For ChatGPT ads, behavior is more important than targeting

Ads are now being tested on ChatGPT in the US, from specific users across all account types. For the first time, advertising is entering the AI ​​response space – and that’s changing the rules for marketers.

We’ve used AI as part of creating ads or programming for years across Google, LinkedIn and the paid community. But placing ads inside an AI system that people rely on to help them think, decide and act is very different. This is not another channel that can be plugged into an existing media system.

The big question is not identified. Psychology. If marketers duplicate what works in search or social, performance will be disappointing and trust may be damaged.

Dig deeper: Are ChatGPT ads worth NFL-level money?

To be successful, brands need to understand why people use ChatGPT, and what it means to be attentive, relevant to the customer journey.

ChatGPT is a job site, not a feed

People open ChatGPT to do something. That would be:

• To solve a specific problem.
• Refining the shortlist.
• Planning a trip.
• To write something.
• Making sense of a difficult decision.

This is in stark contrast to feed-based platforms, where people expect to scroll, get distracted and find content passively.

In task-based environments like ChatGPT, behavior changes:

• Goal defense: Attention is reduced to completing the task, filtering out anything that does not help progress.
• Aversion to interference: Unexpected interruptions feel especially annoying when someone is focused.
• Tunnel focus: Users prioritize clarity, speed and speed over testing.

This is why clicks may be harder to achieve than most marketers expect. If an ad doesn’t help the user move forward with what they’re trying to achieve, it will feel inappropriate, even if it’s relevant to the topic.

Add to this the fact that reliance on AI environments is still growing and the tolerance for poor or inadequate advertising is even lower.

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Since there are no search volumes, behavior becomes strategy

For years, search volume has shaped the way we plan.

Keywords tell us what people are looking for, how often they like it and how competitive the demand is. That logic underpins both SEO strategy and paid media.

ChatGPT changes that.

People don’t search for keywords. They take away the imagination. They explain situations, ask different questions and seek results rather than information alone.

There is no query data to configure. Instead, success depends on understanding:

• What task is the user trying to perform?
• What part of the journey are they choosing to outsource to AI?
• What kind of help do they need at that time?

This is where behavioral understanding replaces the need for keywords as the basis of strategy.

From keyword intent to behavioral mode targeting

Rather than programming questions, marketers need to program behaviors, the mindset a user has when they turn to ChatGPT.

A useful way to think about this:

• Test mode: The user forms an idea or seeks inspiration.
• Ads that work here help people get started, offer ideas, options, or recreate a problem.
• Minimize mode: The user simplifies and narrows the choice. Effective ads reduce effort by clarifying differences and highlighting relevant trade-offs.
• Confirm mode: The user wants to be verified. This is where trust is most important: testimonials, reviews, guarantees and reliable signals.
• Mode of operation: The user wants to complete the task. Ads that eliminate friction work best, clearly stating prices, availability, delivery and next steps.

These methods mirror the human drivers we already see in search behavior: perception shaping, informing, confirming and simplifying.

The difference is that ChatGPT compresses these sessions into a single connection.

In ChatGPT, compatibility is active, not subjective

The key conversion marketers need to internalize is that affiliates in ChatGPT are not affiliates. It’s about being helpful.

An ad can be well-aligned with a category and fail if it doesn’t help the user complete their task.

In a work environment, anything that creates extra work or draws attention away from the goal feels like conflict. This means that the rules of creation are changing.

The most effective ads are likely to behave a little like traditional advertising and things like:

• Tools.
• Templates.
• Directors.
• Checklists.
• Shortcuts.
• Determining resources.

They fit into the user’s workflow.

Ads for generic brands, awareness messages and content that sounds like a diversion may not perform well.

Dig deep: How CMOs should think about acquisition in an AI-first world

Useful content becomes a bridge across all channels

The same assets that make a strong ChatGPT ad — practical guides, frameworks, calculators, explainers and content led by validation — also do more than just support paid performance.

They build SEO authority and productivity optimization, gain coverage and credibility through digital PR and strengthen brand trust across social and owned channels.

This is where silos start to break down.

Paid media teams can’t create “useful ads” on their own if SEO teams work on a mandate, PR teams build trust signals and brand teams shape word of mouth independently. In AI-led discovery, these characteristics converge.

The most effective ads can lend themselves to:

• A brand word for clarity and consistency.
• A trusted voice with reviews, experts, or third-party verification.
• A voice amplified by media coverage and perceived authority.

The line between advertising, content and credibility is becoming increasingly blurred.

The calibration needs to be reset

Judging ChatGPT ads by click-through rates alone lacks their real impact.

In many cases, these ads can influence decisions without triggering immediate clicks. They may help the product get shortlisted, feel safe, or be remembered when the user comes back later using another channel.

A number of reasonable indicators may include:

• Shortlisting.
• Product recall.
• Assisted conversion.
• Suggest a named search.
• Direct traffic promotion.
• The elevation of the river.

This reinforces the need for teams to work closely together. If performance is distributed throughout the journey, measurement and accountability must be as well.

Dig deeper: Google searches per US user down nearly 20%

Winning brands will understand behavior better

This is not just a new ad format. We are looking for a change in behavior.

The brands most likely to succeed won’t be the ones that move the fastest or spend the most. They will be the ones who understand:

• What people use ChatGPT for.
• Which travel times are exported to AI.
• How to support those moments without breaking trust.

A practical starting point is to go back to thinking about what needs to be done. Map the actions that happen before someone buys, asks, or acts and pinpoint where AI reduces effort, uncertainty, or difficulty.

From there, the question becomes more powerful than “how do we advertise here?”:

How can we be of real help at a critical time?

That concept will shape performance not only at ChatGPT, but across the broader future of AI-led acquisition. And in that world, behavioral intent will matter more than keywords ever did.