Copying Google keywords
Keyword lists pasted in as if ChatGPT were a search engine.
ChatGPT ads are now live in Australia. We help you test them properly: the right conversations, the right offers and tracking that shows whether they actually bring in customers. Performance-based, no lock-in contracts.
Controlled test budgets while the platform matures.
OpenAI pixel and Conversions API set up from day one.
Paid ads and organic AI visibility planned together.
Month-to-month. We earn your business every month.
By John Conigliaro, Director and Lead Consultant, Anahaw Media. Updated September 2026
ChatGPT has become a place where people research, compare and decide. They ask it which software to buy, where to stay and who to hire. Since 2026, businesses in Australia can place ads there: sponsored placements that appear below relevant answers, clearly labelled and kept separate from what ChatGPT says.
It is a brand-new channel, and it doesn’t behave like Google Ads. Targeting works on the context of a conversation rather than exact keywords, measurement is still maturing and features change month to month. So we set it up carefully, write ads that belong next to a helpful answer, track every result and test with budgets you’re comfortable with.
One thing matters more than anything else: ads don’t change what ChatGPT recommends. Being mentioned in the answer itself comes from AI search optimisation. We plan the two together, so you’re visible whether someone reads the answer or the ad.
New platforms reward the careful and punish the hasty. These are the mistakes we see most in early ChatGPT campaigns.
Problem 01 of 06
What usually happens
Keyword lists copied straight across from search campaigns.
How we do it
We write context hints around the real conversations your buyers have.
Problem 02 of 06
What usually happens
Clicks come in, but nobody knows what happened next.
How we do it
We install and test the OpenAI pixel and Conversions API before launch.
Problem 03 of 06
What usually happens
Assuming every ChatGPT user will see your ad.
How we do it
We plan around who actually sees ads: adults on the Free and Go plans.
Problem 04 of 06
What usually happens
Pushy ads that feel out of place next to a helpful answer.
How we do it
We write useful offers that continue the conversation naturally.
Problem 05 of 06
What usually happens
Big budgets on an unproven channel.
How we do it
We run controlled tests with clear rules for when to stop and when to scale.
Problem 06 of 06
What usually happens
Believing paid ads make ChatGPT recommend you.
How we do it
We pair ads with AI search optimisation, because ads don't change answers.
ChatGPT ads can work, but only when they’re treated as their own channel with their own rules.
We measure ChatGPT ads the same way we measure everything else: on leads, sales and cost per customer.
And because the channel is new, month-to-month matters even more. If it isn’t working for you, you’re free to stop.
We start with a controlled budget and a clear hypothesis: which conversations, which offer, which result. Winners get more budget. Losers get cut quickly.
Clicks are easy to buy. We track what happens after the click, through to enquiries and sales, using OpenAI’s measurement tools alongside your analytics.
Benchmarks are thin and features change fast. We’ll tell you when ChatGPT ads are working for you, and when your money is better spent on Google or Meta.
We report ChatGPT ads next to your other channels, so you can compare them fairly.
How many people saw your ads, and how often.
Whether your offer earns attention next to an answer.
Enquiries and sales tracked with the pixel and Conversions API.
What each lead or sale actually cost.
Whether more people search your name after seeing your ads.
Which messages and offers work best.
Four parts, one goal: find out quickly and cheaply whether ChatGPT ads can grow your business, then scale what works.
The groundwork that makes every result measurable.
We set up your advertiser account, billing, budgets and structure properly from the start.
We install OpenAI’s pixel and Conversions API and test them, so results are reported accurately.
We define what counts: enquiries, bookings, sign-ups or sales.
We match landing pages to the conversations your ads appear in.
We check your offer against OpenAI’s ad policies before launch. Some categories are restricted.
ChatGPT results sit alongside your Google, Meta and website data.
ChatGPT ads are matched to what people are talking about, not what they type into a search box.
We map the questions and problems your buyers bring to ChatGPT before they choose.
We write clear descriptions of the conversations where your offer is genuinely useful.
Different conversations get different offers, from free guides to bookings.
Location options are broad for Australian advertisers today. We plan offers and budgets around that.
We keep your ads away from conversations that waste budget.
Campaigns are built so we can learn which contexts actually convert.
The best ChatGPT ads feel like a helpful next step, not an interruption.
Clear, specific headlines that answer the question behind the conversation.
Guides, calculators, trials and consultations that suit people still deciding.
The page continues the conversation the ad started.
Several angles per campaign, so the numbers pick the winner.
No hype. People in research mode can smell it.
Claims and wording checked against advertising rules.
Weekly optimisation, with clear rules for when to stop and when to grow.
We choose between impression-based and click-based bidding for each goal.
Spend is paced so tests finish with enough data to decide.
We rotate in new angles before results fade.
We only increase spend once cost per result is proven.
We watch how ChatGPT ads affect branded search and other channels.
A plain-English chat about what worked and what we do next.
| ChatGPT ads | Google Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Intent signal | Conversation context | Search keywords |
| Targeting | Context hints, broad location | Keywords, audiences, precise location |
| Maturity | New and changing fast | Mature and well measured |
| Best for | Reaching people while they research | Capturing people ready to act |
| Where we start | A controlled test | Your core lead engine |
A careful, staged approach, so you learn fast without overspending.
We look at your offer, category and buyers to decide whether ChatGPT ads make sense for you.
You will see: an honest yes, no or not yet.
We build the account, install tracking and prepare landing pages.
You will see: tracking tested and ready before any spend.
We launch several contexts and offers with controlled budgets.
You will see: your first impressions, clicks and conversions.
We cut what doesn’t work and double down on what does.
You will see: a clear picture of cost per result.
If the numbers work, we scale. If not, we move budget to channels that do.
You will see: a decision based on data, not hype.
People in research mode respond to useful, low-risk next steps.
Some topics are restricted or have little ad inventory.
Without accurate conversions, optimisation is guesswork.
Enough to learn, without betting the farm.
If ChatGPT ads aren’t right for you yet, we’ll say so, and show you where the budget would work harder.
New channels need clear reporting even more than old ones. You’ll always know what your ChatGPT ads are doing.
We track the path from impression to click, enquiry and sale, using OpenAI’s tools alongside your own analytics.
ChatGPT ads are reported next to Google, Meta and organic results, so you can compare them fairly.
A short monthly summary of what we tested, what we learned and what happens next.
They sound similar, but they do completely different jobs.
Paid placements shown below relevant answers, labelled as sponsored. You control the message and pay for impressions or clicks.
Best for: testing a new audience quickly and promoting a specific offer.
Earning a mention inside ChatGPT’s actual answer, through clear content, consistent business details, reviews and trusted mentions.
Best for: long-term visibility and credibility you don’t pay for per click.
Ads don’t change what ChatGPT recommends, so ads alone won’t make you the answer. The strongest approach uses both: AI search optimisation for the answer, and ChatGPT ads for the space around it.
ChatGPT ads work best where buyers research and compare before they choose.
People ask ChatGPT which tool to use. Be the sponsored option they notice. See SaaS marketing.
Reach shoppers comparing products and looking for recommendations. See eCommerce marketing.
Appear while people research how to solve a problem and who to hire.
Reach learners weighing up courses, certifications and providers.
Show up while people plan trips and itineraries.
Reach homeowners researching renovations, repairs and costs.
Reach decision-makers researching suppliers and solutions. See B2B marketing.
Test carefully: location targeting is broad, so offers need to suit it.
New to advertising in ChatGPT? Here’s how it works, in plain English.
When someone asks ChatGPT a question, a relevant ad may appear below the answer, labelled as sponsored. Advertisers describe the kinds of conversations where their product is useful, set a budget and a bid, and ChatGPT’s system decides when an ad is relevant.
You can buy through partners or through OpenAI’s self-serve Ads Manager, which launched in beta for Australian advertisers in May 2026.
Ads are shown to adult users on ChatGPT’s Free and Go plans. People on paid plans such as Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu don’t see ads, and neither do accounts belonging to under-18s.
Instead of bidding on exact keywords, you describe the topics and situations where your offer helps. That rewards clear thinking about your customer’s real problems, not long keyword lists.
OpenAI offers a pixel and a Conversions API so advertisers can measure what happens after a click, like enquiries and sales. We connect these to your analytics so results sit alongside your other channels.
Ads don’t influence ChatGPT’s answers, and advertisers can’t see users’ conversations. Paying for ads won’t make ChatGPT recommend you. That comes from AI search optimisation and from being genuinely well regarded. Read how to rank on ChatGPT.
Descriptions of the conversations where your ad is relevant.
An ad shown below a ChatGPT answer, clearly labelled.
Cost per thousand impressions.
Cost per click.
A way to send conversion data from your server for more accurate tracking.
OpenAI’s self-serve tool for running ChatGPT ads.
This is the most misunderstood thing about ChatGPT advertising. Paying for ads buys a sponsored spot next to the answer. It does not buy a mention inside it.
If you want ChatGPT to recommend you, that’s earned through clear content, consistent business details, great reviews and trusted mentions. We’ll help you do both.
Early days, same old mistakes. Flip a card to see how we fix it, and tick any that sound like you.
Keyword lists pasted in as if ChatGPT were a search engine.
Spend goes out, but results can't be measured.
Aggressive ads that feel wrong next to a helpful answer.
Large budgets before anything is proven.
Campaigns rejected or limited because of restricted topics.
Visitors land somewhere that doesn't match the conversation.
Hoping paid ads will get you recommended in answers.
Everyone is suddenly a ChatGPT ads expert. Ask these questions first.
We’re happy to answer every one of these on a strategy call.
Straight answers to the questions business owners and marketing managers ask us most.
Yes. Ads have been serving to Australian ChatGPT users during 2026, and businesses can buy them through partners or OpenAI’s self-serve Ads Manager, which opened in beta to Australian advertisers in May 2026.
There’s no fixed price. You can bid per thousand impressions or per click. We recommend starting with a controlled test budget and scaling only once the numbers work.
Adult users on ChatGPT’s Free and Go plans. People on paid plans such as Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu don’t see ads, and neither do under-18 accounts.
No. OpenAI says ads don’t influence ChatGPT’s answers. To be mentioned in answers, you need AI search optimisation.
Location options for Australian advertisers are broad at the moment. We check the latest options at setup and plan offers that suit them.
We set up OpenAI’s pixel and Conversions API and connect results to your analytics, so you can see enquiries and sales, not just clicks.
Not usually. Google Ads is a proven lead engine. We treat ChatGPT ads as a separate test alongside it.
Most can, but some categories and topics are restricted. We check your business against OpenAI’s ad policies first.
Most tests give a clear picture within four to eight weeks.
No. Our agreements are month-to-month.
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.
Get a free audit. We’ll tell you honestly whether ChatGPT ads suit your business, and how we’d test them.
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