Why We’re Hosting a Webinar on AI Ads & the Next Era of Paid Search

For much of paid search’s history, it’s looked, felt and played pretty similar. The basic experience is familiar to any PPC veteran: Someone searches for something, advertisers bid for visibility and ads appear… somewhere.

Generative AI is adding a similar-but-still-fresh take on paid search ads. Google is introducing ad formats built specifically for AI Mode. ChatGPT has launched a paid ad program of its own. AI can generate creative tailored to the specific question someone asks. And in some cases, ads even appear within AI recommendations and answers rather than simply alongside them.

That gives advertisers an entirely new set of formats, platforms and behaviors to understand.

What kinds of opportunities are actually available — and worth your time and money — today? How do ads inside ChatGPT work? What does advertising within Google AI Mode look like in practice? And as AI plays a bigger role in serving products and recommending businesses to browsers, what does it actually take to earn (or purchase) those placements?

That’s what Zach Shah, Brafton’s Director of Paid Media, will dig into during his upcoming webinar, Winning Strategies for AI Ads, ChatGPT Ads & The Next Era of Paid Search, on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 12:00 pm EDT.

During the session, Zach will break down what’s happening across AI advertising right now, what marketers and advertisers can expect next, and how to start preparing.

Why We’re Hosting an AI Ads Webinar

Generative AI has quickly become another place where people search for information, compare options and make purchasing decisions. And naturally, advertising is starting to follow.

But “AI ads” can take several forms, even though AI tools are still relatively new advertising mediums.

There are:

• Ads that appear within AI-powered search experiences, like Google AI Mode.
• Entirely new advertising platforms and experiences emerging within tools like ChatGPT.
• Ad formats where AI generates creative based on an individual query.
• New commerce experiences designed to move someone from query to purchase without ever clicking away from the chatbot conversation.

Some of these opportunities are readily available to advertisers today, while others are still developing. And they don’t — or won’t — necessarily require the same strategy. That’s why we are dedicating a webinar to sorting through what’s actually happening.

Rather than treating “AI advertising” as one big new channel, Zach will look at the individual platforms and formats taking shape, how they work and where they might most practically fit into an existing paid media strategy with minimal disruption or dramatic spend increases.

What We’ll Cover

Zach will kick off the session with an overview of the AI advertising landscape and how new ad experiences are taking shape across search engines and generative AI platforms.

From there, he’ll dig into ChatGPT ads, including how the platform currently handles placements, targeting, bidding and reporting, as well as some of the limitations advertisers should understand before testing it.

We’ll also look at Google’s newest AI Mode formats, including Conversational Discovery Ads and Highlighted Answers, and how generative AI changes what advertisers actually provide to the platform. 

Did you know: Within these experiences, product feeds, site copy and other underlying information can become inputs the model uses to create and contextualize the ad itself.

Along the way, we’ll also explore:

• Where AI ad spend is actually going.
• How ChatGPT ads work today.
• What Google is introducing within AI Mode.
• How generative AI is changing ad creative and placement.
• What agentic commerce could mean for advertisers.
• How to evaluate new AI advertising opportunities without chasing every new format.
• Practical steps paid media teams can take over the next 90 days.

What You’ll Take Away

AI advertising is still taking shape. While it is relatively new, there’s still lots to learn and, for the prepared advertiser, some value to uncover with the right strategy.

You don’t need to overhaul your paid media strategy every time a platform announces something new. But understanding what’s available, how emerging ad formats and tools work, and what makes an advertiser eligible to appear within them can put you in a much better position to decide what’s worth testing.

Zach will close the webinar with practical recommendations for the next 90 days, including improving the data and content AI ad systems rely on, deliberate testing, and evaluating whether piloting a ChatGPT Ads program makes sense for your business right now.

Join us on Wednesday, September 23 at 12:00 pm EDT for a practical look at AI ads, ChatGPT ads and the new advertising opportunities emerging across generative AI and search.

Can’t make the live session? Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording afterward. Secure your spot below, and we’ll see you there!