We’ve been testing ChatGPT ads for a few weeks. The results have been strong enough that we’re now setting them up for clients.
If you’ve been curious about whether this channel is worth your attention, here’s what we’re seeing: it works. Not universally. Not as a replacement for what you’re already doing. But for the right business, it’s a genuine promotional channel worth testing.
We Started Testing Recently. Here’s What We’re Learning.
When we saw the opportunity, we moved quickly. We set up test campaigns across different industries. We connected proper tracking to see what converts. The results have been consistent enough that we’re recommending it to select clients.
What’s working: relevance matching does what OpenAI says it will. People click ads that genuinely match what they’re asking ChatGPT about. The audience is engaged and early in their research phase. There’s minimal waste. Conversions are tracking properly.
What it’s not: magic. What it is: a real channel that belongs in your media mix, for the right business.
Why ChatGPT Ads Are Different
ChatGPT for advice before they Google you.
Someone decides to switch gyms and asks ChatGPT what’s good. Someone needs accounting software and asks ChatGPT which ones to consider. Someone is planning a weekend away and asks ChatGPT for destination recommendations.
Those conversations happen 2.5 billion times daily. An ad that appears during that thinking, matched to exactly what they’re asking about, is fundamentally different from a search ad or a social media interrupt. It’s not a distraction. It’s a suggestion that happens to be relevant.
OpenAI’s matching algorithm uses conversation topic, past chat history, and previous ad interactions. No demographic targeting. No third party cookies. Just context.
What We’re Seeing
Cost per click sits at a premium compared to Google Search, which makes sense: you’re reaching people actively thinking through problems, not passively browsing. For our clients, that’s proven worth paying for.
Click-through rates are competitive with search. Cost per conversion is strong. Ad frequency is clean: roughly one placement per several conversations, so it doesn’t feel like spam. The conversion tracking is working as it should.
We’re not seeing budget waste. We’re seeing genuine intent.
What We’ve Tested
Early testing suggests this works best when your product naturally comes up in ChatGPT conversations: fitness, wellness, travel, software, professional services. Places where people ask questions and want recommendations.
It’s been less effective for ultra-premium goods (those buyers sit on paid tiers where ads don’t show) or for anything that relies on visual storytelling rather than text-based discussion.
For most other businesses, it’s worth testing.
How We Set This Up
1. Account Setup and Authentication
We create and configure your ChatGPT Ads Manager account. We handle the technical setup so you don’t have to learn OpenAI’s interface. We establish proper permissions and billing so you maintain control whilst we manage day-to-day execution.
You own the account. We manage it.
2. Website Integration and Conversion Tracking
This is the critical piece most people skip, and it’s why they fail.
We connect your website to ChatGPT’s conversion tracking system. Every click needs to trace back to a real business outcome: a lead form submission, a purchase, a sign-up, a phone call. We set up UTM parameters and event tracking so you can see exactly which ad drove which result.
Without this, you’re flying blind. With it, you have complete visibility into ROI.
3. Campaign Strategy That Works In Parallel
We don’t treat ChatGPT ads as a siloed campaign. We build it into your broader digital strategy.
If you’re running Google Search, we make sure ChatGPT ads complement rather than compete. If you have a social media campaign, we coordinate messaging and targeting. If you’re doing organic content, we ensure consistency.
We audit your existing channels, understand where ChatGPT fits, and build a campaign that works alongside everything else. One channel supports the other. You get amplification, not fragmentation.
This is where most agencies drop the ball. We don’t.
4. Creative and Copy Development
We write ad copy that works in ChatGPT’s context. It’s different from Google Search copy or Instagram captions. It needs to be clear, honest, direct. We test multiple angles and let performance data guide what stays and what evolves.
5. Ongoing Optimisation
We monitor performance weekly. We adjust bids, refresh creative, pause underperformers, and increase budgets on winners. We share transparent reporting so you understand what’s working and why.
You’ll know exactly where your budget is going and what it’s generating.
The Question You Should Ask Yourself
Are your customers researching solutions on ChatGPT? Probably yes.
Are they ready to consider a new provider or product? Probably yes.
Is this the right channel to reach them at that moment? That depends on what you sell and who buys it.
If the answer is yes, let’s talk about setting this up.
