OpenAI expects to acquire a share of the global ad market by 2030, which could affect affiliate’s SEO strategies.
OpenAI expects to reach $2.5bn in ad revenue this year, and projections show $100bn by 2030.
The Microsoft-backed firm has told investors to expect the $2.5bn in 2026 ad revenue to grow to $11bn in 2027, $25bn in 2028 and $53bn by 2029, according to an Axios report.
This comes from a source familiar with recent presentations to investors, and outlines clear intentions by OpenAI to focus on advertising as a core facet of its future structure.
LLMs such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT have changed the advertising landscape so much that SEO is becoming less relevant, and generative engine optimisation (GEO) is becoming more prominent.
The two strategies vary significantly, as ads within chatbots are often prompted by users directly stating their purchasing intentions; whereas within traditional search engines, users are less specific about their browsing habits, and even targeted ads can sometimes be less relevant.
Although ChatGPT use has plateaued in recent months, OpenAI’s projections assume that its products will reach 2.75 billion weekly users by 2030, and will acquire a share of the global ad market, currently dominated by Google, Amazon, Meta, and TikTok, which could affect affiliates SEO strategies.
This is not the first bullish prediction by the company, which is simultaneously predicting significant losses. In 2026, the company is set to lose $14bn (according to its own projection), and these losses will persist to hit $44bn in 2029 – when it will reach ‘Nvidia style returns’.
“We do plan for revenue to grow steeply. Revenue is growing steeply,” said chief executive Sam Altman.
“We are taking a forward bet that it’s going to continue to grow and that not only will ChatGPT keep growing, but we will be able to become one of the important AI clouds, that our consumer device business will be a significant and important thing, that AI can automate science [and] will create huge value.”
