Google is showing AI-generated answers far more often on queries the industry treats as commercial. Research covered by Search Engine Land puts the rise in AI Overviews on those keywords at nearly double over the observation period.
What was measured
Tracker data covered 400 keywords. AI-generated answers appeared for 97% of the estimated search volume behind those queries. Product reviews and comparisons led on how often AI Overviews showed up.
What it means for affiliate traffic
The classic affiliate review page assumed a user clicks, reads the comparison and follows a link. If the comparison already sits in the AI block, the click may not happen. Anyone earning from organic traffic in product niches should check positions query by query rather than across the whole site: reviews, top lists, X versus Y. Where an AI Overview already ranks, the old CTR maths needs redoing. Reach is not the same as clicks.
Content built from borrowed spec sheets is the easiest thing for an AI block to replace. Reviews with real testing are harder to substitute. Pages can also be structured for AI answers: direct responses to questions, short paragraphs. And with organic traffic on commercial queries getting less predictable, it is worth testing paid promotion, email and direct visits. An offer that lives on organic product-query traffic should budget for a drop in clicks.
