice.com (49). 19 of them had no independent site at all, while in 80 an independent site held #1.
Who gets cited inside AI Overviews?
By type of site
Most cited domains
Independent sites earn the largest share of citations, but YouTube is cited in 53% of these AI Overviews and Reddit in 19%. That's the practical takeaway: a written review plus a short video on the same topic covers both kinds of source Google likes to quote.
Which independent sites does Google cite most?
Independent domains ranked by how many different keywords they were cited for inside AI Overviews. Many are other vendors' content teams rather than neutral reviewers, which tells you how much the "best X" game is played by the software companies themselves.
| Domain | Keywords cited for |
|---|---|
| eesel.ai | 28 |
| coldiq.com | 28 |
| salesforge.ai | 27 |
| hackceleration.com | 24 |
| xamplify.com | 19 |
| checkthat.ai | 17 |
| connecteam.com | 17 |
| affpaying.com | 16 |
| ampifire.com | 16 |
| spotsaas.com | 16 |
| efficient.app | 16 |
| themarketingagency.ca | 15 |
| syncgtm.com | 15 |
| sparkle.io | 15 |
| pipeline.zoominfo.com | 15 |
| courseplatformsreview.com | 14 |
| thatmarketingbuddy.com | 14 |
| saleshive.com | 14 |
| softwarefinder.com | 13 |
| saasaffiliate.com | 13 |
Which programs do ChatGPT and Gemini recommend?
We asked both engines, with web search on, "best [category] tools" and "best [category] affiliate programs with recurring commissions" for all 79 categories that have a head term, plus five general affiliate questions. That's 326 answers. The most named programs:
| Program | ChatGPT | Gemini | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | 22 | 31 | 53 |
| GetResponse | 9 | 26 | 35 |
| ActiveCampaign | 12 | 16 | 28 |
| Kit | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| Systeme.io | 9 | 13 | 22 |
| Zapier | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Semrush | 12 | 8 | 20 |
| Thinkific | 6 | 9 | 15 |
| Notion | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| Teachable | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| SE Ranking | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| ClickFunnels | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Kajabi | 5 | 8 | 13 |
| Pipedrive | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Surfer | 6 | 5 | 11 |
When the question is about affiliate programs, ChatGPT leans on hubspot.com, affiliateresearch.info, affiliateotter.com, beehiiv.com, saasaffiliate.net, semrush.com, getresponse.com and omnisend.com. Gemini leans on affiliateotter.com, customgpt.ai, getresponse.com, tapfiliate.com, empireflippers.com, reactin.io, partners.livechat.com and affililist.com. Small affiliate-list sites punch far above their weight here, which is exactly the opening a data-backed directory can take.
Which board programs are invisible to AI?
48 of the 117 board programs were never named in any of those answers. For an affiliate that cuts both ways: less AI competition for the brand, but also no free visibility. Highest index first:
SamCart, Search Atlas, OnlineJobs.ph, ClickMagick, Agent CRM, BoldSign, ScoreApp, KrispCall, MarketingBoost, Dext, Happy Scribe, Syllaby, Extendly, My AI Front Desk, Proxy-Seller, Simplified, BrandMentions, HelpCrunch, MakeUGC, Social Champ, NEURONwriter, Chatra, LingoHub, Geonix, Simvoly, Writecream, Groove.cm, SellerSprite, Ocoya, EzyCourse, Trafft, PPSPY, Unitel Voice, Koala Apps, SW Hosting, EComposer, Quaderno, Dashword, Synthesys, Superspeed, SEOTesting, ReviewGrower, timeBuzzer, Everneed AI, WebScrapingAPI, SSLPrivateProxy, Salesflow and Zebracat.
What should an affiliate site do about it?
- Lead every page with a direct, dated answer in the first two sentences. That's the block AI Overviews lift.
- Publish numbers nobody else has (real prices, commission terms, test results) and date them. Unique facts get cited, while rewritten vendor copy doesn't.
- Pair important pages with a short video. YouTube shows up inside 53% of the AI Overviews we collected.
- Pick programs where independents already rank. Our winnability score does that filtering for you.
- Track AI mentions, not just rankings. A brand that ChatGPT never names is a brand whose buyers aren't being sent anywhere.