In the past two years, the way businesses do online promotion has visibly changed. Instead of typing keywords into Baidu, more buyers and decision-makers now ask AI assistants: "Recommend a reliable website design company" or "Which brand of equipment is best?" AI platforms like Doubao, Qwen, and DeepSeek are quietly becoming new traffic gateways. For SMEs nationwide, this is both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity lies in AI's relatively fair recommendation mechanism, where smaller brands can compete with big names. The challenge is that most companies still rely on outdated SEO tactics and don't know how to get AI to recommend them.
As a digital marketing service provider with 20 years of experience, Zhanjiang Huasu Technology (brand name "Huasu Network") has been helping SME clients across China solve acquisition problems. In this article, we won't discuss vague trends. Instead, we'll share practical insights from our client work, explaining how to adjust acquisition strategies in the AI search era and what GEO optimization and intelligent customer service can actually do for your business.
1. Traffic Sources Have Changed, So Must Your Acquisition Logic
Consider a real case. A local engineering equipment company in Zhanjiang previously relied on Baidu bidding and sales visits, spending heavily each month but getting inconsistent lead quality. Last year, we revamped their website and started GEO optimization—restructuring product descriptions, specs, and FAQs to align with AI crawling and recommendation logic. Within three months, they saw a noticeable increase in inquiries from Doubao and DeepSeek. Moreover, these leads were more informed and had a higher close rate than Baidu-sourced ones.
This illustrates a key point: when users shift from "searching pages" to "asking AI," businesses shouldn't abandon traditional promotion. Instead, they need to be present on new entry points. AI often recommends content from websites that are well-structured, informative, and authoritative. If your site is outdated or lacks structured data, AI won't pick you. That's where GEO optimization comes in.
At Huasu Network, we've noticed many SME owners misunderstand GEO, thinking it's just publishing a few articles online. In reality, GEO is a systematic process: technical site adjustments for AI crawlability, content strategy built around real user questions, and building authority signals across multiple platforms. We package these into standardized services, so companies anywhere in China can benefit—not just in certain regions.
2. GEO Isn't a Replacement for SEO—It's a Complement
Some clients ask, "Now that GEO exists, do we still need SEO and Baidu Ads?" This is a common misconception. In the AI search era, SEO hasn't died; it has evolved. Traditional Baidu SEO still matters because Baidu has its own AI features, and many users still search there. GEO extends SEO by making your content citable in AI answers.
For example, when a user searches "Zhanjiang network promotion company" on Baidu, ranking high still drives clicks. But if the same user asks Doubao for recommendations, AI synthesizes multiple sources. If your site is referenced, you get a free, highly targeted recommendation. So our approach is to optimize both traditional SEO and GEO, then layer Baidu information flow ads or Douyin promotion to create a "search + recommendation + feed" acquisition matrix.
When creating plans for SMEs nationwide, we tailor combinations based on industry and budget. For B2B manufacturing, we focus on site building + SEO + GEO, since decisions are long and trust is built through content. For local service businesses, we emphasize Douyin promotion + local platform traffic + GEO, because they need quick wins and short-video and AI recommendations deliver immediate traffic.
3. Intelligent Customer Service: Turning AI Traffic into Real Inquiries
Many companies do GEO, get traffic, but visitors leave without leaving contact info—a conversion problem. That's where intelligent customer service steps in.
Our AI agent isn't a simple chatbot. It understands business logic, answers questions, and guides visitors to submit leads at the right moment. For a manufacturing client, our AI agent handles product specs, delivery times, pricing ranges, and when a visitor shows buying intent, it triggers a lead form or directs them to a sales rep's WeChat. It operates 24/7, capturing night-time inquiries that often go unanswered, dramatically improving user experience.
One case: a foreign-trade factory saw a 30% increase in night-time lead capture after deploying our AI agent, and the filtered leads were high-intent, making next-day follow-ups more efficient. This comes from deep AI training and business process understanding, not just plugging in an API.
At Huasu Network, we integrate AI agents with GEO and website building. AI-referred users arrive with specific questions; without an intelligent agent, they might leave and ask competitors. That's why we emphasize "GEO for traffic + AI agent for conversion" as a golden pair—a core part of our 2025 acquisition solutions.
4. One-Stop Managed Services: Why They're Ideal for SMEs
Many SME owners say, "I understand, but I don't have time or team to execute." That's why we offer digital marketing full-case management. From site building to SEO/GEO, Baidu Ads, feed ads, short-video content, and AI agent deployment, our team handles everything. Clients just provide product info and goals.
This model is especially friendly to SMEs without dedicated marketing staff. For example, a Shandong machinery factory owner, non-technical, had poor results with previous agencies. After we took over, we rebuilt their site, designed a GEO+SEO+Baidu combo, and deployed an AI agent. Within six months, website inquiries doubled, and costs dropped.
Our managed service isn't static. We regularly review data and adjust strategies. AI algorithms and platform rules change—like Baidu's stance on AI-generated content or Douyin's ad review policies—and our 20 years of experience help clients avoid pitfalls and seize opportunities.
5. Three Practical Tips for SMEs to Seize the AI Search Dividend
Finally, based on our work with clients nationwide, here are three actionable suggestions:
1. Audit Your Website's "AI-Friendliness"
If your site is an old template, slow, poorly structured, or not mobile-optimized, AI can't crawl it well. Start with a technical audit to ensure proper indexing. Huasu Network offers a free basic SEO/GEO check to help businesses nationwide understand their baseline.
2. Create Content Around User Questions, Not Keyword Stuffing
AI recommends content that directly answers questions. Instead of generic news, compile FAQs and present them in clear paragraphs and lists. For instance, write a detailed pricing guide for "How much does a website cost?" with package differences and influencing factors. Such content is more likely to be cited.
3. Don't Treat AI Agents as Decoration—Train and Iterate
Many businesses install a chatbot but don't train it, leading to poor answers and frustrated users. An AI agent needs ongoing knowledge base and dialogue flow optimization. Our AI agent service includes continuous training and tuning to ensure accurate representation of your business strengths.
In summary, AI search isn't a distant future—it's already impacting acquisition outcomes. As a nationwide digital marketing service provider, Huasu Network (Zhanjiang Huasu Technology Co., Ltd.) is ready to help SMEs across China gain a competitive edge in this transformation. If you're struggling with ineffective online promotion, let's talk. Perhaps we can offer a fresh solution.