OpenAI Launches Business Hub, Pushing ChatGPT Toward Google Territory

OpenAI rolled out a Business Hub for ChatGPT on Tuesday, giving companies verified profiles, business agents and usage analytics in a beta package that mirrors what Google has offered search users for years.

The profiles let enterprises verify and update information about their products and services directly inside ChatGPT, much as they already do through Google's search listings. Eligible companies can also launch a specialized business agent that answers ChatGPT user questions about the business and its products.

"As people turn to AI to discover products, compare options and make decisions, ChatGPT has become the platform for people and businesses to connect through AI," OpenAI said on Tuesday. "Today's announcement is an early step in bringing businesses more deeply into ChatGPT."

What do marketers get from the Business Hub?

The hub resembles Google Analytics in scope, though the data set remains limited. Businesses will see:

• profile views
• business mentions
• website clicks
• other interaction metrics showing how ChatGPT users engage with their products

For retail and consumer brands, that means a second discovery channel to monitor — one where the conversation, not the search query, drives visibility. Marketers who spent two decades optimizing for Google's index now face a parallel verification and content task inside ChatGPT.

How does verification work?

Every business must pass a formal verification process before its profile goes live. OpenAI did not disclose specifics. Benji Shomair, VP of Monetization, told journalists on Monday that there are "multiple verification methods that we use for different types of business in different markets."

That phrasing suggests verification will vary by geography and business category, a structure familiar to anyone who has managed Google Business Profile approvals across markets.

Why this is not OpenAI's first retail attempt

The launch follows a notable failure. OpenAI previously positioned ChatGPT as an e-commerce hub where users could buy products directly, using a commission fee system that analysts viewed as a major revenue opportunity and a direct challenge to Amazon. The project, which included a checkout cart feature, failed to take off, and OpenAI retired it in March.

The Business Hub takes the opposite route. Instead of capturing transactions, OpenAI now wants to own the discovery layer — the place where shoppers learn about companies before they buy, the role Google has held since the early days of the web.

What happens next?

The beta status and the limited insights mean immediate operational impact will be modest. The open question is whether business profiles and analytics, the formula that built Google's local and retail advertising business, succeed where the checkout cart did not. For marketers, the practical move now is verification readiness: securing accurate product data and monitoring mentions inside ChatGPT before competitors claim the same ground.