From search intent to conversational intent

Traditional search advertising is built around keywords.

Someone searches for “best CRM for small business”, and advertisers compete to appear against that query.

ChatGPT is different.

A user might instead say:

“We're a 30-person company looking for another website solution. We need something simple, affordable and easy to integrate with our existing tools. What should we consider?”

The platform has more context about what the person is trying to achieve - not just what they typed into a search box.

That creates a different kind of advertising opportunity.

Rather than relying solely on who someone is or what they searched for, brands can potentially show up in conversations where their products or services are relevant to what the user is trying to accomplish.

And that is where ChatGPT Ads gets interesting.

A new place to influence consideration

People don't necessarily go to ChatGPT because they already know what they want to buy.

They go there to figure it out.

They ask for recommendations. They compare alternatives. They explore unfamiliar categories. They challenge their assumptions. They ask what they should consider before making a decision.

In other words, ChatGPT sits in a part of the customer journey that has traditionally been difficult for advertising to access: the messy middle of consideration.

For brands, this raises a bigger strategic question:

How do you want to show up when your customers are figuring out what to choose?

ChatGPT Ads is new. Your strategy shouldn't be.

It is tempting to treat ChatGPT Ads as simply the next platform to add to the media plan.

But a new channel doesn't automatically create a new strategy.

Before putting budget behind ChatGPT Ads, marketers should understand:

What are our customers actually asking AI?

What problems are they trying to solve? Which brands and competitors are being mentioned? What information influences their decisions? Where are we visible - and where are we missing? And does our existing content give AI the right material to work with?

Because paid visibility is only one part of the picture.

As AI increasingly becomes part of how people research and evaluate brands, being present in the conversation matters too.

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What we know about ChatGPT Ads

ChatGPT Ads launched in the US as a pilot in February 2026 and expanded to 31 European markets, including Denmark, on August 24. Ads are currently available to Free and Go users, while Plus, Pro and Enterprise remain ad-free.

The platform has already moved beyond impression-based buying, with CPC and conversion-optimised campaigns now available alongside CPM. OpenAI has introduced CPC and conversion optimisation, geo-targeting, custom audiences, and measurement through tools including the OpenAI Pixel and Conversions API.

Advertisers in Europe can currently access ChatGPT Ads through OpenAI’s Ads Solutions team, agency partners and technology partners, while self-service access through Ads Manager is still rolling out.

But it is still early.

The formats, buying models, targeting capabilities and best practices will continue to evolve. Which makes this less about finding a proven playbook  and more about learning what works.

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So, should you advertise on ChatGPT?

Maybe.

For some brands, ChatGPT Ads could become an important new performance channel.

For others, the bigger opportunity may be understanding how the brand appears in AI-generated recommendations before investing in paid visibility.

And for many, it will be both.

The point is not to move your entire media budget to ChatGPT.

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We can help you figure out where to start.

At Azide, we help B2B brands navigate the shift from traditional search to AI-driven discovery - from understanding how your brand shows up in ChatGPT to identifying where paid and organic visibility can create an advantage.

Curious about what ChatGPT Ads could mean for your business?

Let's talk.

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Images by DC studio on Magnific.