ChatGPT Ads Are Here: Should Your Business Be Advertising Inside AI Conversations?

For the past two decades, digital advertising has revolved around one idea: catch someone at the exact moment they're searching. ChatGPT Ads flip that model. Instead of matching keywords, they respond to context and intent inside a conversation - meaning a business can now appear in front of someone while they're still figuring out what they actually need, well before they'd ever type a search query.

It's an early-stage platform, and like every new advertising channel, it comes with more questions than answers. But the businesses that understand how it works now are the ones best placed to use it well once it matures.

How ChatGPT Ads Actually Work

Rather than bidding on search terms, OpenAI's advertising platform shows ads based on what a conversation is actually about. Two campaign types are currently available: standard campaigns aimed at traffic, leads and awareness, and product feed campaigns for ecommerce businesses that upload a product catalogue via SFTP.

Conversion tracking and pixels can already be set up, even though full conversion-based optimisation isn't live yet. For businesses used to Google Ads or Meta, the mechanics will feel familiar - the targeting logic is what's genuinely new.

Is This the Right Channel for Your Business?

ChatGPT Ads won't suit every business equally. They tend to perform best for products and services with a longer research phase - where people ask questions, compare options, and weigh up decisions before buying. Think SaaS, financial services, legal and healthcare providers, education, travel, automotive, and ecommerce brands with larger catalogues.

If your business relies on impulse or last-minute purchases, this channel is less likely to move the needle right now - though that could shift as the platform develops.

Why Your Brand Still Needs to Earn Trust Beyond the Ad

Here's the part many businesses overlook: getting the click is only half the job. Picture two businesses running near-identical ChatGPT campaigns. One has a strong, well-documented online presence - genuine expertise, consistent business information, and a few credible mentions elsewhere. The other has a website and not much else.

When a user follows up with more questions, or asks the AI to double-check a claim, the business with the stronger digital footprint wins that moment of trust - regardless of which one paid for the placement. Your presence beyond the ad doesn't stop mattering once someone clicks. If anything, it matters more.

How to Prepare, Whether You Advertise Yet or Not

• Publish content that genuinely answers the questions your customers are asking.
• Build brand authority through digital PR and credible third-party mentions.
• Add structured data so AI systems can understand your website correctly.
• Keep your business details consistent everywhere they appear online.
• Continue investing in solid SEO alongside newer GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) strategies.

Our Take

We don't recommend shifting your existing Google Ads or Meta Ads budget over to ChatGPT Ads just yet. Treat it as a channel worth testing with modest spend, while the fundamentals - content, structured data, and AI visibility - keep doing the heavier lifting in the background. If you'd like help figuring out where ChatGPT Ads fits into your marketing mix, our PPC and digital advertising team can walk you through it.

Thinking about testing ChatGPT Ads for your business? Get in touch with EG Digital to see how it fits alongside your existing SEO and paid media strategy.

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