If you’ve been paying attention to the marketing world this month, you’ve probably seen the headlines: OpenAI is testing ads inside ChatGPT.
For some people, this is exciting. For others, it’s… honestly, a little unsettling.
And that reaction makes sense.
ChatGPT isn’t “just another social feed.” People use it to think, research, make decisions, and solve problems. Introducing advertising into a tool like that raises real questions about trust, transparency, and how sponsored content should (or shouldn’t) show up in something that feels conversational.
There’s already controversy around those issues. Recently, Senator Ed Markey publicly raised concerns about advertising in chatbots, including risks related to deception, privacy, and the possibility of more emotional influence than traditional ad placements.
So yes — there are unknowns, and there’s tension in the market.
But there’s also an opportunity here for businesses that are willing to move thoughtfully.
Not recklessly. Not hype-driven. Thoughtfully.
What’s happening with ChatGPT ads
Here’s the cleanest version of what’s been reported so far:
- Ads are being tested inside ChatGPT for some users, with reporting indicating they’ll show up for free-tier users (and a lower-cost tier called ChatGPT Go) while higher tiers remain ad-free.
- Placement: Ads are expected to appear at the bottom of ChatGPT answers when they’re considered relevant to the conversation, and OpenAI has said they’ll be clearly labeled and separated from the organic answer.
- Answer integrity: OpenAI leadership has publicly stated that ads will not influence the answers ChatGPT gives.
- Rollout details: Reporting suggests the initial launch may involve a limited number of advertisers, with pricing likely tied to impressions/views (not clicks), and that a self-serve ads platform is being developed.
That’s the factual ground we can stand on today.
Everything else (targeting mechanics, reporting, link behavior, what “conversion tracking” will look like, what inventory expands to, what the creative formats are) is still largely TBD.
Why the uncertainty isn’t a reason to freeze
When something big shifts in marketing, businesses tend to swing between two extremes:
- “This is the future, and we have to do it immediately.”
- “This feels messy, let’s wait until it’s stable.”
Both instincts are understandable, and both can be costly.
Because the real risk usually isn’t “trying too early.”
The real risk is waiting so long that you’re reacting under pressure, with no plan, no foundation, and no clarity on what success even means.
One of the themes I’ve been talking about lately (with our team and with peers) is that the disruption we’re seeing in marketing isn’t just disruption. It’s exposure.
AI didn’t break marketing. It revealed what was already fragile. Measurement challenges. Messy attribution. Siloed execution. The illusion that a dashboard alone equals truth.
ChatGPT ads won’t magically make that better or worse. They’ll just force us to do what good marketing has required all along: get actionable data, run disciplined experiments, measure what matters, and iterate without ego.
Yes, there’s fear. Let’s replace it with confidence
I hear it in conversations with business owners and executives:
“I’m worried we’re going to fall behind.”
That’s real. And it’s not irrational.
Digital marketing has been changing fast for years. AI accelerated it. Now, a new ad platform is emerging inside one of the most-used products on the planet, and nobody has a full playbook yet.
Here’s what I want you to take from this post:
You don’t need to do everything. You just need a plan.
The goal is not to chase every new channel. The goal is to build a marketing system that can absorb change without breaking, and to have a partner who helps you make smart calls when something new shows up.
Not with fear. With calm, clear execution.
The ad platform might be new. The fundamentals are not.
During a training session with our team this week, I said something that I think applies directly to how businesses should approach ChatGPT ads:
“In order for us to offer ChatGPT ads, all it means is that we need to learn the ChatGPT platform… and we do all the same things that we do for the most part. We need business goals. We need KPIs. We need messages. We need to know who the audience is, and what the conversion is.”
That’s it.
The surface area changes. The principles don’t.
Whether it’s Google Ads, LinkedIn, YouTube, or ChatGPT:
- You still need a defined audience
- You still need a compelling offer
- You still need clear messaging
- You still need a landing experience that converts
- You still need measurement you trust enough to make decisions
Measurement is already hard. ChatGPT ads won’t be “easy mode.”
One of the more honest truths in marketing right now: measuring effectiveness is getting harder, not easier.
Between privacy shifts, multi-device behavior, dark social, longer buying cycles, and increasingly messy attribution… most businesses already live with imperfect visibility.
So if ChatGPT ads introduce new measurement constraints (and I expect they will), it won’t be a brand-new problem. It’ll just be the same discipline required in a new environment:
- Define the KPI(s) that matter (not 12 of them, the ones that actually drive decisions)
- Align your campaigns and your landing experience to those KPIs
- Optimize not only on “are we hitting the KPI” but also on: is this KPI telling us what we need to know?
- If not, adjust your measurement strategy, not just your ads
That’s how we avoid spinning our wheels.
How our Growth Model helps you move fast, without guessing
At Intuitive Websites, we run a Growth Model that’s designed to make execution repeatable and scalable:
Clarify → Build → Scale
What I like about this model in moments like this is simple: it removes chaos.
It means that “trying ChatGPT ads” doesn’t start with hype. It starts with a foundation.
Clarify (so we don’t advertise into fog)
This is where we lock in the things that make ads work anywhere:
- Business goals and KPIs
- Personas and audience clarity
- Offer strategy (what are we actually asking people to do?)
- Competitive context (what’s the landscape, what are the patterns, where can you differentiate?)
Build (so the click has somewhere to go)
If ChatGPT ads are real inventory, then your landing experience matters even more. We often need:
- Landing page creation or improvement
- Form strategy and CRM alignment (so leads don’t disappear into a black hole)
- Tracking and analytics setup
Scale (where the channel gets layered in)
This is where ads live. And when ChatGPT ads become accessible, they’ll be treated like any other channel: a structured test with clear inputs, clear goals, and clear reporting.
A line I used in that same training was:
“The growth model we’re developing is for standardization, not restriction.”
That’s important.
Standardization creates speed. It doesn’t remove flexibility. It gives us a stable way to evaluate opportunities like this without reinventing everything.
What this will likely look like as a service
Because the platform specifics are still emerging, we’re being careful not to pretend we know what we don’t know.
But based on how new ad channels typically launch, here’s what I think is reasonable to expect (with caution):
- There will likely be an initial access period limited to certain advertisers or agencies, followed by an expansion.
- Early reporting may be lighter than what you’re used to, then improve over time (this is common with new inventory)
- The best early results will likely come from businesses with strong clarity and strong assets, not from “clever hacks.”
And yes — when we manage ChatGPT ads for clients, it will likely include:
- A setup cost that covers not only the platform configuration, but also campaign planning and asset development or modification to fit the channel (messaging, creative, landing page alignment, CRM/tracking readiness)
Because “turning it on” is not the same thing as “making it work.”
If you’re a business owner reading this, here’s your next move
You don’t need to obsess over ChatGPT ads yet.
But you can do the smart prep work that makes you ready for it, and makes you better at marketing in every other channel too:
- Confirm your primary KPI (and what data source you trust for it)
- Pressure-test your offer (is it actually compelling, or is it vague?)
- Make sure your website and landing pages can convert intent into action
- Ensure your CRM and lead handling process is real, not theoretical
- Get clear on your audience and what problem you solve better than alternatives
If you do that, you’ll be ready to move quickly when this channel becomes truly available — without panic, without scrambling, and without throwing money at something you can’t evaluate.
And that’s the whole point.
Because the goal isn’t to chase the newest thing.
The goal is to build a marketing engine that can handle the newest thing when it matters.
