Affiliate Links Still Matter When AI Checkout Keeps Shoppers Off Your Site

Do Affiliate Links Still Earn Credit Without a Click?

Adam Riemer's Ask an SEO column argues that affiliate links still matter even as Google's checkout experiences inside AI Mode and Gemini let shoppers buy without visiting a merchant's site. He traces how cookie-based tracking gave way to cross-device methods, server-side matching, IP-based signals and vanity codes, and he explains why a link click remains the first line of defence for credit. He also flags risks such as coupon sites, browser extensions and marketplace sellers that can take a commission away.

For brand builders and affiliate managers, the practical message is to diversify. Choose programs that pay on third-party sales, protect vanity codes from leaking, and use disclosures that remind readers they are supported by a human recommendation. Teams that work across affiliate, content and paid media will find a clear checklist here for protecting revenue as shopping moves into AI surfaces.