Most companies doing online promotion have heard of omnichannel marketing. But if you ask: What exactly does omnichannel marketing include? What should be done first? How to allocate the budget? How to measure results? Few can answer. It's not that they are unprofessional, but there are too many service providers with too many different claims—today it's Baidu, tomorrow Douyin, and the day after, AI search. Companies get confused.
Zhanjiang Huasu Technology has been in digital services for 20 years, serving clients in engineering, manufacturing, trade, and local businesses. Our biggest takeaway is that companies don't lack channels; they lack the thread that connects them. That thread is the underlying logic of omnichannel marketing—using a combination of tactics to integrate brand exposure, search capture, consultation conversion, and customer management. In this article, we won't talk about vague concepts. We'll break down omnichannel marketing, performance-based customer acquisition, and generative engine optimization, explaining each clearly so companies know how to choose, cooperate, and evaluate.
1. Omnichannel Marketing Is Not Casting a Net, It's Weaving a Web
Many companies think omnichannel marketing means opening accounts on Baidu, Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, WeChat Channels, and Moments, then waiting for customers to come. After three months, they have many accounts but no one watches the content, ad spend burns painfully, and the phone rarely rings. Why? Because casting a net is not weaving a web. Casting a net means touching each point; weaving a web means connecting each point with threads to form a structure that can bear weight.
True omnichannel marketing has at least three layers. The first is the brand layer, solving the problem of customers knowing you. The second is the search layer, solving the problem of customers finding you. The third is the conversion layer, solving the problem of customers contacting you. These three layers are indispensable and must be done in order.
The brand layer includes official website construction, short video content, industry articles, encyclopedia entries, and Q&A reputation. These contents are not for direct selling but to make your name appear three to five times when customers browse their phones, search for information, or compare solutions, leaving a professional and reliable impression. The search layer includes website SEO optimization, Baidu promotion, information flow ads, and bid management. These actions ensure that when customers come with needs, you rank high and get clicked. The conversion layer includes landing page design, online consultation tools, AI agents, and sales follow-up scripts. After customers click in, whether the page builds trust and quickly captures leads determines whether traffic becomes inquiries.
When Huasu Technology creates omnichannel marketing plans for companies nationwide, the first step is not to rush into ads but to diagnose. We see which layer the company lacks. Some factories have great products but their websites were made five years ago, look messy on mobile, and can't be found on Baidu. These companies lack the brand and search layers. Some trading companies have many short video followers but no calls to action in each video, and comments asking how to buy go unanswered. These companies lack the conversion layer. Once the layers are filled, budget allocation can be discussed, and results will show.
2. Performance-Based Customer Acquisition Is Not Just Pay-Per-Click
The term "performance-based customer acquisition" has been overused by many service providers. Some companies call pay-per-click ads performance ads—they charge per click but don't care if the clicker is a target customer or leaves information. Some call pay-per-impression exposure performance promotion—even if there are 100,000 impressions and no inquiries, they call it brand awareness. This approach makes companies spend 100,000 yuan and get a bunch of backend numbers but no actual orders. Can that be called performance?
Huasu Technology understands performance-based customer acquisition as result-oriented, with results that are measurable, trackable, and optimizable. When we do performance-based customer acquisition for companies, we never just invest in one channel and call it done. Instead, we build a complete chain from exposure to inquiry to deal, with every step backed by data.
For example, we served an engineering company in Zhanjiang that does factory construction and steel structure projects. They had previously run Baidu ads themselves and hired a small team for short videos, spending a lot but getting few calls, mostly from telemarketers. After we took over, we did several things. First, we reorganized their business keywords, not just broad terms like "factory construction" but also long-tail terms like "steel structure engineering company," "factory construction team," and "Zhanjiang steel structure installation." Second, we redesigned their website, adding case studies, qualification certificates, construction process diagrams, and clearly displaying phone numbers and forms at the bottom. Third, we did audience targeting on Baidu promotion and information flow ads, only showing ads to business owners and procurement managers with engineering needs. Fourth, we integrated an AI agent into the website so that late-night visitors could get automatic responses, and leads were immediately pushed to sales.
After running this combination for a quarter, inquiries increased more than threefold compared to their previous efforts, and most were valid leads with real projects needing quotes. That's performance-based customer acquisition. It's not about high click-through rates on a single channel; the only standard is the quantity and quality of leads that reach sales.
For SMEs nationwide, performance-based customer acquisition is especially important because budgets are limited, and every penny must be spent wisely. Instead of investing 5,000 yuan in ten channels and hearing a sound, it's better to concentrate 20,000 yuan to integrate search, content, and intelligent reception, giving every visitor a chance to become a customer.
3. Generative Engine Optimization: The Next Traffic Dividend Companies Can't Miss
If the past decade focused on Baidu search, the next five years will focus on AI search. More and more people, especially the younger generation, no longer open Baidu and flip through links. Instead, they directly ask Doubao, Qianwen, or DeepSeek. AI gives a direct answer and then recommends a few sources. If your company isn't among those sources, you've disappeared from future searches.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is optimization for these AI generative engines. Its logic is similar to traditional SEO but completely different. Traditional SEO optimizes keyword rankings to get pages to the top of search results. GEO optimizes the probability that content is cited and recommended by AI. When AI generates answers, it references a large amount of web content and selects what it deems most authoritative and relevant. If your website, encyclopedia entries, industry articles, and Q&A content are well-structured, complete, and up-to-date, AI is more likely to cite your content and recommend your brand in its answers.
Huasu Technology began focusing on GEO services last year and has already helped several companies achieve brand exposure in AI search. How do we do it? We've summarized a method and share it here with companies nationwide.
Step one is content structuring. AI reads web pages differently from humans; it prefers clear headings, short paragraphs, and highlighted key points. We rewrite every product page, case page, and about page on company websites to match AI crawling habits, making subheadings, lists, and data clear at a glance.
Step two is building authoritative citation sources. AI prioritizes high-authority sources when answering questions. We help companies create entries on mainstream encyclopedia platforms, publish in-depth articles on industry vertical sites, and place professional answers on Q&A platforms like Zhihu and Baidu Knows. These contents may not directly bring clicks, but they form the citation pool for AI answers.
Step three is continuously publishing brand-related Q&A content. We create a dedicated question bank for each corporate client, writing professional, objective long-form answers to the ten or twenty most common customer questions and publishing them on multiple platforms. For example, for an environmental equipment company, we write content like "How to choose industrial waste gas treatment equipment" or "What's the difference between RTO and RCO incinerators?" When AI is asked similar questions, it extracts information from these contents and attaches the company's website link.
Step four is regularly monitoring AI search performance. We regularly test company-related keywords on Doubao, Qianwen, and DeepSeek to see if the company name appears in AI answers, which links are recommended, and then reverse-optimize content strategy based on results. This is similar to ranking monitoring in traditional SEO, but the monitored object has changed from search engines to AI engines.
GEO is not a one-time deal; it requires continuous effort and optimization. But once it's working, companies can gain a first-mover advantage in the new AI search battlefield. Most companies haven't realized the value yet, so competition is still low—now is the perfect time to enter.
4. How to Combine Omnichannel Marketing, Performance-Based Customer Acquisition, and GEO Without Wasting Money
Many companies ask us: Do we need to do all three? What if the budget is limited? Our advice is not to view them separately; they are inherently one. Omnichannel marketing is the strategic framework, performance-based customer acquisition is the execution goal, and GEO is the future-oriented technological upgrade. If a company plans these three in one framework, the budget becomes more efficient and results better.
How to combine them? We offer a reference path for companies nationwide.
Phase one: Build the foundation. First, create a modern, mobile-friendly website with clear content structure. This website is the base camp of omnichannel marketing and the endpoint for all traffic. At the same time, start Baidu promotion and information flow ads, choose 3 to 5 core keywords, and use bidding or information flow to bring in traffic. The goal of this phase is to generate inquiries and revenue, building confidence.
Phase two: Expand channels. Once search ads consistently bring inquiries, start laying out short videos, industry platforms, and local life platforms. For content, turn accumulated customer cases, professional knowledge, and solutions into short videos and graphics, distributing them across platforms. The goal is to expand brand exposure and let more potential customers see the company.
Phase three: Optimize. Once content and channels are running, start website SEO and GEO. SEO optimization gradually improves the website's natural ranking on Baidu, reducing dependence on paid ads. GEO optimization positions the company in AI search in advance, preparing for future traffic surges. Simultaneously, launch AI agents to automate night-time consultations and repetitive Q&A, ensuring every visitor is promptly handled.
This path is not fixed; companies can adjust based on their industry and budget. But the core logic remains: first build the ability to receive, then expand traffic entrances, and finally do long-term optimization. Many companies throw money at ads while their websites are too poor to look at—customers click in and immediately close. That's the biggest waste.
5. What Huasu Technology Can Do for Companies Nationwide
As a service provider with 20 years of internet experience, Huasu Technology serves clients across the country. Whether your company is in engineering, manufacturing, trading, or a local brick-and-mortar store, we offer one-stop services from website building to promotion to AI tools.
Our core services include: GEO generative engine optimization, specifically optimizing content for AI platforms like Doubao, Qianwen, and DeepSeek to capture AI search traffic; custom website development, balancing desktop, mobile, and AI retrieval-friendly architecture so the website is both attractive and functional; omnichannel brand promotion, covering short videos, search engines, local platforms, and more for precise traffic; AI agent construction, creating dedicated digital assistants for Q&A, reception, and customer acquisition, operating 24/7 to automatically handle customer inquiries; and digital marketing full-case management, bundling website building, promotion, AI tools, and GEO optimization so companies only need to liaise with one person—we handle the rest.
We've served engineering companies in Zhanjiang, helping them double inquiries through website and search promotion; manufacturing factories, driving both foreign and domestic inquiry growth through multi-channel exposure; trading stores, increasing foot traffic through short videos and local life platforms; and tech companies, helping them launch AI agents that automatically handle night-time consultations and significantly improve lead capture rates.
These cases are spread across the country and industries, but they share a common point: companies are willing to entrust professional matters to professionals and give service providers time for results to grow. Online promotion is not a lottery ticket where you win the day after investing. It's more like farming: choose good seeds, fertilize well, water diligently, and then wait for the flowers to bloom.
If your company is planning omnichannel marketing or struggling with poor results, start by assessing your current situation: Is your website usable? Can you be found in search? Is anyone watching your content? Is anyone answering consultations? Once you've thought through these four questions, decide the next steps. Of course, you can also talk to us directly. Huasu Technology will use 20 years of experience to help you avoid detours and ensure every promotion budget is spent where it can produce results.