7 Ways To Prepare for OpenAI Advertising

ChatGPT ads are officially happening.

What OpenAI has actually said about it:

Ads will start testing in the U.S. for Free and ChatGPT Go users. Paid tiers stay ad-free.
Ads appear at the bottom of responses and are clearly labeled as sponsored.
Ads do not affect ChatGPT’s answers. Responses remain based on usefulness.
OpenAI claims that conversations stay private; data is not sold, and personalization can be turned off.
Ads won’t show for users under 18 or near sensitive, regulated topics.
This is a test; pricing, targeting, and measurement details are not yet available.

Important Reminders for Marketers

This isn’t going to be like Google Ads.

Google Ads are built around one query. ChatGPT ads will be built around an evolving conversation.

People aren’t just looking around. They’re trying to solve a problem or make a decision.

So, instead of competing for attention, ads are competing to be the most useful next step.

But remember: OpenAI was clear that ads will not affect regular ChatGPT answers. Organic visibility still matters. Paid ads will not replace it, and this isn’t a shortcut.

7 Things Marketers Can Do Now to Get Ready

1. Audit What ChatGPT Already Says About Your Brand

Before you spend a dollar, you need to know the current narrative.

Run prompts tied to evaluation and comparison, not just brand awareness. Look at how ChatGPT explains your product, your category, and your competitors.

If the answer is vague, incorrect, or unfavorable, paid ads will not fix that. They will amplify the problem.

2. Move Away From Keywords and Toward Conversations

High-intent moments in ChatGPT rarely look like a single query.

They look like a sequence. A question, a follow-up, a clarification, and then a decision-oriented prompt. Map those paths. Identify where people move from curiosity to comparison to readiness to act.

3. Test Your Positioning Until It Holds

ChatGPT is treated like an advisor. That raises the stakes.

If your value proposition relies on loose language or unverified claims, it will collapse under follow-up questions like “is that actually true” or “can you show me proof?”

4. Rethink Ad Creative as Decision Support

In this environment, ads are more like recommendations instead of interruptions. That changes what works. Strong ChatGPT ads will likely include one clear claim, one concrete proof point, and one obvious next step.

5. Clean Up Your Landing Pages Now

If ChatGPT ads work, it will be because the flow of logic from ad to landing page is clean. Your landing page should answer the next three questions a buyer is about to ask. Pricing clarity, why you’re different, and proof should be easy to find.

6. Plan For Tracking ChatGPT Traffic Early

ChatGPT clicks aren’t like normal website clicks. People often explore, compare, and return before taking action.

Tag your links: Add UTM tracking codes so you can see which visitors came from ChatGPT.
Track important actions: Watch for demo requests, form submissions, or page views that show interest.
Look at the full path: One click can lead to multiple visits before someone converts. Follow the whole journey.

7. Align Organic AI Strategy and Paid Media Planning

Paid and organic AI visibility will not be separate lanes.

Brands that already show up clearly and consistently in AI answers will have an advantage when ads arrive. They earn trust faster and likely will pay less to convert.

Treat this the same way mature teams treat SEO and PPC. One reinforces the other.