Why I’m Preparing To Advertise On ChatGPT

The digital landscape is shifting again. Search is no longer just typed queries and blue links. Buyers are increasingly turning to conversational AI to make decisions faster and with less friction.

ChatGPT sits at the center of that shift. With massive global adoption and growing integrations, it is becoming the first stop for information, recommendations, and product discovery.

Most marketing teams are still focused on Google and Meta. We are preparing for what’s next: advertising inside ChatGPT. Here is why.

Traditional search forces people to form a query, scan results, click, compare, and decide. ChatGPT compresses that entire process into a single question and a single answer.

A person might ask:

Recommend a digital marketing consultant for a small manufacturing business with a limited budget

Instead of clicking through pages, they get a direct recommendation. No scrolling. No filtering. No endless research.

The recommendation becomes the decision. When the path from question to purchase gets shorter, the brands that show up in the conversation have a clear advantage.

Buyers are already using ChatGPT to simplify research and decision-making across categories. A few examples:

• A founder asks for the best CRM for a 5-person team on a $200 monthly budget
• A homeowner asks which roofing company is best for storm damage repair near them
• A restaurant owner asks which POS system offers the lowest fees and online ordering
• A new ecommerce owner asks where to source print-on-demand products fast
• A parent asks which tutoring platforms have the best math programs for middle schoolers

Previously, they would scan articles, review lists, watch YouTube videos, compare prices, and read reviews. Now they ask one question based on their context. ChatGPT delivers a direct, reasoned recommendation.

The search journey collapses into a single moment.

The traditional funnel used to look like this:
Awareness
Research
Comparison
Purchase

Now it can happen inside one conversational thread.

A buyer asks a question.
ChatGPT delivers a personalized shortlist.
The user clicks and buys.

There is no extended comparison. No ten-tab research process. Fewer opportunities to intercept them along the way. The quality of the recommendation and the trust the user places in it determine the outcome.

Being the suggested answer is everything.

OpenAI has confirmed that advertising and commerce-driven recommendations will arrive inside ChatGPT. This is not expected to look like Google Ads or pay-to-play keyword bidding.

Early signals suggest:
• Recommendation-based results
• Commission or affiliate-style monetization
• Prioritization of trust and best answer

Quality and relevance matter, not just budget. That changes the game for everyone.

Advertising inside ChatGPT will likely blend into the recommendation format rather than interrupt the experience.

Possible formats:
• A sponsored suggestion in a ranked list
• A highlighted recommendation in response to a question
• A contextual product carousel
• An affiliate-style link that triggers a payout on conversion

Example:
A user asks for the best inventory software for a new apparel business. ChatGPT might respond with a ranked list, clearly labeling one selection as sponsored. If the user clicks and converts, the platform earns a commission.

This format rewards clarity, utility, and category relevance over pure spending.

The most valuable marketing real estate is wherever attention goes first. Right now, that is ChatGPT.

There are three reasons to move early.

When placement opportunities open, few brands will be ready. Early adopters will have a stronger chance of earning recommendation visibility before the field gets crowded.

Because results likely will not be pure pay-to-win, companies with clear positioning, credibility, and helpful content will perform better. The groundwork built today becomes leverage tomorrow.

Teams who experiment early will understand how conversational acquisition works. That knowledge compounds as the crowd rushes in later.

If ChatGPT becomes a primary discovery channel, many current playbooks shift. The classic funnel compresses.

A buyer asks a question.
ChatGPT delivers an answer.
The purchase can follow immediately.

To win in this environment, marketing must focus on:
• Clear positioning
• Helpful content that solves distinct problems
• Strong social proof
• Streamlined paths to purchase

It is less about broadcasting and more about being the best answer.

You do not need to wait for official ChatGPT ad products to start preparing. There are steps you can take now.

Generic SEO posts are not enough.
You need real expertise that answers real business questions.

If ChatGPT cannot summarize what you do in one sentence, it cannot recommend you.

Testimonials, case studies, and third-party reviews increase authority.

If ChatGPT sends you traffic, conversion must be simple and fast.

If recommendations lean toward commission-based models, you want easy coverage.

Show up consistently in your niche. Be known for something specific.

Rather than writing pages for keywords, write pages that answer:
• What is the best solution for X
• Who should consider X
• How to choose X
• When to avoid X
• Who is X right for

This feeds the AI with clarity.

AI will not kill SEO, but it will change how results are surfaced.

Implications:
• Less browsing of page-one results
• More paragraph-level sourcing
• More importance on expertise and authority
• Greater focus on structured information
• Individual content sections matter more than full pages

SEO becomes less about ranking and more about feeding the models accurate, trustworthy information.

AI advertising is unlikely to replace Google and Meta immediately. Instead, it will sit beside them and integrate over time.

Possible cross-connect points:
• Product feeds shared across markets
• Branded shopping results tied to existing catalogs
• Local service results tied to map integrations
• Reviews imported from major platforms
• Paid conversion paths that track across channels

ChatGPT could eventually become the surface layer that decides which ad channel or marketplace a recommendation flows through.

The channel mix changes, but strong relevance continues to win.

This shift will especially help:
• Niche service providers
• Specialists
• Consultants and agencies
• Local service businesses
• Niche ecommerce brands

If you solve a specific problem, you can be the specific answer. You do not need a massive budget. You only need relevance, clarity, and proof.

ChatGPT advertising is not far off. When it arrives, it will reward companies that already understand how to integrate conversational discovery into their marketing systems. That means tightening positioning, building authority, and preparing funnels now rather than later.

If you’re interested in how AI-driven ads could fit into your business, projects, or upcoming campaigns, let’s talk. I’m spending time exploring this space early so I can help teams think through what’s coming and where the opportunities are.

No hard pitch. Just a conversation about what this shift means and how you might benefit from it.