Next year, ChatGPT will introduce advertising. This prospect has sent shockwaves through the marketing industry, but while some have predicted the instant demise of Google, others have been more circumspect. While it’s not uncommon for small businesses to get knocked out of the market due to similar seismic events, it’s unusual for the giants to be threatened in this manner. However, the stories of Blockbuster, BlackBerry and Kodak demonstrate that it does happen, highlighting the need to tread with caution.
What’s different in this case is that Google is a highly diversified business. As marketing expert Neil Patel notes, “People think ChatGPT is killing Google, but the data shows otherwise”. According to Search Engine Land, Google is still 210x larger than ChatGPT when it comes to search queries, with Google handling 14 billion searches versus ChatGPT’s 66 million search-like prompts.
Another important detail to note is that Google’s ad revenue has continued to rise, even after the release of ChatGPT. The million-dollar question is, will the inclusion of ads in conversational AI change this and threaten Google’s business model?
The rise of ChatGPT – how did we get here?
In 2026, the tension between Google and ChatGPT is set to rise several notches, driven by what many anticipate will be the most significant digital disruption in years. In less than three years, ChatGPT has become one of the most widely used consumer technologies in history. With millions of interactions each month, the platform is increasingly replacing traditional search for questions in and around certain key areas, including explanation, planning, writing and summarising. This has meant that users no longer want the links Google offers and instead demand a tailored answer in natural language – something they understand and can use instantly.
This is a major shift, because while search engines index information and point the user towards it, a conversational AI model interprets search-like prompts and seeks to fully resolve the question with minimal user interaction. For many, this approach feels more efficient and eliminates the need to scan results and open multiple tabs.
What is Google doing to combat ChatGPT?
Google isn’t staying still. It has introduced the now-familiar AI Overviews, which appear at the top of the page above the links. This shift acknowledges that the landscape has changed and that its users now expect more than just traditional results pages. Additionally, the tech giant has also steadily integrated AI across its ecosystem, including Gemini (formerly Bard) and AI-powered productivity tools.
But there remains an inherent conflict here. The more Google can directly answer queries, the less need there is for users to click on ads, which happens to be the main source of the company’s revenue.
With Google trying to strike a fine line between innovation and protecting its trillion-dollar business, ChatGPT’s ads will add yet another layer of competitive pressure. Given that ChatGPT has operated outside the advertising economy up to this point, its threat to Google has been indirect. However, if the platform introduces an advertising model and integrates it into conversations, there could be an overnight change of huge proportions, with ChatGPT becoming a true alternative search experience and marketplace.
Is it a level playing field? The advantages of the conversational model
The only data Google receives is what you type into a search bar. Now contrast that with ChatGPT – the platform generates a discussion, so it knows what and why you are asking, your preferences, and the decision you’re trying to make. A conversational model gathers a significant amount of data about the user during the discussion, which can then be used to generate ultra-high-intent advertising campaigns, which would be personalised and predictive to an unprecedented degree. If it all works as planned, it’s a no-brainer that advertisers will happily pay for it.
If this turns out to be the case, could Google go the way of AOL? Most analysts don’t think so. The company is so tightly enmeshed in the global information ecosystem that it can’t be toppled by a single product shift. Beyond competing with ChatGPT for ad revenue, Google still has a highly diversified suite of offerings, not least YouTube, Google Maps, the Android OS, and Google Chrome.
That said, Google’s core business is search advertising. Even if a small percentage of high-value search traffic shifts to ChatGPT (e.g., flights, insurance, lawyers), the financial impact would be significant. Search ads are not just about volume, but also about value, which means that losing high-intent queries matters far more than losing out on general knowledge queries. If users receive instant guidance within ChatGPT, and if ads are embedded in these recommendation flows, Google faces an unprecedented challenge to its business model.
Implications for marketers
What does all this mean for marketers?
To start, don’t assume that ChatGPT ads will look like Google Ads. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said as much. They won’t appear as display banners or sponsored links, but as context-aware suggestions organically woven into conversations. Preparing for this means marketers must develop content that explains, compares and guides – which is where conversational AI excels. Brands should review their digital assets and ensure they are easily surfaced within AI systems, making changes wherever needed.
From there, marketers need to think about AI optimisation in parallel with SEO considerations. Rather than creating content solely focused on Google’s algorithms, it should also be attractive to AI models and include authoritative material with strong citations. Experimenting with how conversational placement works and how users respond to it will be invaluable. When ChatGPT advertising arrives, those who already understand the finer details of how it works will be way ahead of the competition.
Google vs ChatGPT
While it’s true that ChatGPT’s advertising rollout has the potential to eat up a sizable chunk of Google’s business, it’s unlikely to destroy Google. Nevertheless, it is certain to reshape how users find information and, most importantly, how advertisers reach audiences.
For the first time in two decades, search is no longer the centre of digital discovery. Today, it’s all about conversation. As advertising moves into this space, the companies most prepared to adapt will define the next era.
By Faizan Babi, Marketing & Partnership Manager at SPC Free Zone.
