Will ChatGPT Become a Serious Customer Acquisition Channel?
ChatGPT has a huge audience, ads in testing and shopping built in. Is it a real customer acquisition channel yet? An honest look for Australian businesses.
The short answer: It’s heading that way, but it isn’t there yet for most Australian businesses. Right now ChatGPT is mainly an influence channel. It shapes which brands people consider, often without a click. Ads are being tested overseas but haven’t reached Australia. The smart move is to build your organic presence now, so you’re ready when paid options arrive.
Every few years a new platform comes along and marketers ask the same question: is this a real channel or a distraction? Facebook, Instagram and TikTok all went through it.
ChatGPT is next. It has ads in testing, shopping built in and a huge audience. So is it a serious way to win customers, or still an experiment? Here’s my honest take.
Why ChatGPT is on every marketer’s radar
The audience is enormous. OpenAI said in late 2025 that ChatGPT had more than 800 million weekly users. Plenty of those people aren’t just writing emails. They’re researching purchases, comparing options and asking for recommendations.
That’s the part marketers care about. When someone asks “what’s the best CRM for a 10-person business” or “which Perth agencies do Shopify SEO”, they’re telling you exactly what they want. That’s valuable intent.
Three ways ChatGPT can bring you customers
1. Organic mentions
ChatGPT recommends brands in its answers. If your business is named when people ask about your category, you’re on the shortlist. It costs nothing per click, but you can’t buy your way in.
2. Referral clicks
When ChatGPT searches the web, it links to its sources. Some users click through to learn more or buy. These visits show up in your analytics, often with chatgpt.com as the source.
3. Paid ads and shopping
OpenAI started testing ads in the US in February 2026 for users on the free and Go plans. The ads appear below answers and are clearly labelled, and OpenAI says they don’t change what ChatGPT recommends. It has since announced plans to expand the test to more countries. In the US, people can also buy some products without leaving the chat using Instant Checkout.
Ads aren’t available in Australia yet. But the direction is clear.
The case for “yes”
- The intent is rich. People share their situation, budget and needs in detail. That’s more context than any keyword gives you.
- It reaches people early. Many buyers now start their research in AI tools before they ever search on Google.
- Recommendations carry weight. An answer that names your business can feel more like advice from a friend than an ad.
The case for “not yet”
- Clicks are small. For most businesses, visits from ChatGPT are still a small share of total traffic. Check your own Google Analytics to see where you stand.
- Attribution is hard. Someone might hear about you in ChatGPT, then search your name on Google a week later. That sale looks like a Google win.
- Answers change. Ask the same question twice and you may get different brands. There’s no stable “ranking” to track.
- Paid options aren’t here. Until ads launch in Australia, you can’t simply buy reach.
Which businesses should care most
ChatGPT matters most when buyers research before they buy. That includes:
- B2B services and software, where buyers compare options carefully
- Professional services like accounting, legal and marketing
- Bigger eCommerce purchases, where people want advice before spending
- Travel and experiences
- Specialist businesses with a clear niche
If your customers mostly buy on impulse, or search “near me” when something breaks, Google and your Google Business Profile still matter far more.
What to do now
- Test the prompts your customers use. Ask ChatGPT the questions a buyer would ask. Note whether you’re named, what’s said and who’s recommended instead.
- Track AI referrals. Set up a report in Google Analytics 4 for traffic from chatgpt.com and other AI tools.
- Ask new customers. Add “ChatGPT or another AI tool” to your “How did you hear about us?” question. It closes the attribution gap fast.
- Strengthen the sources ChatGPT uses. Clear service pages, reviews, comparison articles, directories and news mentions all feed its answers.
- Get ready for ads. Keep an eye on OpenAI’s advertiser updates, and have clean product data and landing pages ready so you can test quickly when ads reach Australia.
Our take
ChatGPT will become a serious customer acquisition channel for many businesses. For some categories it already is. But today it works more like word of mouth than like Google Ads. You earn your way in through a strong reputation and clear information, not a bid.
The businesses that build that presence now will have a head start when paid options arrive. It’s the same pattern we saw in Google’s early days. If you’re weighing up where AI fits alongside SEO, start with SEO vs AEO vs GEO.
Want help getting your business into more AI answers? See our AI search optimisation service or start with a free audit.
FAQs
Can I advertise on ChatGPT in Australia?
Not yet. OpenAI began testing ads in the US in early 2026 and has announced plans for other markets, but Australia isn’t one of them so far. Keep an eye on OpenAI’s advertiser updates.
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?
Make your website clear about what you do, who you do it for and where. Then build reviews and mentions on other trusted sites. ChatGPT draws on what the web says about you, so your reputation beyond your own site matters.
How do I track traffic from ChatGPT?
In Google Analytics 4, check referral traffic from chatgpt.com. ChatGPT often adds a utm_source=chatgpt.com tag to links. Some visits still show as direct, so pair this with a “How did you hear about us?” question.
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About the author
Director and Lead Consultant, Anahaw Media
John Conigliaro is the Director and Lead Consultant at Anahaw Media, a Perth digital marketing agency focused on performance. A Filipino-Australian digital marketer now based in Perth, WA, with more than 15 years’ experience across Singapore and Australia, he has led agencies in Australia on technical execution and growth strategy, founded a globally recognised eCommerce brand, and managed almost 300 campaigns, from small businesses to multinational brands, including Canon, Uniqlo, Benefit Cosmetics, Asiana Airlines, Changi Recommends, APM and Golfbox. He completed an MBA and a dissertation on Digital Transformation, holds a specialisation in Computer Applications from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLSU-CSB), and is also a consumer tech critic and publisher. His mission is to use his talent and passion for digital marketing to change businesses for the better, in how they win customers and how they build their brand.
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