Our first campaign on ChatGPT Ads: results and learnings (2026)

In 2026, ChatGPT is no longer just a tool for writing or answering questions. OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Ads as a full-fledged advertising channel, and AdBrains was among the first Dutch agencies to explore this new territory. In this article, we share what we have learned from our first campaigns, what results we achieved for clients like ToetsJeKennis.nl, Clima-Active.nl and E-4motion.com, and how our own AI technology approaches this new channel in a way that manual management simply cannot match. This is not a theoretical piece: these are real experiences, real data and concrete learnings you can apply directly.

What are ChatGPT Ads exactly?

ChatGPT Ads are advertisements that appear within ChatGPT responses, directly integrated into OpenAI's conversational interface. When a user asks a question that signals purchase intent or product need, ChatGPT can display a sponsored result that seamlessly connects to the context of the conversation. This is fundamentally different from Google Search Ads, where ads are shown next to search results. With ChatGPT Ads, the advertisement is woven into the answer itself, creating an entirely different dynamic in visibility, click behavior and conversion.

The targeting model of ChatGPT Ads is intent-based and contextual: not the exact keyword someone types, but the underlying intent of the conversation determines whether your ad appears. A user asking "Which heat pump is best for a home of 80 square meters?" signals purchase intent for a heat pump installation, even if they never use the word "buy." That is the power of conversational AI targeting.

ChatGPT Ads vs. Google Search Ads

Key differences in approach and results

Google Search Ads

• Keyword-based targeting
• Auction-driven CPC model
• Ad shown next to search results
• Quality Score determines placement
• Large volume of historical data available
• Mature Smart Bidding algorithms
• Extensive negative keyword control

ChatGPT AdsNew channel 2026

• Intent-based contextual targeting
• New auction model, low early-adopter CPC
• Ad integrated into AI response
• Relevance and usefulness determine visibility
• Limited historical benchmarks available
• Conversion signals require custom tracking setup
• Search intents are conversational and long-tail

As the comparison above shows, ChatGPT Ads differs from Google Search Ads on nearly every dimension. That is precisely why a different strategy is required. Campaigns you run in Google Ads cannot simply be copied to ChatGPT Ads. Intent signals are richer and more conversational, auction mechanisms are new, and CPC levels in this early-adopter phase are significantly lower than comparable Google Search campaigns.

The first campaigns: setup and approach

Our first ChatGPT Ads campaigns ran for three different clients: ToetsJeKennis.nl (e-commerce, online exams and courses), Clima-Active.nl (lead generation, air conditioning and heat pump installations) and E-4motion.com (both e-commerce and lead generation via test ride requests for new electric folding bikes). This mix gave us the opportunity to test the channel in both an e-commerce and a lead generation context.

The campaign setup followed a clear structure. We started with an exploratory phase of two weeks, without bid optimization, purely to collect data on which types of questions and conversations triggered our ads. This was followed by an optimization phase in which our own AI technology processed the first signals and made adjustments to targeting, ad copy and bidding strategies.

A critical point in the setup was conversion tracking. ChatGPT Ads has its own conversion attribution model that cannot simply be connected to your existing Google Ads conversion tracking. We set up a separate server-side tracking layer for all three clients via our own sGTM infrastructure, ensuring that conversion signals reliably flowed back to the ChatGPT Ads platform. This turned out to be one of the most critical decisions, because without accurate conversion data, the platform cannot optimize its targeting.

Results per client and campaign type

ChatGPT Ads conversion funnel

Benchmark first campaigns (percent-mode)

Ad shown

User sees ad within AI answer

Click-through to website

High CTR driven by purchase intent

On-page engagement

Visitor views product or quote page

Conversion completed

Purchase or lead request completed

11% conversion rate on clicks: well above industry benchmark

The conversion funnel above shows the average performance across our first campaigns. The most striking finding was that CTR from AI responses was significantly higher than we had anticipated. Users who click on a sponsored result within a ChatGPT response are already deep in their decision-making process. They have asked a question, received an answer, and click through because the ad directly addresses their need. This translates into high on-page engagement and an above-average conversion rate.

For ToetsJeKennis.nl, users asking questions about certification, exams or professional development converted particularly well. A question like "How do I get my first aid certificate online?" led directly to a sponsored result from ToetsJeKennis.nl with a click-through rate several times higher than the typical Google Display campaign benchmark. The average order value of visitors via ChatGPT Ads was also higher than via other channels, indicating higher purchase intent at the moment of clicking through.

Clima-Active.nl benefited from the rich intent signals in conversational search queries. Questions about energy savings, heat pumps or air conditioning installations are ideal for lead generation via ChatGPT Ads, because users asking these questions are already serious buyers. The quality of quote requests via ChatGPT Ads was noticeably higher than via traditional display campaigns: more details in the contact form, higher success rates in quote follow-up.

E-4motion.com, the webshop for new electric folding bikes, performed strongly on questions around sustainable commuting, urban mobility and electric cycling. Test ride requests via ChatGPT Ads came from users with a higher average purchase readiness, leading to a higher conversion from request to actual purchase.

Key learnings summarized

• Conversational ad copy performs significantly better. Ads written as an answer to a question rather than as a traditional search ad perform considerably better. The tone must match the conversational interface of ChatGPT.
• Server-side tracking is a requirement, not an option. Without a custom sGTM setup, you miss a large portion of conversion signals. This directly impacts the quality of AI optimization within the platform.
• Intent segments work differently than keywords. You cannot copy the keyword logic of Google Ads. Think in terms of user questions, life stages and decision phases, not exact search terms.
• Early-adopter advantage is real. CPC levels in this phase are significantly lower than Google Search Ads for comparable intents. Advertisers entering now build a data lead that will be hard to close later.
• Landing page relevance is more critical than ever. A user clicking through from a specific ChatGPT question expects a page that directly answers that question. A generic product page leads to high bounce rates and lower conversion rates.
• Frequency control deserves extra attention. Because ChatGPT is a session-based interface, users can see the same ad multiple times in a short period. Set clear frequency limits to prevent ad fatigue.

How AdBrains AI handles ChatGPT Ads

ChatGPT Ads is a young platform with limited historical benchmarks and rapidly changing algorithms. This is precisely the environment where manual campaign management falls short and our own AI technology demonstrates its value. Below we explain concretely which modules we deploy and why this delivers structurally better results.

The foundation is our server-side signal enrichment via our own sGTM infrastructure. For all ChatGPT Ads campaigns, we enrich conversion signals with first-party data before sending them back to the platform. This means the ChatGPT Ads algorithm knows not only that a conversion occurred, but also which type (purchase, quote request, test ride), what value it carries and which user signals preceded it. This leads to richer training data and faster targeting optimization.

Additionally, we deploy our RSA improvement system for ad copy within ChatGPT Ads. Our AI continuously analyzes the performance of each ad variant, detects underperforming copy and automatically rewrites it based on conversational language patterns that match the ChatGPT interface. This is fundamentally different from writing classic RSA ads for Google Search: tone, structure and the promise in the copy must align with the expectations of a user who is already deep in an AI conversation.

Our multi-agent verification system monitors every optimization decision. Four independent AI agents check every adjustment, whether it involves a bidding strategy change, a targeting segment update or an ad copy revision, before it is implemented. In a new platform like ChatGPT Ads, this is especially valuable because the consequences of a wrong decision in an environment with limited historical data are greater than in a mature platform.

Our automatic tCPA optimization adjusts bidding strategies daily based on incoming conversion signals. In the early phase of ChatGPT Ads, this is crucial: the platform has little data, and the AI must learn quickly from every conversion signal. By optimizing daily rather than weekly or monthly, we accelerate the learning process and build stable campaign performance faster.

ChatGPT Ads first results at AdBrains clients

Averages over first campaign month, multiple clients

52%

Average CTR from AI answer

11%

Conversion rate on clicks (e-com + leadgen)

-34%

Lower CPC vs. comparable Google Search campaigns

+28%

Higher average order value vs. other channels

The KPI figures above represent the averages over our first campaign month across multiple clients. The combination of a high CTR, a solid conversion rate and a lower CPC than comparable Google Search campaigns makes ChatGPT Ads a very attractive channel for advertisers entering now. The higher average order value compared to other channels underlines that visitors via ChatGPT Ads bring higher purchase intent at the moment of clicking through.

When is ChatGPT Ads right for your business?

ChatGPT Ads is not the most logical first step for every business and every product. Based on our first campaigns, we see a clear pattern in which sectors and business models benefit most from this new channel.

• Products and services with an information-sensitive purchase process. If potential customers ask questions before buying, such as with courses, installations, electric vehicles or financial services, ChatGPT Ads is ideally suited. Purchase intent is already present in the question.
• Businesses with a strong landing page focus. Because CTR is high but the match with the user question is critical, your landing page must directly answer the specific question the user asked. Custom landing pages per intent segment are a must.
• Advertisers wanting to leverage the early-adopter advantage. CPC levels are currently lower than on established platforms. This advantage disappears as more advertisers enter. Those active now build a data lead that will be hard to close later.
• Businesses with a reliable conversion tracking setup. Without good tracking, the platform learns more slowly. An investment in server-side tracking is a prerequisite for success on ChatGPT Ads.
• Brands that embrace conversational marketing. ChatGPT Ads requires a different tone than traditional ads. Companies willing to adapt their copy to the conversational context perform significantly better.

ChatGPT Ads: manual management vs. AdBrains AI

The table illustrates why ChatGPT Ads is a platform that calls for an automated, data-driven approach. The combination of a young platform, limited historical benchmarks and rapidly shifting algorithmic priorities makes manual management not only inefficient but also risky. Every week spent on manual optimization is a week in which you cede your data lead to other advertisers.

Frequently asked questions about ChatGPT Ads

What are ChatGPT Ads and how do they work?

ChatGPT Ads are sponsored results shown within ChatGPT responses. When a user asks a question with purchase intent or product need, the platform can integrate a relevant ad into the AI response. Targeting is intent-based and contextual: not an exact keyword but the underlying intent of the conversation determines whether your ad is shown. Users click through to the advertiser's website, where standard conversion tracking takes over. The model is similar to Google Search Ads but fundamentally different in how targeting, ad placement and user behavior work.

How does ChatGPT Ads differ from Google Search Ads?

The key differences are targeting methodology, ad placement and the stage of the purchase process. Google Search Ads target based on specific keywords users type into the search engine. ChatGPT Ads target based on the intent revealed in a conversation. Google Search ads appear next to search results, while ChatGPT Ads are integrated into the AI response itself. Users on ChatGPT are often deeper in their decision-making process, leading to higher purchase intent at the moment of clicking through. CPC levels in the current early-adopter phase are lower than comparable Google Search campaigns, but this is expected to change as the platform matures.

What is the minimum budget to achieve meaningful results on ChatGPT Ads?

Based on our first campaigns, we recommend starting with a test budget sufficient to collect at least 50 conversions in the first four to six weeks. This is the threshold most intent-based platforms need to calibrate their algorithm. The exact budget depends on your industry, your average CPC and your conversion rate, but as a guideline: plan a learning budget comparable to what you would invest in the first month of a new Google Ads campaign. Those who take this seriously and include the right tracking setup benefit most from the current early-adopter advantage.

How do I measure the ROI of ChatGPT Ads?

Measure the ROI of ChatGPT Ads through a combination of platform-native conversion reporting and your own first-party tracking. Ensure a reliable server-side tracking setup via a custom sGTM infrastructure to minimize data loss. Look at metrics such as conversion rate per intent segment, CPA versus your Target CPA, and the average order value of visitors via ChatGPT Ads versus other channels. Also compare the customer lifetime value of customers acquired via ChatGPT Ads with those from other channels. Our initial data shows that higher purchase intent at the moment of clicking through translates into a higher average order value and lower churn, making the true ROAS of the channel even greater than direct conversion data suggests.