Online Optimisers / Internal / OpenAI Ads
Updated: 30 April 2026

ChatGPT Ads: The OO Findings + Sales Playbook

For Tomas. Everything you need to introduce, qualify, and pitch ChatGPT ads to OO clients. Scroll, click into any audit, ready for sales calls.

The opportunity in one paragraph

OpenAI launched paid ads inside ChatGPT in February. Self-serve advertiser access opened in April. The minimum spend dropped from $250k to $50k commit, with $5k/month per campaign. Free + Go users see ads at the bottom of relevant answers (Plus/Pro do not). Most local businesses don't even know this exists yet. This is the first-mover window. We're moving on it now.

1What ChatGPT Ads is

OpenAI started showing sponsored placements at the bottom of ChatGPT answers in February 2026. They look like a small "Sponsored" card after the AI's normal response. Click takes the user out of ChatGPT to your landing page, just like a Google ad click.

Where ads appear
Bottom of answer

Always labelled Sponsored, visually separate from organic answer

Who sees them
Free + Go users

Plus / Pro / Enterprise / Edu = no ads

Targeting unit
Conversation prompts

Not keywords. 30-50 prompts per cluster

Pricing model
CPC live ($3-$5)

CPMs falling fast: $60 launch -> ~$25 nine weeks in

2How it works (mechanically)

The advertiser flow

  1. Apply at openai.com/advertisers (waitlist)
  2. Get approved (1-3 weeks based on current reports)
  3. Set up advertiser account with OpenAI advertiser ID + payment method
  4. Install OAIQ tracking SDK on the landing page (we do this for every client)
  5. Build prompt clusters - 30-50 realistic prompts customers would type into ChatGPT
  6. Write creative - 3 headlines x 3 bodies x 3 CTAs per cluster, "helpful tone, not promotional"
  7. Launch + monitor with kill-switch on bad metrics (CPC/CPL/conversion-rate thresholds)

OAIQ - OpenAI's tracking system

OpenAI has its own pixel called the OAIQ SDK (Open AI Query). When someone clicks an ad, the click URL carries an oppref token. The SDK on the landing page reads it, stores in a 30-day cookie, and pings OpenAI back when the visitor converts (form, call, booking). It's like the Google or Meta pixel - just for ChatGPT ads.

The wedge: none of our 10 clients have this installed. None of their competitors do either. The first agency (us) to install OAIQ for our clients gets a 30-day attribution head start before the auction crowds.

3Limitations + restrictions

Money

Account commit
$50,000

Minimum total spend on the OpenAI account (down from $250k pilot)

Per campaign / mo
$5,000

Industry-quoted floor. Below this, signal too thin

Daily floor
$500

OpenAI's daily campaign minimum

Audience

Plus / Pro / Enterprise / Edu users see no ads. The audience is Free + Go tier ChatGPT users. For most local services this is fine (price-conscious customers exist in every income bracket). For premium-only / luxury / enterprise B2B targets, the free-tier audience may skew weaker.

Vertical exclusions (during current test phase)

ExcludedOO clients affected
Health (incl. dental clinical care, mental health)ACCD blocked
Financial services (banks, lending, insurance, investment)None directly
Dating / relationshipsNone
Politics / advocacyNone
Cannabis / CBD / supplementsNone
Pharma / OTC medicationsNone
Gambling / sports betting / firearmsNone

Reporting reality

Per industry reporting (ALM Corp), the first 90-180 days of any ChatGPT ads campaign produce imprecise measurement. Build reporting around a range of signals (OAIQ + GA4 + CallRail + form data), not a single conversion metric. Tell clients this upfront.

4How to qualify a client (4-axis scorecard)

Every readiness audit scores the client on 4 axes. 4/4 means clean GO. 3/4 with conditions. 2/4 means WAIT. 1/4 means probably no.

A. Vertical eligibility
Niche is on OpenAI's allowed list. Local services (movers/roofers/contractors), travel, ecom, education, professional services = allowed. Health, finance, crypto = excluded.
Pass = run readiness. Fail = stop, position AI-ranking organic instead.
B. ICP fit
Customers span income brackets (not premium-only). Buying decision is research-heavy. Avg ticket >= $500. Already converts paid traffic somewhere.
3+ yes = ICP fit. Below = flag risk in audit but may still proceed.
C. Landing page
OAIQ installed (we install). LCP < 2.5s. Form/phone CTA above the fold. Trust signals visible (BBB, certifications, reviews).
3-4/4 = ready. Below = LP fixes before launch.
D. Budget + unit economics
Client can commit $5k+/month per campaign. Avg ticket * close rate * margin > expected CPL after 3 scenarios (worst $5 CPC / mid $4 / best $3).
Worst-case ROI > 1x = GO. Below = WAIT or restructure.
Donal handles all of axis A, C, and D for you. The Tomas conversation focuses on axis B (does this client want more leads, what's their close rate, what's their avg ticket) - the rest you can lean on the audit deck for.

5Who it fits (industries + OO portfolio)

Industries already winning the beta (per Adventure PPC reporting):

Sweet spots in OO's portfolio:

6The 8 skills we built today

The full delivery stack. Donal runs these, you don't need to know how they work, just what they produce.

/openai-ads-readiness
5-min audit on any prospect URL. Outputs the recommendation deck you'd send.
/openai-ads-prompt-cluster
Generates 30-50 prompts customers would type, grouped by intent.
/openai-ads-creative-brief
3x3x3 creative variants per cluster + landing page CTA.
/openai-ads-landing-audit
Full landing page audit including OAIQ install + form + speed.
/openai-ads-sdk-check
10-second scan: does this URL have OAIQ? Sales tool.
/openai-ads-vs-organic-decision
Should this client run ads, organic, or both? Cross-sell decision memo.
/openai-ads-competitor-watch
Weekly: who's winning ad slots in our niches? Builds intel moat.
/openai-ads-brand-watch
Weekly: is the client mentioned organically in ChatGPT? Defends position.

7Findings on all 10 clients + 3 OO/Tony properties

Each card links to a full readiness audit with budget simulator + ICP scorecard + LP scorecard + recommendation reasoning.

GO (clean launch candidates)

Howard RoofingRoofing - Wilmington NC
GO
16.3xworst-case ROI
$12k ticket, 30% close, BBB A+, ChatGPT already referring jobs. Free pilot Month 1.
Lankford RoofingRoofing - Sherman TX + Southern OK
GO
13.4xworst-case ROI
87 years brand, storm-response geo, 53-town service area. Schema fix needed first.
Bobcat MoversMovers - San Marcos TX
GO
2.50xworst-case ROI
5.0 stars / 638 reviews. Best review profile in portfolio. Blake engaged on growth.
Soft Touch MovingMovers - Indianapolis + Bloomington IN
GO
2.50xworst-case ROI
Tier-1 ad funder. Weak organic = perfect ADS-FIRST shape. John wants quality leads.
ANC MoversMovers - Vancouver WA + Portland OR
GO
1.80xworst-case ROI
AI LEADER organically (16/20 ChatGPT cited). Senior-move cluster is unactioned growth.
Metal WarehouseIndustrial / metal supply - Sherman TX
GO
1.50xworst-case ROI
Allowed vertical, B2B+DTC mix. Donal-greenlit to run ads in parallel with quote-followup work.

GO with conditions (LP fix or pricing conversation needed first)

Elite MoversMovers - Ventura CA + Santa Barbara
GO with conditions
3.20xworst-case ROI
Tier-1 ad funder. Need to embed contact form above fold (currently behind redirect).
Moving ProMovers - Venice CA / West LA premium
GO with conditions
2.15xworst-case ROI
Strongest license trust stack in portfolio. LP form fix needed. Audit doubles as retainer reanchor.
Maestro MoversMovers - Orlando FL (intrastate only)
GO with conditions
0.58xworst-case ROI
Marginal math. Park until 15 May reprice closes. Then revisit with LP fix + ticket verified.

BLOCKED (vertical excluded)

Advanced Center Cosmetic DentistryDental - St. Petersburg FL
BLOCKED
n/avertical excluded
Health vertical excluded by OpenAI. Stay on AI-ranking organic. Watch monthly for re-eligibility.

OO + Donal + Tony own properties

onlineoptimisers.netOO agency - eat-own-dogfood
GO
Strongest in portfolioagency LTV math
5 customers Month 1 = +$7.5k MRR for $5k spend = same-month positive cashflow. Validates stack before clients risk anything.
one.ieDonal's product - AI agent platform
GO with conditions
TBDconversion event undefined
Define conversion event + audience segment + ship marketing page first. Then re-audit.
agent-launch.aiTony's product - blockchain dev tool
WAIT
Channel mismatchuse X / dev newsletters instead
Crypto vertical risk + Plus/Pro audience skew. Better channels: X, YouTube preroll, dev newsletters, Fetch.ai community.

8First-launch picks (3 clients to start)

Pitching 3 clients first, in this order:

First (parallel with OO)
Howard Roofing

16.3x ROI, free pilot Month 1, OAIQ installs in Astro rebuild = no extra ask of Chris

Second
Soft Touch Moving

Tier-1 funder, weak organic = ADS-FIRST scenario, John wants better lead quality

Third
Bobcat Movers

5.0 review profile, Blake engaged, San Marcos market uncrowded

Why these and not others:

Plus we run onlineoptimisers.net in parallel as the eat-own-dogfood test. OO is the advertiser of record. The case study from running ads on ourselves becomes the strongest sales asset for the rest of the portfolio.

9Tomas sales playbook

The hook (use in opening message)

"ChatGPT just opened paid ad slots at the bottom of its answers. Most local [niche] businesses haven't even noticed yet. We checked your site - you'd likely qualify. Want me to send a 5-minute readiness audit?"

Pricing tiers

TierOne-timeMonthlyWhat they get
Audit$500-$1,500-Readiness audit + decision memo + prompt cluster sample
Setup$2,500-$5,000-Audit + creative + LP install + first campaign launch
Manage-$1,500-$3,000 + 15% of spendSetup + monthly management + reports + kill-switch

Recommended client ad spend: $5,000/month per campaign. Below this, statistical signal is too thin to optimise.

How to book a client onto this

  1. Get prospect URL or pick from existing retainer list
  2. Tell Donal: "Run /openai-ads-readiness on [URL]"
  3. Donal returns audit deck link in 5 minutes
  4. Send prospect: "Audit's done. Quick scroll. Recommendation at top."
  5. If interested, ask Donal to run /openai-ads-vs-organic-decision for the decision memo
  6. Send proposal (Donal generates from template)
  7. Close on phone or email. 30-day notice contract.

Common objections + your answers

They sayYou say
"How is this different from Google Ads?""Different audience, different intent. Google catches them while searching. ChatGPT catches them while researching. We can show you the prompt clusters where your customers are already asking ChatGPT the question your business answers."
"How do I know it'll work?""You don't, in Month 1. Neither does anyone. The first 90 days are imprecise across the industry. What you do know is the kill-switch pauses within an hour if metrics go bad, and the audit has shown you the math before you commit."
"Can you guarantee leads?""No, and any agency promising hard lead numbers in the first 90 days is making them up. What we guarantee is full transparency on every metric, the kill-switch on bad performance, and 30-day cancellation."
"Why $5k/mo minimum?""OpenAI's own daily floor is $500. Below $5k/mo statistical signal is too thin to optimise. We'd rather not run a campaign than burn through a $2k budget without learning anything."
"I'm already on Google Ads, why add this?""Different placement, different audience. Free-tier ChatGPT users number in the hundreds of millions. Most haven't been touched by ads in this surface yet. Early movers get cheaper clicks before the auction crowds."

What to flag to Donal immediately