ChatGPT Advertising - is the future of advertising in AI responses?
Advertising where people seek and find answers.
Definition: What is ChatGPT Advertising?
ChatGPT Advertising refers to advertising formats that are played within ChatGPT conversations - contextual, relevant and embedded in responses instead of as classic banners or search ads.
In contrast to traditional Google Ads or social ad formats, ads are created here in the dialogue flow, which are oriented towards the intention of the user questions and are intended to help directly with problem solving or decision-making.
This is what the ads currently look like on ChatGPT:
The most important facts about ChatGPT Ads in brief
- ChatGPT Advertising delivers adverts directly in AI responses - contextually instead of in the traditional SERP or feed.
- Users are already in the active decision-making process, which creates high relevance and better conversion opportunities.
- Organic AI visibility (AI SEO) remains strategically more important than paid formats because it builds lasting authority.
- ChatGPT Ads can complement and accelerate visibility - but do not replace organic presence.
- Data protection, labelling and user trust are key success factors for AI advertising.
- Currently still a pilot phase with high potential - part of an integrated AI visibility strategy in the long term.
Pure ads are not enough, you have to use ChatGPT Advertising strategically and correctly
Pure ads are not enough. They must be displayed in the right place at the right time and ChatGPT must trust you as a brand sufficiently. We combine ChatGPT Advertising with AI-SEO and AI-Visibility so that your brand is not only displayed, but also perceived as a relevant solution. Performance meets authority - at the moment of decision. As a specialised ChatGPT Ads agency, we develop data-based AI campaigns that intelligently combine performance and AI visibility - transparent, measurable and future-proof.
What you need to know about Ads in ChatGPT
- This is what the ads currently look like on ChatGPT
- Why ChatGPT Advertising is becoming relevant now
- How do ChatGPT Ads work technically?
- ChatGPT Advertising in Germany
- Opportunities of ChatGPT Advertising
- Risks & criticism of ChatGPT Advertising
- ChatGPT Ads vs. Google Ads
- ChatGPT Ads vs GEO: Can ChatGPT Ads replace missing organic visibility in AIs?
- AI Ads and AI SEO in direct comparison
- International developments of ChatGPT Advertising
- Conclusion & forecast for ChatGPT Advertising
- FAQ - Frequently asked questions about ChatGPT Advertising
Why ChatGPT Advertising is becoming relevant now
More and more people are using ChatGPT as their first stop when searching for information. Traditional search engines are being replaced by generative responses that consciously or unconsciously influence purchasing and decision-making processes.
OpenAI and other AI providers face the challenge of covering infrastructure costs while enabling free use. Advertising is seen as a strategic way to share financial burdens without destroying user experience and trust.
Evolution of online advertising
Visibility through banners & reach
Targeting via interests & behaviour
Demand-based through keywords
Intent-based in a dialogue context
How do ChatGPT Ads work technically?
Context-based instead of keyword-based
Unlike Google Ads, where keywords and bids are decisive, ChatGPT analyses the context and intent of a conversation in real time and decides whether an ad suggestion makes sense.
This means:
- No classic keyword bids
- Focus on conversational relevance
- User questions instead of session parameters
Possible ad formats
Some conceivable variants:
- Recommended products at the end of an answer
- Brand placements that are offered as an additional option
- Conversation-based ads that directly - but discreetly - provide additional information
Experts believe that advertising must be clearly labelled as sponsored, display or visual so as not to be confused with neutral information - for legal and ethical reasons. In this way, the AI interface can remain more transparent.
ChatGPT Advertising in Germany
1. no nationwide rollout yet
While there are signs of pilot advertising and tests in the USA, there is currently no officially rolled-out ChatGPT Ads system in Germany. OpenAI is testing internally and is caught between monetisation and user trust.
2 Legal framework conditions in Germany and the EU
- GDPR: Data protection plays a central role. Personalised advertising in the context of chat conversations raises new questions about data usage.
- Competition law & prohibition of misleading advertising: Clear labelling is urgently needed to avoid misleading consumers.
- Regulations on advertising in digital media: need to be adapted to take account of conversational contexts.
3 Relevance for German companies
Many companies are already starting to make their content AI-ready in terms of AI SEO - in other words, to prepare it in such a way that it could appear prominently in future AI contexts. Instead of just placing ads, content should be specifically geared towards semantic depth, clear entities, structured data and expertise signals in order to be visible and citable in generative AI responses.
Opportunities of ChatGPT Advertising
Users are actively searching, not just scrolling.
Anyone who appears in answers is perceived as a helpful partner.
Risks & criticism of ChatGPT Advertising
Advertising can undermine confidence in objective answers.
Conversation-based targeting must be GDPR-compliant.
AI-based personalisation raises questions about the extent to which advertising remains neutral.
ChatGPT Ads vs. Google Ads
Feature | ChatGPT Ads | Google Ads |
|---|---|---|
Basis | Conversational intent | Keyword bids |
Placement | In dialogue with AI | In search results/network |
User role | Actively searching & asking questions | Often passively searching, keyword-based |
Relevance | Contextual & semantic | Keyword-based |
Goal measurement on the website | New & indirect traffic, direct traffic | Classic conversion tracking |
Interaction instead of competition in the performance mix
In the current discussion, the question is often asked whether ChatGPT Ads could replace classic Google Ads. However, a different scenario is more realistic: both systems fulfil different roles in the marketing funnel and complement each other strategically.
Google Ads is based on clearly defined keywords, search volume and active demand. Users usually already know what they are looking for. ChatGPT Ads, on the other hand, start earlier - at the moment of information gathering or problem analysis. Demand often only arises during the conversation.
This opens up new synergies:
Demand generation vs. demand capture:
ChatGPT can generate interest and solution awareness, while Google Ads efficiently intercept specific search queries.Depth of intent:
While keywords reflect explicit search intent, ChatGPT analyses implicit needs in the dialogue context.Full-funnel strategy:
ChatGPT Ads strengthen awareness and consideration, Google Ads optimise conversion and performance.Measurability & optimisation:
Google Ads offer sophisticated tracking mechanisms. ChatGPT Ads are still in their infancy here, but offer potential for new contextual KPI models.
Strategically, this means that
companies should not choose between "Search" and "Conversational AI", but rather orchestrate both systems intelligently. If you only intercept demand, you lose growth potential. If you only generate demand, you lose performance.
Become visible now, before everyone else does!
ChatGPT Advertising is still in its infancy - and this is precisely your opportunity. We develop AI campaigns that are not only played out, but are strategically anchored in the decision-making process. If you get on board now, you'll have a head start tomorrow. We combine AI SEO, structured content and performance campaigns to create an integrated AI marketing strategy that positions your brand sustainably in AI responses.
ChatGPT Ads increase visibility. AI SEO creates them.
ChatGPT Ads vs GEO: Can ChatGPT Ads replace missing organic visibility in AIs?
No - ChatGPT Ads cannot replace organic visibility in AIs. But they can complement, accelerate or strategically bridge it.
Organic AI visibility builds digital authority. ChatGPT Ads enable targeted visibility at the moment of decision. The two together create a future-proof AI marketing strategy.
AI Ads and AI SEO in direct comparison
Feature | Organic AI visibility | ChatGPT Ads |
|---|---|---|
Basis | Content relevance & authority | Paid placement |
Controllability | Indirectly influenceable (content, structure, expertise) | Directly controllable via budget |
Labelling | Neutral / editorial effect | Marked as ‘advertisement’ / ‘sponsored’ |
Trust | High – as it is not paid for | Lower than organic, as it is advertising |
Sustainability | Effective in the long term | Only active with a running budget |
Cost structure | Content investment | Media budget (e.g. CPM/CPC) |
Scalability | Depends on topic coverage | Quickly scalable |
Effect in the funnel | Awareness + consideration | Primarily consideration + conversion |
Competition | Experts & strong brands | Advertisers with large budgets |
Measurability | Difficult to measure directly | Clearly measurable (impressions, CTR, etc.) |
Strategic role | Reputation building & thought leadership | Performance enhancement |
International developments of ChatGPT Advertising
USA: Pilot programmes and brand experiments
The first tests of ChatGPT Ads for free and Go users are underway in the USA, with brands such as Adobe and Audible placing adverts. The placement often appears at the end of responses, but is not intended to influence the AI responses themselves.
Positioning in a global comparison
Other major AI players such as Google are also planning to use advertising in their AI answer modes - for example in Google AI Mode, where adverts are to appear under AI answers.
In addition, some start-ups (such as Perplexity) are specifically showing that advertising does not have to be the way to make a profit - for reasons of user trust.
Lessons learnt for Germany
- The market for AI ads is still young, but initial usage data is promising
- Regulatory discussions are running in parallel
- Early preparation pays off
Secure competitive advantages early on: Dominate answers instead of just placing adverts
Use the early market phase to gain a clear competitive advantage. While others are still observing, you are already positioning yourself in the AI dialogue. As an experienced performance agency, we support you in the conception, setup and optimisation of your ChatGPT Ads - including transparent performance measurement. Secure a non-binding initial consultation now!
Conclusion & forecast for ChatGPT Advertising
ChatGPT Advertising marks a fundamental change in digital marketing: advertising is not just placed next to content, but as part of the content itself, contextually relevant and directly at the point of information acquisition. ChatGPT Advertising will not replace channels such as Google Ads and classic search engine optimisation, but rather enhance them synergistically.
For German companies today, this means preparing instead of reacting. ChatGPT Advertising is still in its infancy, but will gain in importance as AI platforms become increasingly monetised. In the short term, it will remain an experimental premium channel with limited access and high CPMs. In the long term, advertising in AI response environments is likely to become more established - but only if transparency and user trust are maintained.
The decisive factor is that organic visibility in AIs is already real and strategically more important than paid placements. Anyone who appears as a source, brand or expert in AI responses builds sustainable authority. ChatGPT ads can reinforce this presence - they will not replace it. The future belongs to an integrated AI visibility strategy.
FAQ - Frequently asked questions about ChatGPT Advertising
Yes. With a paid subscription such as ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business or Enterprise, you can use ChatGPT without ads. Ads are only displayed in the free version and in the entry-level ChatGPT Go tariff.
Sources:
- https://openai.com/de-DE/index/testing-ads-in-chatgpt/
- https://onlinemarketing.de/technologie/chatgpt-bekommt-werbung-finanzierungsdurchbruch-anfang-vom-ende
- https://www.faz.net/aktuell/?product=O_4PPSDL1DGV8JD1OLZB&campID=INT-IPa2500004103
- https://t3n.de/news/chatgpt-bekommt-werbung-diese-brands-zahlen-60-dollar-pro-1-000-views-und-erklaeren-warum-1729285/
- https://openai.com/de-DE/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/
About the author Matthias Kampmann
Matthias Kampmann is a partner and managing director of the digital agency DREIKON. With over 20 years of experience in search engine optimisation and more than 15 years of expertise in Google Ads, he advises companies strategically on SEO, GEO and sustainable online marketing.