How we judged them
We looked at each platform the way a law firm or a home services company would: how many of its likely customers it reaches, how much control the advertiser has, how hard it is to measure, and whether there is still room to get ahead of competitors. Every platform below is worth knowing. They are not all worth testing first.
The reviews
Google AI Mode and AI Overviews
Ads in Google's AI search answers
- Best for
- Businesses already running strong Google Ads campaigns
- Strengths
- Huge reach and no new account to build. Google announced ads in AI Mode in May 2025 and serves them from existing Search and Performance Max campaigns.
- Watch for
- Limited separate control or reporting for AI placements, and you are bidding against the same competitors you already face on Google.
Microsoft Copilot
Ads inside Copilot answers, via Microsoft Advertising
- Best for
- B2B and professional services targeting people at work
- Strengths
- Runs through Microsoft Advertising, so existing Bing campaigns carry over. It is a natural fit for businesses selling to people at work.
- Watch for
- A smaller consumer audience than Google or ChatGPT, which matters for most home and local services.
Perplexity
Formerly sponsored follow-up questions
- Best for
- No one at the moment
- Strengths
- Its audience is research-heavy and affluent, which is why it was interesting.
- Watch for
- Perplexity pulled back from advertising, with an executive telling the Financial Times that ads made users question the answers. Treat any revival as a new test.
ChatGPT ads
Our pickSponsored placements below ChatGPT's answers
- Best for
- Service businesses with considered, high-value jobs
- Strengths
- New inventory matched to the conversation, a very large user base, and few local advertisers so far. Self-serve sign-up is open at ads.openai.com, and measurement partners were added in October 2026.
- Watch for
- Free and Go users only; legal and health ads get extra review; measurement needs deliberate setup.
The verdict
If you only have budget for one new test, run it on ChatGPT. Google's AI placements will reach your customers regardless, through the campaigns you already run, so there is little first-mover advantage to win there. Copilot is worth a look for professional and B2B services. ChatGPT is the one place where a local service business can still be early.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google charge separately for AI Mode ads?
Google serves AI Mode and AI Overview ads from existing Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns rather than as a separate product.
Does Perplexity still sell ads?
Not at the time of writing. It pulled back from advertising, saying ads could undermine trust in its answers, and leaned on subscriptions instead.
Sources
- Google is bringing ads to AI Mode · TechCrunch, May 21, 2025
- Perplexity pulls advertising from its search engine, calling itself an accuracy business · The Decoder, Feb 18, 2026
- Building advertising for the way people use AI · OpenAI, Oct 5, 2026
- Ad policies · OpenAI, Sep 10, 2026