ChatGPT Ads: DIY vs. Agency vs. Specialist

Running ChatGPT ads yourself, through your Google Ads agency, or with a specialist: an honest comparison

Three ways a service business can run ChatGPT ads, reviewed fairly: doing it yourself in Ads Manager, asking your existing search agency, or hiring a ChatGPT advertising specialist.

ERIC PIWOWAR — MANAGING DIRECTOROCT 22, 20262 MIN READLINKEDIN ↗

The short answer

Doing it yourself in OpenAI's Ads Manager is cheapest and fine for a small test if you can build landing pages and track calls. An existing Google Ads agency adds familiarity but may treat ChatGPT like search. A specialist costs more than DIY but brings a context plan, landing pages and call tracking built for the channel.

The three options

Do it yourself

Self-serve in OpenAI's Ads Manager

Best for: Owners with marketing experience and a small test budget
Strengths: No management fee, full control and direct learning. Sign-up is open at ads.openai.com.
Watch for: The ad is the easy part. Landing pages, call tracking, policy review and weekly optimization take real time.

Your Google Ads agency

An existing search or PPC agency

Best for: Businesses happy with their current agency
Strengths: They know your business, your margins and your search data.
Watch for: Search habits do not translate cleanly: keyword lists, search copy and homepage traffic waste the context ChatGPT gives you.

A ChatGPT advertising specialist

Our pick

A team built around the channel, such as Windridge Digital

Best for: Service businesses that want a clean 90-day answer
Strengths: A context plan, a dedicated landing page, eligibility review for legal and health, call tracking and a decision at day 90.
Watch for: A management cost on top of media. Ask for reporting on booked jobs, not clicks.

Three ways to run ChatGPT ads

Lowest costKnows your business todayBuilt for ChatGPT's context matchingLanding page, tracking and eligibility handled

Do it yourselfLowest costKnows your business todayBuilt for ChatGPT's context matchingLanding page, tracking and eligibility handled

Your Google Ads agencyLowest costKnows your business todayBuilt for ChatGPT's context matchingLanding page, tracking and eligibility handled

A ChatGPT advertising specialistOur pickLowest costKnows your business todayBuilt for ChatGPT's context matchingLanding page, tracking and eligibility handled

Our qualitative reading. Three dots is strongest.

Each option has a place. A specialist costs more than doing it yourself, and handles the parts that decide a test.

Questions to ask any partner

Will the campaigns run in my own account, under my business name?
What does the landing page look like, and who builds it?
How will you track calls and booked jobs?
How will you handle legal or healthcare eligibility?
What decision will we be able to make at day 90?

Frequently asked questions

Can my Google Ads agency run ChatGPT ads?

Yes. The question is whether they will build a context plan and landing pages for ChatGPT, or reuse search keywords and send traffic to the homepage.

Sources

Building advertising for the way people use AI · OpenAI, Oct 5, 2026