ChatGPT Ads or Google Ads: Where should you start?

The key differences in setup

Google search ads can use keywords with different match types to connect ads to searches. Match also involves meaning and intent. In ChatGPT, context hints describe relevant situations and needs; they do not function as exact keyword controls.

The ChatGPT ad is a separate, labeled placement. It does not change the content of the answer the user receives. These differences affect how the ad should be planned, but in themselves say nothing about which channel will be most profitable for your business.

Three starting points that lead to different priorities

If Google search ads already generate profitable customers, our advice is to protect what works while testing something new. A limited ChatGPT budget can be used to explore whether you reach different customer needs or get more relevant contacts. Moving the entire budget makes it harder to separate new learning from lost demand.

If the business is starting without documented advertising experience, first prioritize a clear offer and a measurable contact path. Then choose the channel where you can explain a concrete customer situation. Avoid launching many small campaigns at the same time if no one has time to follow them up.

If the offer requires a lot of explanation, a test in ChatGPT may be interesting. First create a page that helps the customer with the real trade-offs. For example, a business software provider should explain which tasks the solution covers, what a transition involves, and who it is suitable for. A new format alone does not make an unclear offer understandable.

Example: A business is buying a new website

These are two hypothetical customer situations. In the first, a managing director is looking for a web development agency because the budget has been approved and the project is ready to start. An ad that leads to a clear project description and a simple inquiry form can meet that need.

In the second situation, the manager is trying to understand whether the business needs a simple website, an online store, or a solution connected to CRM. The person is discussing options in ChatGPT. A relevant offer could be help clarifying the project, with a page that explains the choices and what a clarification meeting should include.

The difference is the task the customer is trying to solve. Both situations can arise in both channels. So use the example to shape the offer and landing page, and let measurement show where the business actually gets a response.

How to compare the results on a common basis

Before you begin, agree on a single definition of a qualified enquiry. For example, it may require the right service, delivery area and a realistic timeframe. Use the same definition for both channels, so one campaign does not get credit for every form submission while the other is judged only on sales.

Apply costs consistently as well. Include ad spend and agreed work in both columns. Record which enquiries become quotes, sales and rejections, and leave unresolved cases open until you know more. If the buying process takes eight weeks, the sales results from the last campaign days will inevitably be incomplete in a review after four weeks.

• Total cost during the period, using the same scope for both channels.
• Number of enquiries and number of qualified enquiries.
• Cost per qualified enquiry, when there are enquiries to divide by.
• Number of sales, contribution margin and cases that are still open.
• Registration method and known gaps in the measurement, such as phone calls with no recorded source.

A low cost per click is not the same as a good buy

As a simple illustration: a campaign with 200 clicks and two relevant enquiries may be less useful than a campaign with 60 clicks and six relevant enquiries. But you need the costs and the outcome of the cases before you can say which performed best.

So include a brief quality assessment from the person who speaks with customers. Did the enquiries come from the right type of business? Had the customers understood the offer? Were they ready for the next step? This information helps you decide whether to change the message, improve the website or adjust the priority between the channels.

Choose a test that can influence the next decision

Write down the question the test is meant to answer: Can we generate relevant enquiries for this specific service at a justifiable cost? At the same time, decide what it will take to continue, make changes or stop. An unclear goal rarely becomes clearer when the report arrives.

Media Access offers Intro to ChatGPT advertising for NOK 4,990 for 30 days excl. VAT. Ad spend, setup of one ad, reporting and a contact person are included. Use the offer as a defined test within your overall marketing plan. You have no further obligations after the period.