ChatGPT Ads Are Over-Attributing Clicks
Early testers of ChatGPT ads are reporting cheap cost per click rates alongside massive over-attribution, with one advertiser seeing the platform claim 50 clicks a day while a controlled test showed only 5 to 10. This matters because relying on these inaccurate platform metrics will lead you to waste your ad budget on phantom traffic that never actually arrives at your store.
When a new ad platform launches, it is tempting to jump in early to take advantage of low costs. But as media buyers, we have to be incredibly careful about how we measure that traffic. If we cannot trust the basic click metrics reported by the platform, we cannot make smart decisions about where to allocate our hard-earned marketing dollars.
They seem to be really disappointing so far, supposed CPC comes in cheap for my industry but the over attribution is lunacy. Says 50 clicks a day but in a controlled test environment I know it’s more like 5-10.
What changed
- Cheap reported CPCs: Early testers of ChatGPT ads are reporting cheap cost per click rates for their industries.
- Massive over-attribution: The platform is experiencing extreme over-attribution of click metrics.
- Discrepancy in click data: One advertiser saw the platform claim 50 clicks a day, while a controlled test showed only 5 to 10 actual clicks.
Why it matters for your numbers
When an ad platform claims to deliver 50 clicks a day but your own controlled tracking only detects 5 to 10, your cost per click metrics are completely distorted. The cheap CPCs reported in the platform dashboard are an illusion. If you base your budget allocation on these inflated numbers, you will scale campaigns that are actually delivering only a fraction of the traffic you are paying for, severely damaging your real return on ad spend.
This level of over-attribution makes it impossible to calculate your true customer acquisition costs or compare ChatGPT ads fairly against your other marketing channels. If you do not verify these clicks independently, you run the risk of optimizing your campaigns for ghost traffic that never actually arrives at your store. You cannot afford to make budget decisions based on platform metrics that do not match reality.
What I would do
- Keep your budget away: Keep your budget away from ChatGPT ads until they figure out how to track and report real traffic accurately.
- Set up a controlled test environment: If you do test new platforms, set up a highly controlled environment to verify any traffic claims before scaling your budget.
- Compare platform data to your logs: Direct your platform's reported click data against your own internal analytics and server logs to identify any discrepancies.
- Focus on verifiable channels: Focus your media buying budget on channels where you can reliably verify traffic and conversion metrics with independent tools.
You cannot scale your business on phantom clicks reported by ad platforms. TrueROAS tracks actual customer journeys server-side, giving you an independent, accurate count of the traffic and orders that actually happen.
Source: r/PPC
If your numbers look off after this week, grab 20 minutes with me and we will look at your attribution together: Book a call with Rasmus.
