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Test ChatGPT ads with us
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ChatGPT Ads
Management
Your customers are already asking ChatGPT for recommendations. Advertising on ChatGPT puts your business inside those conversations now, while the platform is still in its testing phase and most of your competitors have not noticed. We set up, run and optimise ChatGPT ad campaigns for UK businesses, and we run them on our own account first.
- Live in UK conversations
- Full setup and tracking
- Run by a hands-on practitioner
Why now
Your customers moved to ChatGPT. Your marketing hasn't.
Every week we have the same sales conversation: "How do we show up when people ask AI for recommendations?" Until recently the honest answer was slow, organic work. In February 2026 that changed. OpenAI began testing ads inside ChatGPT, and the UK joined the rollout in May 2026. For the first time, you can pay to be present in the conversation.
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800M+
people use ChatGPT every week, and a growing share of buying research starts there instead of Google.
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Feb 2026
OpenAI began testing ads in ChatGPT, shown to logged-in adults on the Free and Go plans.
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May 2026
the UK was added to the rollout. British businesses can now advertise in ChatGPT conversations.
The catch with organic AI visibility
On Gemini, AI Overviews and ChatGPT's own answers, showing up organically is earned the slow way: authority content, citations, brand mentions and technical work that compounds over months. We do that work for clients and rate it highly. But if you are starting today, organic alone means:
- Months before AI mentions you
- No guarantee of being cited
- Established brands cited first
- Zero presence in the meantime
ChatGPT ads are the shortcut: paid placement in AI conversations, live in days, while the organic work compounds behind it.
The platform
What are ChatGPT ads, and how do they work?
ChatGPT ads are sponsored placements that appear beneath ChatGPT's answers when someone's conversation is relevant to what you sell. They are clearly labelled, they never change the answer itself, and they are matched to the meaning of the conversation rather than a keyword. Someone asking for help choosing an accountant for their small limited company can be shown an ad for exactly that.
Where your ad appears
Your Business Ltd
Your headline and description, shown to the exact person asking.
Matched to conversations, not keywords
Instead of bidding on search terms, you describe your ideal customer in plain English using "context hints". OpenAI's system then places your ad in conversations that fit. It rewards knowing your customer, which is where we do our best work.
Simple, honest formats
An ad is your business name, an image, a headline and a description, labelled as sponsored and shown beneath the answer. Static ads for services, Product ads for eCommerce. No banner clutter, no interruption.
Live in the UK, with targeting still maturing
UK campaigns currently target the whole country. OpenAI already offers region and postcode targeting in the US, so finer UK controls are expected as the test expands. In the meantime, context hints steer ads toward the right conversations, and first-party audience matching is available for larger lists.
Measurable, like any paid channel
You bid per click, per thousand impressions or per conversion, and a conversion pixel plus UTM tracking ties spend to enquiries in your analytics. Daily budgets start from £15, the platform minimum, so a meaningful test costs less than most agencies charge for a meeting.
The opportunity
Every ad platform rewards the people who arrive early.
Google Ads in the 2000s. Facebook Ads in the early 2010s. In both cases, the businesses that adopted while the platform was young bought attention cheaply, learned what worked before rivals showed up, and kept that head start for years. ChatGPT advertising is at that stage right now: it is still in its testing phase, and most UK businesses do not know it exists.
Arrive with the crowd
- Compete in a fuller auction, where more bidders mean higher costs per click
- Start learning targeting and messaging while competitors already know theirs
- Face customers who already associate your category with someone else
- Watch the platform mature on someone else's data
Build share while it's quiet
- Reach AI-first buyers while few advertisers are bidding for them
- Learn which conversations convert, cheaply, and bank that knowledge
- Become the name people meet when they ask AI about your category
- Hold a working, optimised account by the time competitors catch on
To be clear about the risk: this is a young platform in a testing phase. Formats, availability and costs will change, and we say so on every call. That is exactly why the sensible move is a measured test with tight tracking, not a big-bang budget. Early does not have to mean reckless.
The service
ChatGPT Ads management, done for you.
The platform is simple on the surface and easy to waste money on underneath, exactly like Google Ads was. We handle everything from account setup to weekly optimisation, and every campaign is wired into proper conversion tracking from day one, because "it got clicks" is not a result.
Phase one
Setup and launch
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Account and platform setup
Your own OpenAI Ads account, correctly configured with billing, brand assets and the right structure. You own the account; we run it.
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Conversion tracking, done properly
ChatGPT conversion pixel installed, UTM structure defined and tied into your analytics and CRM, so every enquiry traces back to spend.
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Context-hint targeting strategy
We translate who your best customers are into the plain-English audience descriptions the platform matches against conversations.
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Ad creative and landing alignment
Headlines, descriptions and imagery written for a conversational setting, with the landing page checked so the click has somewhere worth going.
Ongoing
Optimise and report
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Weekly optimisation cadence
Bids, budgets, context hints and creative reviewed on a fixed rhythm, with changes logged so you can see what we did and why.
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Testing-phase watch
OpenAI is still changing formats, placements and policies. We track every platform update and adjust your campaigns before it costs you.
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Plain-English reporting
A monthly report in business language: spend, cost per enquiry, what we learned, what changes next month. No dashboard dumps.
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A view across the whole funnel
Because we also run SEO and Google Ads, we position ChatGPT ads alongside your other channels rather than in a silo, and tell you honestly if budget works harder elsewhere.
One more thing: OpenAI's rules require advertisers to hold their own account rather than renting space in an agency's. That is how we set you up. If we ever part ways, the account, the data and everything learned stays yours.
Reviewed by the people we work with
“He has brought much-needed structure and strategy to our Google Ads account, which was lacking before, and we've seen a noticeable improvement in performance as a result.”
We've been working with James on our Google Ads for the past six months, and we're continuing to work together because we've been so pleased with the results.
James is incredibly knowledgeable and takes the time to explain everything clearly. He walks us through how campaigns are set up and why, which has helped me understand the process much better. He also takes the time to really get to know our business, ensuring that our campaigns are reaching the right audience.
He's always friendly, approachable, and on hand to answer any questions we have. Nothing ever feels like too much trouble, and his communication has been excellent throughout.
More recently, James has also helped us set up LinkedIn Ads, and we've been equally impressed with his support and expertise.
James is genuinely passionate about what he does, and it shows in both his work and the results he delivers. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for expert, reliable digital marketing support.
“His tailored and collaborative approach means he takes the time to understand our business and adapts his strategy accordingly, rather than offering generic advice.”
PAL has been working with James for the past few months to help us accelerate our digital marketing in the lead up to the launch of our new website. As a small business ourselves, juggling many plates, James' support has been invaluable in helping to manage our ads, SEO and overall digital marketing strategy. We look forward to continuing our work together in the future and would absolutely recommend his services to other businesses.
Verified reviews from our Google Business Profile.
First-hand, not second-hand
We advertise on ChatGPT with our own money.
We would not recommend a platform we had not tested ourselves. Before offering this as a service, we put Align & Scale's own budget into ChatGPT ads. These are our real numbers, updated as the test continues.
Align & Scale on ChatGPT Ads
UK marketing consultancy · Running since 28 July 2026
Test spend
At the £15/day minimum
Impressions
1.10% click-through rate
Average CPC
In line with our Google Ads
Conversions
Around £17 each, pixel tracked
What we've learned so far: our first ten days delivered nine conversions at around £17 each, on a £15/day budget, with clicks costing about the same as we pay on Google Ads. Everything we learn on our own account, targeting that works, creative that gets clicked, conversations that convert, goes straight into client campaigns.
Figures measured from our account on 6 August 2026 and advancing at the campaign's average daily pace since. We refresh them against the account regularly.
Investment
Priced for a sensible test, not a leap of faith.
Because the platform is in its testing phase, we price this the way we would want to buy it: a manageable monthly figure that covers everything, with your ad budget on top, paid directly to OpenAI and visible in your own account. On the fit call we agree an exact figure based on scope.
Management from
£450 /month
- Full account setup and conversion tracking
- Targeting strategy, ad creative and landing checks
- Weekly optimisation and a monthly plain-English report
- You own the account and the data, always
Ad spend is separate, paid directly to OpenAI, and starts from £15 a day, the platform minimum. A typical two-week test runs on around £210 of ad spend, and budgets scale only when the numbers earn it.
Get an exact quote →Getting started
How to advertise on ChatGPT
From first conversation to live ads in a couple of weeks, not a couple of months. Here is how it works with us.
Fit call
A short call to check ChatGPT ads actually make sense for your business. If they don't yet, we'll say so.
Setup and tracking
Your ads account created, conversion pixel installed and targeting strategy agreed, so results are measurable from the first pound.
Launch the test
A tightly scoped test campaign goes live with a budget you're comfortable treating as a learning investment.
Read, decide, scale
After the test window we review the numbers together and decide: scale it, refine it, or stop. Your call, with our recommendation.
FAQs
ChatGPT advertising, answered
The questions that come up in every conversation about this. Tap a question to see the answer.
Is ChatGPT advertising available in the UK?
Yes. OpenAI began testing ads in the US in February 2026 and added the UK in the expansion announced in May 2026. It is still officially a testing phase, which is precisely why the opportunity exists: most UK businesses have not started yet, and we are already running campaigns.
Who actually sees ads in ChatGPT?
Logged-in adults on ChatGPT's Free and Go plans, which is the large majority of everyday users. People on paid Plus, Pro, Business and Education plans do not see ads. Ads are also kept out of sensitive conversations such as health and politics.
How much do ChatGPT ads cost?
It is an auction, like Google Ads: you pay per click, per thousand impressions or per conversion. In the UK, daily budgets start from £15, the platform minimum, so a two-week test runs on around £210 of ad spend. Because few advertisers are bidding yet, early costs are generally favourable compared with mature channels, and that advantage shrinks as more advertisers join, which is the argument for testing now. We agree the budget with you before anything goes live.
How is this different from SEO or organic AI visibility?
Organic AI visibility (sometimes called GEO) earns mentions in AI answers through authority content, citations and technical work. It compounds, but it takes months and nothing is guaranteed. ChatGPT ads are paid placement: live in days, guaranteed presence, measurable cost. They are complements, not rivals, and the strongest position is running the ads while the organic work builds underneath.
Can a local business use ChatGPT ads?
With eyes open. UK campaigns currently target the whole country; OpenAI offers postcode-level targeting in the US, and we expect the same here as the test expands. Until then, local businesses can still make it work through context hints and locally specific creative, but nationally relevant businesses get the cleanest results today. We will tell you honestly which side of that line you are on.
Do ads change what ChatGPT says about businesses?
No. OpenAI keeps the answer and the ad separate: your ad appears clearly labelled beneath the response, and paying does not make ChatGPT recommend you in the answer itself. That separation is good for trust, and it is why the ad creative itself has to earn the click.
Isn't it risky to advertise on a platform still in testing?
There is genuine uncertainty: formats, availability and costs will change, and we say so plainly. The way to handle that is a small, tightly tracked test rather than a large commitment. The bigger risk, in our view, is category competitors building presence and platform knowledge for months before you start.
The platform is simple. Why pay someone to manage it?
The mechanics are simple; getting a return is not. Results depend on how well the targeting describes your customer, whether tracking ties spend to enquiries, and how quickly you adapt as the platform changes. We run ChatGPT ads on our own account, so clients start from what we have already learned instead of paying to learn it themselves.
Built for SMEs, not enterprise budgets
Most management involves automated reports with no interpretation, or enterprise engagements priced for businesses ten times your size. Neither helps a growing SME.
Based in Tring, Hertfordshire. We work with SMEs across the UK, remotely or in person.
This is senior-led work. All campaigns are run and interpreted by James personally. You're not handed to a junior or sent a dashboard link. You get a real person who prioritises the handful of changes that will actually move revenue.
Experience across