OpenAI does not operate an ad network today, but some believe it is preparing to build one that will not operate in a traditional sense. Instead, it would act as a technical platform that thrives
on real-time data and semantic intent.
An ad network would enable OpenAI to broaden the reach of advertisers across the internet -- something that would support and attract small- and
medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
OpenAI has been focused on attracting small and medium-sized businesses to its ad platform, ChatGPT Ads.
SMBs have found that AI-based search engines
are becoming another way to reach local consumers. Many of those SMBs rely on Yelp as a way for consumers to find them.
On Thursday, Yelp announced a licensing agreement with OpenAI that would
allow ChatGPT, which is increasingly taking market share, to link to Yelp's reviews, photos, and other business information will appear when OpenAI references its content in ChatGPT.
Soon
ChatGPT users will find Yelp’s "Request a Quote" feature in searches for local services to make it easy to connect directly with qualified local pros to get a quote or schedule a consultation or
appointment.
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Based on a survey commissioned by Yelp, which partnered with Morning Consult to conduct the survey of 2,202 U.S. adults, people are looking for trusted sources in AI search.
While 65% of Americans have used AI search, only 15% trust it "a lot," and 72% say AI platforms should always show where information comes from. By bringing Yelp's community-driven content to
ChatGPT, company executives believe Yelp is addressing this trust gap and helping people discover and connect with local businesses.
This marks a major milestone in
Yelp's strategy to power local discovery across the AI ecosystem, building on existing partnerships with Amazon’s Alexa+, Apple Maps, Microsoft Bing, and others.
Yelp's APIs, model
context protocols (MCPs), and data partnerships help large platforms and emerging AI innovators improve on user experiences with Yelp’s local business content and task integrations like
Reservations and Request a Quote, which can provide a direct path.
Analyzed by Debra Aho Williamson, founder and chief analyst of Sonata Insights, an OpenAI job listing described someone who
would work with publishers on "inventory setup, ad serving integrations, reporting and yield-impacting issues.”
"OpenAI has moved quickly to build the infrastructure it needs to
run an ad business, including self-serve buying, CPC bidding, adtech integrations, a Conversions API and more," Aho Williamson wrote in her newsletter. "So far, all the attention has been focused on ChatGPT."