Conversational advertising has arrived in Portugal. After months of testing and learning in its initial markets, ChatGPT Ads has expanded to 31 European markets. As of August 31, 2026, Portuguese companies can also create and manage campaigns directly through Ads Manager on a self-service basis.
But what’s most interesting isn’t just the arrival of yet another advertising platform. It’s the opportunity for brands to appear in a context where the consumer isn’t just searching—they’re chatting, exploring, comparing, and making decisions. And that changes the logic of advertising.
How ChatGPT Ads Work
The ads appear below ChatGPT’s responses and are clearly identified as advertisements, remaining separate from the response generated by the model. Currently, ads are shown to users of the Free and Go plans; Plus, Pro, and Business users do not see ads.
For advertisers, Ads Manager currently allows them to work with different objectives, including CPM, CPC, and CPC—the latter of which is geared toward conversion optimization when events are properly tracked.
But there is a fundamental difference compared to traditional search advertising. We’re not just buying a keyword.
Ad delivery takes into account the context and intent of the conversation, along with other signals, such as the ad content, the landing page, and the context hints defined by the advertiser. These signals help guide the conversation, but they do not function as exact-match keywords nor do they guarantee that a specific conversation will occur.
This is where real change begins. The new unit of intention is conversation. Imagine two surveys.
The first: “best health insurance plans”
The second: “I’m 38 years old, have two children, live in Lisbon, and am looking for family health insurance for less than 150€ per month. What options should I consider?”
The second one isn’t just a longer survey. It is a much richer expression of intent.
The consumer has already revealed their context, needs, decision-making criteria, and, potentially, even objections. It is precisely this environment of exploration and comparison that makes ChatGPT an advertising platform unlike traditional channels.
For brands, the implication is clear: Relevance no longer depends solely on the match between a keyword and an ad. It depends on the message’s ability to make sense within a given situation.
This requires a different approach to strategy, creativity, and optimization.
But there is an important limit
There is a structural issue that every brand must consider: currently, ads are displayed only on the Free and Go plans. This means that a strategy for establishing a presence on AI should not rely exclusively on paid media.
This is where two complementary approaches come into play:
- Paid: Use ChatGPT Ads to reach users in specific contexts and for specific business objectives.
- GEO: Work on the brand’s organic presence to increase the likelihood that it will be found, understood, and considered in the responses from generative AI tools.
One strategy focuses on advertising. The other focuses on the very way the brand is represented in the new search and decision-making ecosystem.
Paid + GEO: Two Approaches to the Same Conversation
This is probably the biggest strategic opportunity for brands right now. ChatGPT Ads lets you buy ad space. GEO seeks to build relevance. And the two approaches can work together.
A campaign can help a brand test messages, value propositions, and different contexts of intent. GEO’s work, on the other hand, is more structural in nature: ensuring that there is relevant, consistent, credible, and sufficiently clear information so that generative systems can understand the brand and incorporate it when appropriate.
It’s not a matter of choosing between advertising and organic reach.
The point is to realize that both take place within the same new realm: AI-assisted decision-making.
What should brands do now?
We don’t recommend simply “joining ChatGPT” because the channel is new. We recommend starting by giving it a try.
1. Identify the relevant use cases
For what kinds of decisions might consumers seek help before choosing a brand?
2. Set specific goals
Awareness, traffic, or conversions? The objective determines how the campaign is set up and optimized.
3. Measure from the first test
Ads Manager lets you track metrics such as impressions, clicks, spend, CTR, CPC, CPM, and conversions, as well as tracking tools like UTM, Pixel, and the Conversions API.
4. Work on GEO in parallel
Because not all viewers will see ads—and because AI-driven discovery isn’t limited to paid advertising.
5. Learn before you climb
ChatGPT Ads is still in beta, and OpenAI itself acknowledges that the platform, optimization tools, and measurement solutions are still evolving.
That is precisely why this may be a good time to start testing: not because there is a guarantee of low costs or immediate results, but because the lessons learned today can become an advantage once the channel reaches greater maturity.
The question is no longer just where your brand appears
Digital advertising has gotten us used to thinking in terms of platforms: Google, Meta, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn. ChatGPT introduces a different logic.
Here, the brand can come into play at a moment when someone is trying to understand a problem, comparing options, or deciding what to do next.
That’s why the question for marketers is no longer just, “Where should we advertise?” It’s also, “When someone asks an AI to compare the options in our market, will our brand be part of the conversation?”
At Pelican Bay, we’re working at this new frontier between paid media, content strategy, and GEO to help brands prepare for a reality in which discovery, consideration, and decision-making increasingly take place within a conversation.
Contact us and together we’ll create the right campaign for your business!
