OpenAI is preparing conversational ads for local businesses
This week ChatGPT started sending real referral traffic, and OpenAI signalled it wants local businesses advertising inside the chat. Here are your five.
1. ChatGPT is starting to drive real referral traffic
New Similarweb data shows ChatGPT sending a growing stream of referral visits whenever it links out in an answer. The standout numbers: a 150% jump in referral visits on 7 May versus the week before, 60% of that traffic landing on brand homepages, and a 24% uplift in page views per visit. For anyone who worried AI would simply swallow click-throughs, this is the first real sign that being cited in ChatGPT can put visitors on your client's site. Search Engine Roundtable
2. OpenAI is preparing conversion-focused ads for ChatGPT
OpenAI is reportedly in talks with advertisers about performance ad formats inside ChatGPT - and the early target is smaller local businesses, particularly appointment-based services. The proposed ads would drive concrete actions: purchases, appointment bookings and contact-form fills, paid for on a pay-per-action basis. That moves ChatGPT much closer to the performance channels your clients already understand. Search Engine Land
3. Google launches a $100 AI Ultra subscription
Google has bundled its top AI products into a single $100-a-month AI Ultra plan - Gemini Advanced, priority access, 20TB of storage, YouTube Premium and more. It's a strong signal that Google believes consumers will pay for advanced AI, and a reminder of how quickly these tools are becoming part of everyday life. Google blog
4. Google Business Profiles now show real-time stock
Google has started showing real-time product availability directly in a local retailer's Business Profile. For regional retailers - furniture stores, hardware shops, garden centres - shoppers can now check whether something's actually in stock before making the trip. Another reason a well-maintained Google Business Profile is becoming non-negotiable. Search Engine Roundtable
5. AI search is rewriting the rules for multi-location brands
For multi-location brands, AI tools like Google's AI Overviews and ChatGPT are becoming the first stop when customers look for a local business. The brands winning here invest in structured data, clean Google Business Profiles and consistent, accurate information across every location - exactly the groundwork that pays off as search turns conversational and personalised. Street Fight
Small business shout-out
This week we're shouting out Birch & Wilde, a UK wellness brand making plant-based supplements with full ingredient transparency, B Corp certification and sustainable packaging. Know a small business we should feature? Hit reply and tell us.
