Semrush analyzed 2,850 affiliate articles about its product for citations in AI search answers between September 14 and October 7, 2026. About 22% appeared in at least one AI answer. Citation rates varied by platform: 8% in Google AI Overviews, 7% in Google AI Mode, 2% in Gemini, and 1% in ChatGPT.
The company reviewed 302 cited web pages and 283 videos to identify patterns. Three in four cited pages mentioning Semrush also name at least one competitor; 60% name two or more. Among uncited pages, 42% mention a competitor. Listicles and comparisons get cited far more often than other affiliate formats. Tutorials also drive visibility—four of Semrush's 25 top-performing pieces are how-to content, according to Ignacio Miñana Roser, the company's affiliate marketing lead.
Affiliate links and disclosures do not prevent citations. Among cited web pages, 74% contain affiliate links, and about 40% tag them as sponsored or nofollow. Among cited videos, 89% include an affiliate link and 88% include a disclosure. Pages with either element were cited as often as pages without them. Coupon and cashback sites performed worst, cited in roughly 10% of cases—they drive transactions but tell AI systems little about product fit.
AirOps found that 85% of 21,311 brand mentions across ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity came from external domains rather than brand websites. Nearly 90% of those third-party mentions came from listicles, comparisons, or reviews. More than 40% of the 10,000 sources AI systems cite most often contain affiliate links or sponsored content, according to Evertune CEO Brian Stempeck.
Semrush recommends five steps to build AI visibility through affiliate partnerships. Start with prompts buyers use when evaluating products. Then identify sources AI systems already cite for those prompts. Recruit publishers AI answers already cite, prioritizing those mentioning competitors but not your brand. Equip partners with accurate product details, trial access, and original data—then let them reach their own conclusions. Finally, measure AI visibility alongside revenue; partners with modest sales but citations in valuable prompts may warrant priority.
Alexandra Tachalova, founder of Digital Olympus and former marketing director at Semrush, now focuses on unlinked brand mentions. 'I don't even need a link, just a brand mention,' she said. 'AI tools don't really differentiate whether it's a link or just a brand mention.'
