What actually works in paid ads.
Original research, opinions, and tactics on AI in paid advertising — from the team building AdControlCenter.
ChatGPT Ads: Costs, Formats, and Who Can Buy Them in 2026
OpenAI is opening its ad inventory, and the entry rules, pricing logic, and format choices look nothing like Google or Meta — here's what founders need to know before they spend a dollar.
How to Advertise on ChatGPT: The 2026 Guide for Small Businesses
ChatGPT ads are real, access is limited, and the small businesses getting in early are building a moat — here's exactly how the system works and how to get a seat.
Why AI Sends Less Traffic But Closes More Sales Than SEO
AI-driven discovery sends a fraction of the visitors that SEO does — and those visitors convert at a rate that should make you rethink where you spend your optimization energy.
Most AI Citations Ignore Top Google Rankings—Here's Why
AI answer engines are citing pages that Google barely ranks—and if you're spending on search without understanding why, you're optimizing for a signal that's losing relevance fast.
How to Make Your Brand Visible in AI Search Before Rivals Do
AI search engines are already choosing which brands to cite—here's how to make sure yours is one of them before your competitors figure it out.
Is Your Brand Invisible to AI? How to Show Up Before Rivals Do
AI search engines are already recommending your competitors by name — here's the exact content and signal infrastructure that gets your brand cited instead.
Is Your Business Ready for Ads in AI Search Mode?
Google is already placing ads inside AI Mode search results, and most advertisers are structurally unprepared for what that means for their campaigns.
AEO, GEO, and the Death of Keyword-First SEO Strategy
Keyword rankings are no longer a reliable proxy for business outcomes — here's what AEO and GEO actually change about how you should build content.
Why AI Isn't Citing Your Brand (And How to Fix That)
Ranking #1 on Google no longer guarantees visibility—here's why AI systems skip your brand entirely and what you can actually do about it.
What ChatGPT gets wrong about Google Ads (with examples)
ChatGPT gives confident Google Ads advice that was accurate two years ago — here are the four mistakes that will cost you real money.
Generative Engine Optimization: the 2026 founder's checklist
Most founders still don't have llms.txt live—here's the exact 12-item checklist to make your site visible to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and every other AI system that's replacing Google search.
llms.txt: what to put in yours (with a real example)
The two-minute file that tells ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude exactly what your product does — and why most sites are getting it wrong.