Advertising in ChatGPT: Why a web analyst sees Google’s ad empire at risk

At the beginning of February 2026, OpenAI launched an advertising program for ChatGPT. Since then, users of the AI ​​chatbot have seen advertising from selected partner companies. Harel Amir, head of product at the web analytics company Similarweb, took a close look at the early ChatGPT ads from companies like Hubspot, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Indeed.

ChatGPT ads as a threat to Google

As Business Insider reports, Amir has come to the conclusion that OpenAI’s entry into the advertising world could not only have laid the foundation for a new, huge source of income. Rather, the ChatGPT ads should also be able to put a lot of pressure on Google’s advertising empire.

This is particularly due to the way and when the ads are shown on the AI ​​platform. This differs fundamentally from the form of ads used in Google searches.

According to Amir’s analysis, the ChatGPT ads are not based on keywords, but on the users’ conversations with the AI ​​chatbot, or their so-called “conversational intent”. This term describes the goal that users pursue when communicating with an AI.

Purchase intent arises from AI conversation

Unlike in Google search, where advertisers bought the predicted intent via keywords, when using chatbots, this intent only arises during the actual conversation, says Amir. Previously, search ads on Google appeared for specific keywords or phrases such as “best running shoes” or “cheap flights to Miami.”

ChatGPT, on the other hand, can derive purchase intentions from an extensive dialogue, as stated by Business Insider. And this even if the users are not explicitly looking for a specific product. According to Amir’s analysis, the context of an extensive conversation with the AI ​​chatbot creates the opportunity to place an advertisement, not a search query with specific keywords.

Advantage over Google’s keyword model

According to Similarweb data, 46 percent of ChatGPT users who were ultimately shown an advertisement originally had no intention of purchasing. Amir sees this as a decisive advantage over Google’s keyword model, in which the intention is usually only recorded when it is expressed by the user.

In addition, 83 percent of the search queries that triggered ad placement within ChatGPT did not lead to the display of a conventional Google Shopping ad. Amir sees great potential for ChatGPT ads and “a real threat to Google.”

OpenAI can charge higher prices

In addition, ChatGPT would only display a single advertisement per conversation post instead of a multitude of advertisements from different brands. An exclusivity that has its price. Similarweb estimates that ChatGPT ads can generate around $60 per thousand impressions (CPM). The click price (CPC) is said to be around twelve dollars, which is significantly higher than the prices for Google ads.

The engagement numbers are also said to be better than advertisers feared. The click rate should be around 0.68 percent, which is on a par with display and traditional search ads. The click rate is only half as high as with social media ads. According to Amir, the performance of these clicks is significantly better than that of social media clicks.