> guides/chatgpt-vs-google.md
ChatGPT Ads vs Google Ads:
Which Gets Your Money?
Short version: Google first, ChatGPT as a small test once Google's working. That's not me being a dinosaur, it's what the early numbers say. Here's the longer version.
> short_answer.txt
The Short Answer
Google Ads catches people searching for what you sell, often right when they want to buy. ChatGPT ads sit under answers for people who are chatting, researching and planning. Both have a place. But Google Ads is a mature platform with tracking that's well understood, and ChatGPT ads have only been running in the UK since mid-2026. OpenAI still calls them a test.
So for almost every small business I'd put the money into Google Ads first, get it working, get the tracking right, and only then try ChatGPT ads with a small slice of budget. Agencies are reportedly putting about 1 to 2% of budgets into ChatGPT, and Hallam, a UK agency, advises smaller budgets to cover core channels like Google first. That sounds about right to me.
> side_by_side.csv
Side by Side
Figures are reported by trade press, analysts and agencies. OpenAI itself says there are no performance benchmarks yet.
| ChatGPT ads | Google Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Where ads show | Under ChatGPT's answer, labelled as sponsored | Search results, Shopping, YouTube, Display and more |
| Who sees them | Adults on ChatGPT's Free and Go plans, not paid plans | Pretty much everyone using Google |
| Typical mindset | Researching, comparing, planning | Often ready to buy or call |
| How you target | Context hints (plain-English descriptions), location, device, custom audiences | Keywords, plus broad match and automated campaign types |
| Formats | Text and image ads, product ads in beta | Text, Shopping, video, display, local |
| Pricing | Per click or per 1,000 views, £15 a day minimum per campaign | Per click, with a full set of automated bidding |
| Reported click rate | About 0.5 to 1.3% | About 6.4 to 6.6% (Search) |
| Reported revenue per paid visit | $0.89 (one US study) | $2.45 (same study, Search) |
| Tracking | Pixel and Conversions API, early days, gaps reported | Mature and well understood |
| Status in the UK | Live since mid-2026, still officially a test | Established, with ads in AI Mode and AI Overviews on the way |
> intent.txt
Intent: Searching vs Chatting
This is the big one. When someone types "boiler repair Colwyn Bay" into Google, they've got a cold house and want someone today. Someone in ChatGPT is more likely asking it to compare options, plan a trip or explain something. Some of them will buy, but they're usually earlier in the process.
Targeting works differently too. Google runs on keywords. ChatGPT has none. You write context hints, plain-English descriptions of the conversations you want to appear in, and OpenAI also reads your ad and landing page to decide where you fit. It's looser, and you never see the conversations your ad appeared next to.
And the ads themselves are tiny: a business name, a headline of up to 24 characters and a description of up to 48 (OpenAI's own limits), an image and a link. Google gives you far more room, plus Shopping, video and local ads.
> costs.txt
Costs, Click Rates and What a Visit Is Worth
Nobody has proper benchmarks yet, OpenAI included, so everything here is reported. Costs per thousand views started at about $60 in the US, dropped as low as about $25 in some categories, and Hallam says some UK industries are seeing about £60. Reported costs per click so far run from about €2 to an analyst estimate of around $5.
Click rates are where it really separates. Reported ChatGPT click rates sit around 0.5 to 1.3%, against roughly 6.4 to 6.6% for Google Search. One agency, Seer Interactive, saw 1.6% on ChatGPT against 9.31% on Google for the same client.
Then there's what those visits are worth. A working paper by Kaiser and Schulze, still under review and based on US online shops, found a paid ChatGPT visit brought in $0.89 of revenue against $2.45 for a paid Google Search visit, with conversion rates of 0.37% against 1.17%. Roughly a third of the value per visit. Early days, US data, and it may well improve. But it's the best comparison there is right now.
Measurement is the other gap. Google Ads tracking is mature, though it still goes wrong more often than people think, which is why I do tracking audits. ChatGPT ads use OpenAI's pixel and Conversions API, and advertisers report big gaps between Ads Manager clicks and GA4 sessions. TrafficGuard, a fraud specialist with a stake in the subject, also reports more data-centre and proxy clicks than on Google.
> ai_ads.txt
Google and Microsoft Are Doing AI Ads Too
This is the bit most "ChatGPT vs Google" articles miss. Google already shows ads above and below its AI Overviews in more than 200 markets, and it has said ads inside AI Mode and AI Overviews are coming to the UK. Your existing Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns become eligible automatically. You can't target those AI spots separately or opt out of them, but you don't need to buy anything new to be there.
Microsoft is similar. Ads in its Copilot assistant come from ordinary Microsoft Ads campaigns, mainly Performance Max. Exactly which Copilot formats run in the UK isn't confirmed, but if you're already on Bing, you're most of the way there. Perplexity, the other AI search tool people ask me about, doesn't run ads at the moment and has said it has no plans to bring them back.
So the real question isn't "ChatGPT or Google". It's whether a separate ChatGPT campaign earns its place on top of the AI reach your Google and Microsoft campaigns already give you, or soon will. Getting mentioned in the answers themselves is GEO, and that's worth doing whichever ads you run.
> my_money.txt
Where I'd Put Your Money
The honest version, by situation. Your business might be the exception, which is what a chat is for.
Small Budget, Local Business
A few hundred pounds a month? All of it into Google Ads, with tracking that works. ChatGPT can wait. You need the people searching for you today.
Google Working, Some Spare Budget
This is where a ChatGPT test makes sense. A few hundred pounds over four to six weeks, one clicks campaign, judged on revenue per visit against Google. Keep it if it earns its place.
Online Shop, Big Catalogue
Google Shopping first, then a ChatGPT test and a look at ChatGPT's organic shopping results. Product ads in ChatGPT reportedly need 1,000+ products, so smaller shops will be on standard ads.
Regulated or Restricted
Health, financial and legal services ads are generally not allowed outside the US, and some categories are banned outright. Spend on Google, Microsoft and GEO, and check OpenAI's policy again every few months.
> faq.txt
Questions People Ask
Are ChatGPT ads better than Google Ads?
Not for most small businesses, not yet. Reported click rates are a fraction of Google's, and the one published comparison found a paid ChatGPT visit worth about a third of a paid Google visit. They reach people at a different moment, though, so they can make sense as a small extra once Google is working.
Are ChatGPT ads cheaper than Google Ads?
Not obviously. There's no rate card, and reported costs per click run from about €2 to $5. Cheap clicks don't mean much if fewer of them turn into sales, so compare cost per sale, not cost per click.
Should a small business advertise on ChatGPT or Google first?
Google first, almost always. Get it profitable and the tracking trustworthy, then test ChatGPT with a small budget. If you can't afford both, you can't afford the experiment. The honest guide has the step by step for when you're ready.
Will Google show ads in AI Mode in the UK?
Google has said ads inside AI Mode and AI Overviews are coming to the UK. You won't need a new campaign: your existing Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns become eligible automatically.
Do Microsoft Copilot ads work like ChatGPT ads?
No, they're easier to get into. Copilot ads come from normal Microsoft Ads campaigns, mainly Performance Max, rather than a separate platform. Which Copilot formats are live in the UK isn't confirmed, but it's another reason to have Microsoft Ads running.
Can I copy my Google Ads campaign into ChatGPT?
Not really. There are no keywords to copy. You need context hints written around the questions customers ask, and much shorter copy, with headlines of up to 24 characters. Your landing pages carry over, and clear ones help on both.
> ls ../
Keep Reading
> new_message.txt
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