Channel99 Launches AI-Powered Paid Search Optimization for B2B Marketers

As B2B marketing leaders face mounting pressure to prove financial impact, Channel99 has introduced a new capability aimed at reshaping how paid search performance is measured and optimized. The company has announced the launch of Paid Search Optimization, an AI-driven solution designed to help B2B teams reduce wasted spend, improve accountability, and reallocate budgets toward keywords and ad groups that genuinely engage target accounts.

Paid search often represents the largest single line item in B2B marketing budgets, accounting for roughly 40 percent of total spend. Yet optimization decisions are still frequently guided by surface-level metrics such as clicks, impressions, and cost per click. Channel99’s new approach shifts the focus from media efficiency to business impact, enabling marketers and finance leaders to understand the true cost of engaging the right accounts rather than simply generating traffic.

The new Paid Search Optimization capability connects keyword and ad group performance directly to account-level engagement. Instead of treating every click as equal, the platform reveals which investments are actually reaching defined ideal customer profiles, buying groups, and named accounts. This allows teams to see how paid search dollars translate into meaningful engagement with the companies that matter most.

Industry observers see this as a long-overdue evolution. Zak Prauer, Partner at Bain & Company, noted that while paid search remains a major budget item, it has historically been difficult to manage based on engagement quality or pipeline impact. He said that measuring and optimizing keywords at the account or segment level enables a more holistic, full-funnel approach to B2B marketing performance.

Channel99’s platform introduces cost-to-engage metrics that are designed to resonate with CFOs and revenue leaders. By evaluating spend based on the cost to engage a target account rather than vanity metrics like click-through rate, organizations gain clearer visibility into marketing efficiency and return on investment. The system also uses AI to continuously analyze performance, identify financial inefficiencies, and recommend where budgets should be reduced or increased to maximize outcomes.

In addition, the platform automatically scores and ranks keywords and ad groups based on their ability to engage high-value audiences, influence pipeline, and contribute to revenue. This ranking helps marketing teams prioritize investments that align with both growth and efficiency goals, while giving finance leaders greater confidence in how budgets are allocated.

Paid Search Optimization builds on Channel99’s broader AI-driven platform, which already supports audience creation, activation, and measurement across channels such as Google, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Meta. By unifying performance across channels, the platform aims to help organizations balance scale, accountability, and measurable business impact.

Chris Golec, Founder and CEO of Channel99, said finance leaders are not looking for more dashboards but for clarity and action. By understanding the cost to engage a target account, he explained, marketing teams can finally connect paid search activity to real business outcomes, strengthening trust between marketing, revenue, and finance teams.

For B2B marketers navigating tighter budgets and higher expectations, Channel99’s Paid Search Optimization signals a broader shift toward account-centric, ROI-driven decision-making in paid media.