---
title: "What We Know About Running ChatGPT Ads | VertoDigital"
description: "ChatGPT Ads: how targeting works, where it fits next to LinkedIn and Google, and whether it's worth testing yet. VertoTalks #25, Sofia, Oct 2026"
url: "https://vertodigital.com/content-hub/vertotalks/chatgpt-ads-what-we-know-now-sofia-2026"
image: "https://vertodigital.com/images/events/vertotalks-25-sofia-chatgpt-ads-what-we-know-now.jpg"
---

> For AI agents: an index of every page on this site is at https://vertodigital.com/llms.txt

# 3 Months of Running ChatGPT Ads: What We Know Now

**VertoTalks #25 · Sofia · Oct 2026**

A first look at ChatGPT Ads - targeting, reporting, where it fits next to LinkedIn and Google, and whether it's worth testing yet. Based on live campaigns we've been running on the platform since launch.

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[Download slides (PDF)](/assets/chatgpt-ads-what-we-know-now-vertotalks-25.pdf)

**October 1, 2026 · Campus X, Sofia**

**Speaker:** Emil Zagorov - Consultant, Paid Growth · VertoDigital

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## Key takeaways

- It's still early days. ChatGPT Ads launched CPM-only, automated bidding only went default six weeks ago, and there's no prompt-level data or third-party verification yet - cost and quality benchmarks just aren't reliable enough to call yet.
- Targeting runs on conversation context, not job titles, keywords, or retargeting. It matches what someone's actually asking - comparing vendors, evaluating attribution tools.
- It's a third, different layer - not a replacement: LinkedIn builds recognition before someone has a problem, Google catches people who already know what they want, and ChatGPT catches them mid-comparison.

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## What the session covered

Your buyers are asking ChatGPT which vendor to shortlist. Now there's a small, labeled ad sitting right below the answer they get.

At VertoTalks #25, Emil Zagorov walked through three months of running campaigns on the platform - what we've learned, and what we'd tell a B2B marketing leader before they spend a dollar.

We covered four things in detail:

- **Targeting** - runs on conversation context, not job titles or keywords; it matches the shape of what someone's actually asking, like comparing vendors or evaluating attribution tools because leadership is questioning ROI.
- **Reach** - ads currently only show to Free and Go tier users. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education see none, and there's no reliable read yet on how much of the B2B buyer base that excludes.
- **Reporting** - seven numbers: impressions, clicks, spend, CTR, avg CPC, avg CPM, conversions. No demographics, reach, frequency, prompt-level data, placement breakdown, or competitor visibility.
- **Fit** - additive, not a replacement: LinkedIn builds recognition before someone has a problem, Google captures people who already know what they want, ChatGPT catches them while they're actively comparing.

But three months in, there isn't enough reliable signal to responsibly put hard cost and quality numbers next to our LinkedIn and Google benchmarks: the platform was built CPM-only with performance tools bolted on later, automated bidding only went default six weeks ago, and the numbers that do exist are self-reported with no third-party verification yet.

Our recommendation: test it. Choose one top ICP and your biggest pain point, skip the massive budget, run it for six to eight weeks, and checkpoint weekly instead of waiting for a final number. Count pipeline influence, not just direct conversions - and build tracking and CRM connection before spending a dollar.

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## Who spoke

If you're weighing whether this belongs in your channel mix at all, our [ChatGPT Ads service page](/solutions/chatgpt-ads) covers how we approach it for clients. For the other side of AI in paid media, see our session on [how AI compares with human specialists on ad analysis](/content-hub/vertotalks/man-vs-machine-ai-advertising-analysis-sofia-2026).

**[Emil Zagorov](https://vertodigital.com/content-hub/authors/emil-zagorov)**
Consultant, Paid Growth · VertoDigital

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## Your host

**Nikol Anestieva** · Associate, Growth · VertoDigital

Any questions about this session or future VertoTalks? Reach out to Nikol directly.

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