ChatGPT Ads is here: a new era in digital marketing begins

August 31 marks a new milestone in the evolution of digital advertising: OpenAI has launched direct advertising purchases on ChatGPT in Europe through its Ads Manager.

Until now, much of the discussion surrounding artificial intelligence and marketing had focused on how to ensure that a brand would be found, understood, and recommended by the new search engines.

At EMEXS, we've been working on that first layer for months using SEO, GEO and AEO strategies.

Now a second trend is emerging: Paid Media is also making its way into the world of artificial intelligence.

And here at EMEXS, we've already started working on it.

From appearing in AI to advertising on it

Evolution is important.

In the traditional model, a user performs a search, receives a list of results, and visits different websites to compare them.

Conversational interfaces are changing that journey.

A person can directly explain what they need, add criteria, ask for recommendations, compare different options, and continue to refine their decision all within the same conversation.

For example: I'm looking for a quiet boutique hotel in Barcelona for a romantic getaway, in a good location but away from the most touristy areas.

The difference from a traditional search is clear: there is much more context regarding the user's intent.

The integration of advertising into these environments opens up new possibilities for connecting brands and users precisely during those moments of discovery, comparison, and decision-making.

ChatGPT Ads launches direct purchasing in Europe

Starting August 31, European advertisers can begin purchasing ads directly through OpenAI Ads Manager.

The platform is gradually incorporating features typical of a professional advertising environment: targeting, conversion optimization, audiences, and measurement tools.

At EMEXS, we've already started setting up our first accounts from Spain, and we're going to begin working on pilot campaigns.

Our initial goal is not to immediately shift investment from other channels to ChatGPT.

First, we want to test, measure and learn.

We will analyze:

• Traffic and profile quality
• Real possibilities for segmentation
• Context in which the ads appear
• User interaction
• Measurement and attribution capabilities
• Acquisition cost
• Conversion
• Complementarity with Google Ads, Meta, Microsoft Ads, Hotel Ads and other channels

Based on real data, we will be able to determine in which projects and at what points it makes sense to incorporate this new fundraising channel.

It's not just OpenAI that's changing

ChatGPT is probably the most visible development, but it is part of a much broader transformation.

Google is evolving Search and Google Ads into experiences that are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence.

Microsoft continues to integrate advertising and conversational search into Copilot.

Meta is increasingly using AI to automate the segmentation, distribution, creative development, and optimization of its campaigns.

Apple is also expanding its advertising capabilities around discovery and local search.

The result is an ecosystem in which search, recommendations, advertising, and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly interconnected.

The strategy can no longer be limited to SEO or SEM

This trend reinforces something we've been working on for some time at EMEXS: the various disciplines of digital marketing cannot be approached in isolation.

Our vision is structured around four main layers.

SEO + GEO + AEO

Build a solid digital foundation so that the project is understandable, relevant, and reliable for search engines and answer engines.

This includes the website, content, information architecture, digital authority, reputation, and external signals that help accurately define what a brand is.

SEM + AI Paid Media

Capture demand through established advertising channels and begin incorporating the new paid advertising opportunities emerging on ChatGPT and other AI-powered platforms.

Data

Measure which channels actually generate qualified traffic, leads, reservations, sales, CAC, and return on investment.

The emergence of new channels makes it even more important to have a solid analytical foundation and to be able to compare results.

Technology + Artificial Intelligence

Prepare websites, content, data, integrations, and systems so they can evolve alongside this new ecosystem.

It's not simply a matter of “adding AI to marketing,” but rather of building a digital project capable of working in coordination with these new interfaces.

What we're doing at EMEXS

Our approach to this development is the same one we have always taken when new channels emerge:

research → implement → measure → learn → scale

Over the next few months, we'll be working with pilot accounts and campaigns for ChatGPT Ads, as well as with new advertising capabilities as they become available on other platforms.

The goal is to gain firsthand experience before recommending a widespread implementation to our clients.

We don't want to adopt a technology just because it's trendy.

We'd like to know:

• What works
• For what kind of project
• With what investment
• At what stage of the funnel
• What is the actual impact on the business

Particularly relevant for hotel marketing

In the hospitality industry, this trend may be particularly significant.

Travelers use various tools throughout their journey:

Inspiration → destination → comparison → choosing a hotel → booking → stay → loyalty.

Artificial intelligence is beginning to play a role in many of these phases.

Therefore, the strategy must ensure that the hotel is well represented throughout that entire process.

First, organically, by working on SEO, GEO, AEO, reputation, digital authority, and information consistency.

And now we're also beginning to explore how to complement that visibility through paid media in AI environments.

Always with the same goal: to turn visibility and qualified demand into direct sales.

And it doesn't just affect the hotel industry

Although much of our growth marketing work focuses on the hospitality industry, this transformation affects virtually every sector.

In manufacturing, healthcare, professional services, e-commerce, and B2B, users are also increasingly turning to AI tools to:

• Research
• Understanding products or services
• Search for suppliers
• Compare alternatives
• Request recommendations
• Making decisions

For this reason, positioning and customer acquisition strategies must also evolve in these sectors.

The goal of our work remains the same. What changes is the ecosystem.

At EMEXS, we've been combining Growth Marketing, data and digital engineering for years.

Over the past few months, we have gradually incorporated SEO, GEO, and AEO into our positioning strategies, and we are now also beginning to work on the new AI Paid Media layer.

At the same time, at EMEXS AI, we develop artificial intelligence solutions for business, automation, knowledge, and data analytics.

The pace of change is tremendous.

Our responsibility as a digital partner is to stay up to date, experiment, understand which technologies have real potential, and apply to each project whatever can generate a real advantage.

Technology changes. Our goal remains the same: to be present wherever users search, compare, and make decisions, and to turn that presence into business.

EMEXS, What's Next?