This case study covers 30 days of results from ChatGPT Ads campaigns for a B2B compliance services company.
We started managing these ads shortly after the ChatGPT Ads platform opened up, and we’ve run campaigns near-continuously since then.
If you want to learn more about setup, what ads look like, and how bidding works, see our full ChatGPT Ads guide.
Cost per click and cost per lead
As a reference point, we’ll compare the performance from ChatGPT Ads against performance from Google Search campaigns for the same business during the same 30-day period.
Google Ads Search campaigns are the most apples-to-apples comparison available because in both cases, consumers are engaging with the platform in search of information and the ads they’re served directly relate to those searches.
- Average CPC
- ChatGPT Ads: $0.76
- Google Ads: $10.46
- Cost Per Lead
- ChatGPT Ads: $92.21
- Google Ads: $157.57
- Conversion Rate
- ChatGPT Ads: 0.8%
- Google Ads: 6.64%
ChatGPT Ads traffic converted at a much lower rate, but it was so much cheaper than the Google Ads traffic that it resulted in a lower cost per lead.
The cost per clicks we’re seeing for this client are on the low end compared to other clients on ChatGPT Ads. We usually see CPCs more in the $3-$5 range, and sometimes significantly higher depending on the industry.
Side note: Google reports that 99% of those who go to ChatGPT to look into products or services consult with Google Search to help with purchase decisions.
Lead quality
For this client, the leads coming via Google Ads during this date range have converted into customers at a significantly higher rate than the ChatGPT Ads leads, which resulted in a much lower cost per customer acquisition from Google Ads.
There are several caveats to this data, including:
- The Google Ads campaigns have been optimized towards lead quality over years
- The client’s sales cycle can be fairly long, so we don’t have finalized data about how many customers will ultimately convert from the leads
Next steps: We’re testing optimizations to the campaigns and landing pages to better attract the quality leads we’re looking for.
The platform is still early
Because the ChatGPT Ads platform is so new and is constantly being updated, we often come across glitches with the interface and oddities with the performance data.
For example, there was one day during the date range covered in this case study where click volume spiked for no clear reason and the CPC dropped to $0.06.
The interface sometimes fails to load, odd notifications appear near ads, and account-user invites don’t always work.
Basic reporting shortcuts are still missing, for example a one-click control for last month or the last 30 days.
OpenAI is shipping product updates quickly, which helps, but day-to-day management still feels unfinished.
Bottom line
For this client, ChatGPT Ads have not yet been a home run, but there’s enough promise to justify continued investment as we optimize the campaigns towards quality leads.
Results will vary by business and industry. Other advertisers on the platform are already seeing stronger numbers in different categories.
Want to test ChatGPT Ads for your business? Let’s talk.
