“AI Max doesn’t work for B2B.”
That’s what we kept hearing when Google announced one of the biggest updates to Search campaigns in 2025. And honestly, we were skeptical too. Instead of dismissing it, we decided to test it. But before we dive into our results, let's quickly recap what AI Max is and why it’s causing such a stir.
What is AI Max?
The way people are interacting with search is changing fast, with a clear trend towards more conversational queries. In fact, in 2024 15% of search terms were completely new and had never been searched before. Google's response to this shift is AI Max.
Essentially, AI Max is a comprehensive suite of targeting and creative enhancements which aims to empower Search campaigns. It automates bidding and targeting across all Google channels (Search, Display, YouTube, etc.) but also generates ad creatives, landing page suggestions, and even audience personas on the fly.
In simpler terms, it's a new feature that allows us to utilize Google AI within existing or new search campaigns to show our ads for more longer tail keywords. It creates highly relevant ad copy based on the website content, and it sends the person towards the landing page with the highest relevance.
However, due to the complexities of user journeys in the B2B industry, and a bit of a “black box”approach, the scepticism towards the approach is understandable.
Our Test
For one of the largest payment providers in the DACH region, we ran AI Max for just over two months as part of the Google AI Max Beta testing. Here’s what happened:
- ROI of 234% as a standalone result (based on the HubSpot data)
- 3x more conversions than before
- 2 new contacts and 1 deal closed attributed directly to the AI Max campaign. As in B2B the user journey is long and complex, some of the data gets attributed to different sources. So compared to the rest of the campaign within the same period of time this result is quite solid.
So how did we make AI Max work while many advertisers are still struggling?
Step 1: Don't Expect a Magic Fix
The first thing to realize is that AI Max, like any other algorithm, is only as good as the data you feed it. The more stable, consistent, and high-quality signals it gets, the better it can optimize toward the right audience.
That’s why we would never launch an AI Max test for a brand-new account or one that’s still unstable. It’s not a quick fix for problems. Instead, think of it as a powerful enhancement to an already solid setup. In our case, the account had been running steadily for about a year before we introduced AI Max. Which means, you have a stable CPA, Conversion Rate and you have not been doing any full account restructure for the last 3 months.
Step 3: Treat It Like DSA on Steroids
AI Max feels a lot like Dynamic Search Ads (DSA), just more advanced. That means the same rules apply when choosing which campaigns to test it on:
- Landing page relevance: Since keywords and ad copy come from your site, the landing page must be tightly aligned with the campaign theme.
- Clear and structured content: Highlight product features, value propositions, competitive advantages, and, most importantly, address customer pain points directly. The less confusion, the better AI Max performs.
- Do a quick algorithm check: Tools like ChatGPT can “read” your page. If it picks up irrelevant topics or misses your core message, you know what to fix.
- Keep the tech clean: Page speed, crawlability, headlines, and alt text still matter. Make it easy for the algorithm to understand your page.
Was it all perfect?
Well, of course, not.
Even after constantly cleaning search terms, CTR was below the original campaign. Our hypothesis? AI-generated ad copy simply wasn’t as good as the ads written by our copywriters. Once we switched off the Text Optimization feature, CTR improved by +30%. Safe to say, human creativity still wins.
We had value-based bidding struggles. After a month of testing, traffic got more expensive and conversion rates dropped. It’s too early to make a final conclusion, and it might work better in B2C, but for B2B it’s definitely something we’re watching closely.
Summary
AI Max isn’t a magic button, but with the right foundation it can drive real results. Stable data, smart A/B testing, and strong landing pages are key. And for now — keep the ad copy in human hands.
If you’d like to explore how AI Max could work for your business, reach out to Helion B2B. We’ll be happy to help.
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