Affiliate Marketing Trends in 2025 to Watch Out For

One of the main affiliate marketing trends in 2025 is finding ways to get more eyes on your content in the age of AI summaries.
In 2024, the majority of Google searches ended without a click – 58.5% in the U.S. and 59.7% in the EU. This happens when people find the info they need directly from the AI summary or refine their query without clicking on any links.
2024 was also a tough year in terms of global economic issues, such as inflation and reduced disposable income.
But you can still make good money as an affiliate marketer, but you have to evolve and stay up-to-date with the latest affiliate marketing trends.
By the end of this guide, you’ll be well prepared for the future of affiliate marketing in 2025.
Affiliate Marketing Trends in 2025
1. Outsmarting “Zero Click” Searches
Zero click searches have always been around. When someone searches for a simple question, like “How old is Tom Hanks?”, they’ll often find what they’re looking for in the search listings without clicking any links.
However, in recent years, the zero click problem has gotten worse due to AI-generated summaries.
AI overviews give people answers to more complex queries without clicking, which is a major challenge for those working in affiliate marketing in 2025, especially if you rely on SEO-driven content. It might mean fewer people landing on your site and lower conversions.
Google also prioritizes its own ecosystem with search results containing YouTube, Google Flights, Google Maps, and Google Shopping.
It’s no surprise we’re seeing search clicks decline. And let’s not forget, people now use ChatGPT, Perplexity and other tools as search engines, bypassing Google altogether for product recommendations and how-to content.
Since you can’t stop zero-click searches, the next best move is to play Google’s game smarter.
If people are going to read Google’s AI-generated summaries, then you want your content to be the source that gets linked. How?
- Writing direct, scannable answers that are concise but valuable.
- Using structured data (schema markup) so Google easily understands your content.
- Building E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) by including backlinks, author bios, and citing reputable sources.
- Test SEO for AI responses by structuring content in a way that makes it more “citable” for these tools.
If you specialize in product reviews, then video is your friend. More people, especially Gen Z, search for product reviews on TikTok or YouTube first.
It’s also a good idea to build your own audience, so Google doesn’t control your traffic. You could start a newsletter to build an email list or form private communities on platforms like Facebook and Discord.
2. Optimizing for “Sense Searches”
The future of SEO is emotional, not just informational.
In 2025, search is evolving beyond rigid search categories as AI-driven search engines become more context-aware. Now, you need to optimize your content for the meaning, emotion, and urgency behind the words, known as “sense search”.
People aren’t usually searching for information only. They’re searching for solutions to a feeling or problem.
AI models, such as Google Gemini, are evolving to detect emotions in queries.
- “Why do my feet hurt after running?” → This is frustration-based intent. A well-placed affiliate article can convert this into a shoe recommendation.
- “Best home workout for weight loss fast” → This signals urgency. If you have a video or quick listicle, you’re more likely to rank.
- “Is affiliate marketing still worth it in 2025?” → This is doubt-based intent. A convincing article can turn this search into a course sign-up or product sale.
Voice Search Is Growing And Changing How People Search
In 2024, more than one billion voice searches were performed each month. This means people talking to their devices like they would to a person. AI advancements are likely to make this even more common in 2025.
One of the main affiliate marketer trends for 2025 is optimizing for conversational queries. Instead of “best running shoes 2025,” users might ask, “What are the best running shoes for marathon training?”
In other words, your written content should feel like a conversation that asks questions and answers them in a way that feels “spoken” rather than written.
AI-Driven Search Understands User Emotions & Context
Traditional search intent models are outdated. Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others now pick up on the deeper motivations behind searches.
A search for “best running shoes” could have a thousand variations based on context:
- A casual runner looking for comfort
- A marathon runner needing durability
- A sprinter needing high-performance
- Someone with bad knees searching for supportive options
- Somebody doing a triathlon who needs all-purpose shoes
That’s why 2025 affiliate marketing strategies need to go beyond keywords and optimize for intent clusters. Instead of just ranking for “best running shoes,” create content around why people need them, as this will help you appear in more focused search results.
Local & Sense Searches Go Hand-in-Hand
With AI in affiliate marketing advancing, voice search is becoming even more sophisticated. In fact, 58% of people use voice searches to find local businesses. As an affiliate marketer, optimizing for geo-specific searches can help in the following ways.
- “Best protein powder in [City]” → If a brand has a local distributor, your affiliate link can be the best option.
- “Fitness equipment near me” → If your affiliate partner has local store availability, that’s a conversion opportunity.
- “Cheap running shoes with free shipping” → People want hyper-specific answers when they’re close to buying.
3. Getting Seen with Short-Form Video
Short-form video is one of the fastest growing affiliate marketing trends right now.
People consume short-form videos when they’re in “discovery mode”. This means they scroll content in a relaxed state with an open mind. Affiliate marketers can benefit from this by using platforms to get short, highly-focused ads in front of people when they’re most engaged.
Outbrain Moments is one of the emerging affiliate marketing platforms that places short-form video ads (typically 30 to 90 seconds long) in premium publisher environments, such as news pages or niche authority sites. Unlike disruptive pre-roll or mid-roll ads, the platform delivers video content that feels natural within a user’s browsing experience. This leads to higher engagement rates and better retention.
Over 75% of short-form video views happen on mobile. Outbrain Moments optimizes video ad placement for mobile users, by using a vertical format and well-placed calls to action.
4. Choosing AI Tools That Move The Needle
The amount of automation in affiliate marketing is increasing, but the amount of choice can feel overwhelming. It seems like there are new AI tools released every day.
One of the biggest challenges for affiliate marketers is working out which ones really make a difference to your bottom line. You need to choose tools that are going to automate tasks and help you bring in more traffic or increase conversions without adding any more
complexity to your workflow.
Here are some useful AI tools for affiliate marketers that help in different areas.
- AI for SEO Optimization: Tools like SurferSEO, Clearscope, and Frase analyze top-ranking content and help you structure your articles so they perform better in search.
- AI-Powered Ad Creatives: If you’re running paid traffic, AI-driven tools like AdCreative.ai and Canva’s AI features help you generate high-converting ads quickly.
- AI for Personalization & Automation: Platforms like ChatGPT (for content), Jasper (for copywriting), and ManyChat (for automated messaging) help you scale your outreach and engagement, but be careful not to sacrifice the personal touch.
- AI Video & Audio Editing & Creation: AI tools like RunwayML, Pictory, ElevenLabs, and Descript help you repurpose content, generate captions, and even create voice overs from text.
- AI Data & Analytics: Tools like Outbrain’s predictive targeting use AI to automate audience segmentation and improve ad performance for your affiliate campaigns.
5. Expanding Into B2B
Until recently, affiliate marketers mostly targeted the B2C market, by promoting products in niches like health and fitness and consumer goods.
The saturation of B2C markets and growth of good B2B affiliate deals, especially for tech tools, has led to more affiliate marketers shifting to B2B. This affiliate marketing trend is likely to continue in 2025.
B2B affiliate marketing is one of the growing affiliate marketing trends, offering higher commissions, longer customer lifecycles, and more long-term value for affiliates. B2C commissions tend to be between 5 and 10%, whereas B2B affiliate commissions can go up to 25% or more per contract.
You might find there’s less competition too, as fewer affiliates focus on B2B, but that window of opportunity probably won’t last long. Look for good affiliate deals to promote SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), business service platforms, AdTech, fintech, and others.
If you’re thinking of moving from B2C to B2B, there are a few things you should consider first.
- B2B buyers aren’t impulse shoppers: They do more research and make bigger commitments, meaning long-term commissions.
- B2B content needs to be direct and problem-solving: Aim to build trust rather than hype the products up.
- Businesses want case studies and comparisons: Business buyers look for proof that a product works for them.
- Focus on authority: Thought leadership and expert recommendations carry more weight than viral trends.
6. Localizing Content for More Reach
84% of businesses see more profit when they localize their marketing. There’s no reason why this won’t apply to affiliate marketers too.
Localization is an important strategy in affiliate marketing niches in 2025, as it allows you to reach wider markets and tailor your content for different cultural expectations.
These days, you can use digital localization platforms to make it easier to expand your affiliate marketing reach.
- Lokalise: A localization and translation platform that helps teams easily adapt content for different languages. It integrates with development tools, making it simple to manage translations and launch localized content efficiently.
- Smartling: A cloud-based translation service that connects with your existing tools to automate translations, manage content at scale, and track performance.
- Localazy: A user-friendly translation platform that makes it easy to scale content across multiple languages. It uses AI-powered suggestions and smart translation memory to keep content accurate and culturally relevant.
7. Maximizing Your Audience with Micro-Influencers
Affiliate marketers are always looking for cost-effective ways to promote products. The big shift in 2025 and beyond is towards smaller influencers (nano and micro-influencers) because they offer higher engagement, more trust, and better conversion rates.
Nano-influencers (<15K followers) and micro-influencers (15K to 75K followers) often have much higher engagement rates than big-name influencers. In fact, studies show that small influencers generate 60% higher engagement rates than big influencers.
Hiring macro-influencers (100K+ followers) costs anywhere from $15K to $49K per post, which is a big upfront investment.
Nano- and micro-influencers charge as little as $200 to $500 per post, making them a much lower-risk investment. Some small influencers will promote products for free in exchange for affiliate commissions, meaning you only pay for actual conversions.
As an affiliate marketer, you can approach smaller influencers in your niche and offer to share affiliate profits in exchange for you providing the links and managing the tools, etc.
Is Affiliate Marketing Worth It in 2025?
Yes, affiliate marketing is worth it in 2025, but only if you adapt. The affiliate marketing landscape is shifting fast, and what worked in 2024 might not cut it in 2025. It doesn’t mean affiliate marketing is dead, it just means it’s evolving.
Here’s why affiliate marketing is still a great way to make money in 2025.
- The Industry is Growing: The global affiliate marketing industry is worth over $17 billion and continues to expand as e-commerce and digital services thrive.
- More Ways to Earn: With B2B affiliate marketing, AI-driven search, video content, and new automation tools, affiliates have more opportunities to monetize than ever before.
- Earning Potential is Higher Than Ever: High-ticket offers, subscription-based commissions, and performance-driven partnerships allow affiliates to make serious money beyond just Amazon Associates and low-commission programs.
But let’s be real, affiliate marketing isn’t as easy as it used to be. AI-generated search summaries, zero-click searches, and increased competition mean you have to work smarter to stand out.
How to Succeed in Affiliate Marketing in 2025?
The road to affiliate marketing success is paved with trust. You should aim to be genuinely helpful and solve real problems, rather than just trying to sell products. Show your expertise and be transparent with your audience by disclosing affiliate relationships.
You have to be willing to do the following to stay ahead in affiliate marketing in 2025.
- Willing to pivot and adopt new trends.
- Diversify with SEO, email, video, social media, i.e. don’t rely on one channel
- Build real trust with your audience instead of relying on generic content
- Use AI and automation tools to scale your work efficiently
FAQs
Is affiliate marketing trending?
Yes, affiliate marketing is definitely trending in 2025. The industry is still growing, evolving with short-form video content and AI making it easier to scale than ever.
Which product is trending in affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing trends change every year, but in 2025, the hottest affiliate products are in:
- AI & Automation Tools – AI-powered productivity software, content creation tools, and chatbots.
- Subscription-Based SaaS – Recurring commissions for software like SEO tools, business automation, and finance apps.
- Health & Wellness – Wearable tech, supplements, mental health apps, and home fitness solutions.
- Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Products – Green tech, reusable goods, and energy-efficient home devices.
- Digital Courses & Coaching Programs – Personal finance, online business, and high-ticket education programs.
- B2B Tools & Services – CRM software, marketing automation, cybersecurity, and remote work tools.
What is the future of affiliate marketing in 2025?
The future of affiliate marketing isn’t just about SEO and blog reviews anymore. It’s about multi-channel, AI-driven marketing. Localizing your content and partnering with smaller influencers are also good ways to secure a bright future as an affiliate marketer.