AI Search and Information Feeds Reshape Customer Acquisition: How Huasu Network Uses GEO Optimization and Bid Management to Help Businesses Nationwide Seize New Entry Points

2026-08-20 · Views 76878

As users shift from search engines to AI Q&A and short-video feeds, the underlying logic of customer acquisition has changed. Zhanjiang Huasu Technology (Huasu Network), with 20 years of digital marketing experience, explains how SMEs across China can adapt to traffic migration—from GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and bid management to full-web brand promotion—turning every exposure into measurable inquiries.

In the past decade, the approach to online promotion was simple: build a website, bid on Baidu keywords, and wait for phone calls. But in 2025, users are no longer satisfied with flipping through ten pages of search results. They open Doubao or DeepSeek and ask, "Which brand of industrial air-cooled chiller is of good quality?" or they watch a factory video on Douyin and directly message for a quote. Traffic entry points have expanded from search boxes to AI chat interfaces, short-video comment sections, and local life platform group-buy pages. Customer acquisition is no longer a linear "ad-click-lead" process but a multi-dimensional battle centered on content, trust, and response speed.

As a digital marketing service provider serving businesses nationwide, Zhanjiang Huasu Technology Co., Ltd. (brand name "Huasu Network") has felt this shift deeply. We have served engineering companies in Zhanjiang, manufacturing plants in the Yangtze River Delta, and trading stores in the Pearl River Delta. The most common question from clients: "Our budget hasn't changed, so why are inquiries declining?" The answer is often not that the market is bad, but that your customers are looking for answers elsewhere. This article aims to share Huasu Network's 20 years of practical experience to discuss how industry changes affect customer acquisition and how SMEs nationwide should adjust their strategies.

1. Search Behavior Shift: From "Searching Webpages" to "Asking AI"—GEO Optimization Becomes a New Necessity

Consider this data: according to third-party research, in 2025, over 30% of young users use AI tools for pre-purchase information screening. They no longer open websites one by one to compare prices; instead, they ask, "Which domestic laser cutting machine offers the best value?" AI generates a recommendation based on comprehensive web content. If your brand is not cited by AI or included in the answer, you don't even get a chance to be seen.

This is where GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) comes in. The key difference between GEO and traditional SEO is that SEO optimizes a webpage's ranking in search engines, while GEO optimizes a brand's mention rate and recommendation weight in AI-generated content. Since 2024, Huasu Network has integrated GEO into our core services, specifically optimizing content for mainstream AI platforms like Doubao, Qianwen, and DeepSeek. How do we do it? We don't just stuff keywords; we help clients produce structured, data-backed content with clear entity information—such as product specifications, certifications, customer cases, and FAQs. AI prefers to cite these "credible, clear, and contextual" sources when generating answers. We also help clients place brand-anchored content on encyclopedias, Zhihu, and industry vertical sites, giving AI crawlers something to reference.

Here's an example from a manufacturing client we served: they make industrial drying equipment and had been running traditional Baidu ads for three years, with rising acquisition costs. After Huasu Network took over, we first revamped their website's GEO foundation, upgrading product pages from "image + text" to "structured data + FAQ + application scenarios." Then we produced over 200 technical Q&As around long-tail topics like "industrial drying equipment selection" and "heat pump dryer troubleshooting," distributing them to industry forums and WeChat official accounts. Three months later, when users searched "which industrial drying equipment is good" on Doubao, the AI answer included their brand name and website link. This not only brought direct inquiries but also boosted brand trust—users think, "If AI recommends it, it must be reliable."

2. The Underlying Logic of Information Feed Ads Has Changed: From "Spreading a Wide Net" to "Content Is the Ad"

Information feed ads have been around for years, but many business owners still stick to old thinking: find an agency to open an account, set keywords, upload a product image, and wait for conversions. The result is declining click-through rates and rising costs. Why? Because users are immune to monotonous "product image + promotional copy" ads. The algorithms of feed platforms are also changing; they tend to give traffic to ads with "content value"—like a real factory production video, a customer testimonial, or an industry pitfall guide.

When running feed ads for businesses nationwide, Huasu Network always adheres to the principle of "content first." We don't just place ads; we first help clients identify their target audience's pain points and then plan content scripts. For example, we served a marine food company in Zhanjiang that sells ready-to-eat fish maw. If we directly ran ads like "Ready-to-eat fish maw, nourishing and beautifying," the conversion rate would be very low. Instead, we created a series of educational short videos: "How to choose fish maw," "The difference between ready-to-eat and dried fish maw," and placed them on Douyin and WeChat Moments, with a QR code to the company's WeChat at the end. Users found the content useful, proactively added the contact, and were later converted through private domain operations. This client started in October 2024, and within three months, acquisition costs dropped by 40%, and the added contacts were all highly targeted potential customers.

This is what Huasu Network emphasizes as "performance-based customer acquisition": it's not just about spending the budget; it's about tracking inquiry volume and conversion costs. We assign a dedicated optimizer to each client, review data weekly, and adjust audience targeting and creative direction. For SMEs with limited budgets, we recommend starting with small-budget tests to find a model with positive ROI before scaling up, avoiding blind spending.

3. The Website Is No Longer Just a "Storefront" but the First Battlefield for Conversion

Many businesses think that since traffic is now on Douyin and Xiaohongshu, no one visits their website. But the reality is that whether it's feed ads or AI search, the final landing page is often the website. If a user clicks into your site and can't tell within three seconds what you do, what your advantages are, and how to contact you, they'll leave immediately. A website with poor user experience, slow loading, or no mobile adaptation will waste all your ad spend.

Huasu Network has been building websites for 20 years. We know that the core of a website is not "beauty" but "conversion." When customizing websites for clients, we focus on several details: first, the first screen must clearly convey the business scope and core selling points—users shouldn't have to guess; second, every product page should have "online consultation" and "call" buttons that float and follow; third, page loading speed must be fast, especially on mobile, as over 70% of traffic now comes from phones; fourth, the underlying code must comply with search engine and AI crawling rules, such as structured data markup, clear heading hierarchy, and reasonable internal linking.

We served an engineering company in Zhanjiang whose original website had only a static image and a phone number, generating almost no inquiries. Huasu Network restructured the information architecture, showcasing company qualifications, engineering cases, and service processes with images and videos, and added an online quote form and AI customer service. One month after launch, organic traffic doubled and inquiries increased by 150%. This is the value of coordinating website building with online promotion—without a good landing page, even massive traffic is wasted.

4. Bid Management: Not Just "Adjusting Bids" but Full-Funnel Optimization

Baidu SEM remains a major channel for many businesses to acquire precise customers, but with fierce competition and rising keyword prices, without a professional team, you may end up with "money spent, few inquiries." Huasu Network offers bid management services, but we don't just adjust keyword bids; we optimize the entire funnel.

First, we conduct in-depth keyword research, looking not only at search volume but also at intent. For example, "network promotion company" and "which network promotion company is good" are two different intents; the latter has a higher conversion rate because the user is already comparing. We categorize keywords into core, long-tail, and competitor keywords, and set different bidding strategies.

Second, we optimize landing page relevance. Many businesses use their homepage as the landing page, but if a user searches "Zhanjiang network promotion" and lands on a page with company news, they'll leave. Huasu Network creates dedicated landing pages for each keyword group. For instance, for users searching "Shenzhen website building," the landing page highlights Shenzhen cases and pricing, making users feel "this company understands me."

Third, we insist on weekly data reports, including click-through rate, conversion rate, cost per conversion, and inquiry quality, so clients know exactly where every penny goes. We also continuously optimize ad copy based on data feedback, using A/B testing to find the most compelling headlines and descriptions.

Huasu Network's bid management is not "account management" but "growth management." Among our clients, some have reduced cost per click by 30% through quality score optimization, and others have increased conversion rates by 50% through landing page redesign. Behind these numbers are our 20 years of industry data and optimization methodologies.

5. AI Agents: Making Customer Acquisition Available 24/7

Many SME owners face this problem: a customer leaves a message on the website at 10 PM, but employees are off duty. By the time they reply the next morning, the customer has already contacted another company. This is especially true for foreign trade companies, where time zone differences lead to high inquiry loss rates. Huasu Network's AI agent building service solves this problem.

We build enterprise-specific AI agents that can receive visitors 24/7, automatically answer common questions about product parameters, price ranges, delivery times, and guide users to leave their contact information. For example, for an automation equipment company, we integrated an AI customer service bot, and the rate of nighttime visitors leaving contact details increased by 35%. AI agents are not simple keyword responses; they are trained on the client's product knowledge base and can understand complex questions like "Can your equipment handle materials with 30% moisture content?" The AI extracts answers from the knowledge base, and if it can't answer, it transfers to a human.

Huasu Network also connects AI agents with the website, WeChat, Douyin, and other channels, so users can get instant responses on any platform. This not only improves user experience but also helps businesses capture every potential customer. For businesses with nationwide operations, an AI agent is like a sales assistant that doesn't require a salary, is online 24/7, and never gets tired.

6. From Zhanjiang to Nationwide: How Huasu Network Serves Businesses in Different Regions

Some people see "Zhanjiang Huasu Technology" and assume we only serve the western Guangdong region. That's not the case. Our service network covers the whole country. Zhanjiang is just our office and registration location; our clients are spread across Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, and more. Why can we serve clients across regions? Because digital marketing is inherently online work. Our team maintains high-frequency communication with clients through remote collaboration tools, holds weekly video meetings to review data, and provides detailed monthly reports. We understand the industrial characteristics of different regions: for example, agriculture and seafood enterprises in Zhanjiang, manufacturing and foreign trade companies in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and electronics technology companies in the Pearl River Delta all have different customer acquisition needs.

Huasu Network's advantage is that we understand local markets while having a national perspective. We have served engineering companies in Zhanjiang and electronics factories in Dongguan. The methodology is the same: first diagnose, then strategize, then execute. We don't use a one-size-fits-all template; we customize plans based on industry, target audience, and budget. For local life clients, we focus on Douyin local and Meituan Dianping; for national manufacturing enterprises, we focus on Baidu search, industry B2B platforms, and AI search optimization.

7. Several Suggestions for SMEs Nationwide on Customer Acquisition

Based on Huasu Network's 20 years of practical experience, here are a few suggestions for business owners struggling with customer acquisition:

First, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Traditional Baidu promotion is still worth investing in, but you should also lay out AI search and short videos. AI search is still in its dividend period with low competition and low cost; the earlier you start, the more likely you are to be "recommended" by AI.

Second, value content accumulation. Whether it's articles on your website, videos on Douyin, or answers on Zhihu, they are your digital assets. Content doesn't expire; it will continue to bring you traffic. Huasu Network helps clients establish a content production mechanism, not just publish dozens of articles once and stop.

Third, focus on data, not feelings. Many bosses like to ask, "How many inquiries today?" But they should pay more attention to "What is the cost per inquiry?" and "How many of these inquiries eventually became orders?" Huasu Network's service philosophy is "performance-based customer acquisition." All our work is aimed at conversion, and every campaign comes with data reports, so clients have peace of mind.

Fourth, choose a reliable service provider. There are many network promotion service providers, some of whom disappear after taking money, and others who only know how to open accounts but not optimize. Huasu Network dares to promise: we provide full-service solutions, from website building to promotion optimization, from AI agents to GEO optimization, all in one stop. Clients don't need to coordinate with multiple providers, reducing communication costs and ensuring better results.

8. What Can Huasu Network Do for You?

Zhanjiang Huasu Technology Co., Ltd. (Huasu Network) has been deeply involved in the internet industry for 20 years. We are a comprehensive service provider integrating digital marketing and technology development. Our core services include:

  • GEO Generative Engine Optimization: Content optimization for AI platforms like Doubao, Qianwen, and DeepSeek to capture AI search traffic and get brands recommended by AI.
  • Custom Website Development: Balancing brand image, user experience, and SEO architecture, compatible with desktop, mobile, and AI retrieval.
  • Full-Web Brand Promotion: Covering platforms like Baidu, Douyin, WeChat, and Toutiao, with multi-channel precise traffic and brand awareness enhancement.
  • AI Agent Building: Enterprise-specific Q&A, reception, and customer acquisition digital assistants, available 24/7 to handle customer inquiries and increase lead capture rates.
  • Digital Marketing Full-Service Management: A one-stop closed-loop service from website building to promotion, AI tools, and GEO optimization. Clients only need to coordinate with one team.
  • Local Life and Physical Store Customer Acquisition: Deeply rooted in Zhanjiang, we customize customer acquisition plans for physical stores, engineering companies, and trading businesses, and replicate the experience nationwide.

No matter where your business is located, whether it serves local or national markets, Huasu Network can provide professional, practical full-web marketing solutions. We believe that technology empowers growth, and marketing creates value. If you are struggling with customer acquisition, feel free to contact us for a chat. A small change might bring a new growth curve.