GoKawiilPerfectTablePlan maker finds ChatGPT ads convert far worse than Google Adwords
An independent developer ran a three-week ChatGPT ad campaign for event-seating software PerfectTablePlan, spending £289.52 for 2,988 clicks at an average 10p per click. The campaign yielded just 14 installs, a 0.46% conversion rate and a 69% bounce rate, versus roughly 5% conversion and under half the bounce rate on Google Ads and organic ChatGPT referrals. Working with ad-fraud researcher Dr Augustine Fou, the developer used analytics tooling to rule out bot traffic, pointing instead to poor targeting as the likely cause of the weak results.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This is a rare, data-backed case study on the real-world performance of OpenAI's nascent advertising product, which is being pitched as a new revenue stream alongside Google and Meta. If ChatGPT ad traffic consistently underperforms despite low click costs, it raises early doubts about how well OpenAI can target and monetize its user base for advertisers, a key question as the company seeks new income sources beyond subscriptions.
- A £289.52 ChatGPT ad spend produced only 14 installs at a cost per conversion of £20.68.
- Engagement metrics like bounce rate and time on page were far worse for ChatGPT ads than for Google Ads or free ChatGPT referral traffic.
- Bot activity was largely ruled out via third-party analytics, leaving poor ad targeting as the most likely explanation.
Ogilvy on Advertising" by David Ogilvy — When ad spend isn't converting, it helps to go back to fundamentals — Ogilvy's classic is a readable, hard-nosed look at what actually makes advertising sell. A great companion for anyone testing new ad platforms like ChatGPT ads and trying to figure out whether the traffic or the message is the problem.
See Ogilvy on Advertising" by David Ogilvy on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: successfulsoftware.net — Andy Brice, 2026-09-02
Published there as: “ChatGPT ad targeting is garbage”
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