OpenAI has begun testing ChatGPT ads in the US, but as of yet, there is little data available on what results advertisers can expect. In this report, we project conversion rates for ChatGPT ads based on our previous analysis of existing conversion rate differences between organic and paid channels (e.g. PPC vs. SEO Conversion Rates) and the data presented in our report on Organic ChatGPT Conversion Rates. Our projections are presented in the table below.
ChatGPT Ads Conversion Rates by Industry
| Industry | Average SEO Conversion Rate | Average Google Ads Conversion Rate | ChatGPT Organic Conversion Rate | Projected ChatGPT Ads Conversion Rate |
| Addiction Treatment | 2.1% | 1.1% | 2.9% | 1.5% |
| Biotech | 1.8% | 0.7% | 2.1% | 0.8% |
| B2B SaaS | 2.1% | 1.0% | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| Commercial Insurance | 1.7% | 0.9% | 3.1% | 1.6% |
| Construction | 1.9% | 1.9% | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| E-commerce / Retail | 1.6% | 1.3% | 3.0% | 2.4% |
| Financial Services | 2.2% | 0.3% | 1.9% | 0.3% |
| Higher Education & College | 1.4% | 1.7% | 4.9% | 6.0% |
| HVAC Services | 3.3% | 1.8% | 3.9% | 2.1% |
| Industrial IOT | 2.2% | 0.9% | 3.9% | 1.6% |
| Legal Services | 4.4% | 2.2% | 5.6% | 2.8% |
| Manufacturing & Distribution | 3.0% | 1.0% | 3.8% | 1.3% |
| Medical Device | 3.1% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 0.7% |
| Oil & Gas | 1.7% | 1.5% | 3.2% | 2.8% |
| PCB Design & Manufacturing | 2.3% | 1.4% | 2.9% | 1.8% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2.0% | 1.4% | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Real Estate | 2.8% | 0.8% | 2.8% | 0.8% |
| Solar Energy | 2.7% | 1.9% | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| Transportation & Logistics | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.9% | 1.5% |
ChatGPT Ad Conversion Rates: Highest and Lowest
ChatGPT Ad Conversion Rates: What to Expect
Currently, ChatGPT Ads are only shown to logged-in adult users in the US who are using the Free or Go subscription tiers. As OpenAI rolls out ads more broadly, advertisers should expect the following changes in user behavior:
- ChatGPT power users are more likely to be on the Plus, Pro, Business, or Enterprise plans. If Open AI chooses to expand to paid users, advertisers should expect lower conversion rates, as these users are more likely to be using ChatGPT for business purposes (e.g. generating code, analyzing data, writing marketing copy) rather than seeking product or service recommendations.
- While initial prices will be relatively low to attract a broad user base and foster dependency, advertising costs will increase over time, as has happened with Google, Meta, and LinkedIn ads after their early adoption periods.
- As agentic AI matures, advertising will expand to include sponsored suggestions as upsells or alternatives. For example, a user who is using ChatGPT to book travel may be suggested to visit a sponsored location as an add-on.
Further Reading & Requesting a Copy of This Report
Business owners and marketers who want to better understand how to allocate their marketing budgets to plan for a broader ChatGPT advertising rollout should refer to our previous articles:
- What Percentage of Revenue Should You Allocate to Marketing?
- SEO vs. PPC Statistics: 2025 Conversion Rates
- SEO vs Paid Search: A Primer
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Cost Breakdown
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Explanation & Algorithm Breakdown
If you would like to request a PDF copy of this report, reach out here.
