In the past, companies did online promotion with a straightforward approach: build a website, invest in Baidu bidding, publish some press releases, and wait for customers to call. But in the past two years, the situation has clearly changed. Customers' paths to information are now fragmented into countless pieces—some habitually search Baidu, others directly ask Doubao, DeepSeek, or other AI assistants; some only remember your brand after seeing a video on Douyin; and others find physical stores through maps or Meituan. With more traffic entrances, companies are increasingly unsure where to invest their money. As a digital marketing service provider serving SMEs nationwide, Zhanjiang Huasu Technology wants to share its 20 years of practical experience to discuss the three keywords that businesses care about most today: generative engine optimization, brand promotion, and performance-based customer acquisition. These are not three isolated terms but three links that can be strung together into a complete customer acquisition chain.
1. Generative Engine Optimization: Don't Wait Until AI Intercepts Customers to Start Planning
Let's start with generative engine optimization. The term sounds new, but the logic is not complicated. Nowadays, when many people have a question, their first reaction is no longer to open a search engine and flip through ten pages of links, but to directly open an AI assistant like Doubao, Tongyi Qianwen, or DeepSeek, throw the question in, and let the AI give the answer directly. For example, a procurement manager looking for "engineering equipment suppliers in Guangdong" might directly ask the AI: "Which companies in Zhanjiang make engineering equipment?" If the AI's answer doesn't include you, then you are effectively "invisible" on a brand-new customer acquisition channel.
Generative engine optimization is about making AI willing to mention and recommend you when generating answers. This is similar in thinking to traditional SEO, but the execution logic is completely different. Traditional SEO targets search engine crawlers and algorithms, focusing on keyword density, backlink quantity, and page authority. Generative engine optimization targets the content screening mechanisms of AI models, which place more importance on content authority, structure, comprehensiveness of information coverage, and consistency of brand presence across multiple platforms.
When Huasu Technology does generative engine optimization for clients, we generally follow three steps. First, we sort out the brand's core information assets, including company introduction, product lines, service areas, typical customer cases, qualification certificates, etc., and organize this information into structured content, publishing it on channels that AI models trust, such as official websites, encyclopedias, industry platforms, and news sources. Second, we create a large amount of "Q&A-style" content around common customer questions, such as "What does Zhanjiang Huasu Technology do?" or "How are the products of XX company?" This content should be natural and objective, not like hard advertising. Third, we continuously monitor brand mentions on AI platforms. If we see inaccurate or missing answers, we adjust the content strategy and do another round of optimization.
One client in mechanical manufacturing previously ranked well on Baidu, but the boss noticed that inquiries from search had significantly decreased over the past six months. Upon investigation, they found that many potential customers had started using AI tools to compare suppliers. After Huasu Technology took over, we first helped them build a website content architecture that better suited AI retrieval logic, turning product parameters, application scenarios, after-sales policies, and other information into clear modules. Then we did several rounds of brand content placement on industry vertical platforms and news sources. Three months later, the client's mention rate on AI platforms had significantly increased, and inquiries from "AI recommendations" began to appear. Moreover, these inquiries were often of high quality because AI had already done a round of screening for the customer.
Generative engine optimization is not a one-time deal; it requires continuous content maintenance and performance monitoring. Many companies think, "I have a website and I've published content, so why doesn't AI still recommend me?" The reason is that AI models don't have enough trust in the brand. Where does trust come from? It comes from cross-validation of information across multiple channels. If your brand only appears on your official website, AI will find it hard to confirm that you are a real company. But if you have consistent and ongoing information on your website, Baidu Baike, news media, industry associations, and even Douyin business accounts, AI will consider you a real, trustworthy supplier.
Therefore, generative engine optimization and brand promotion are strongly linked. Brand promotion solves the problem of "making more people know you," while generative engine optimization solves the problem of "making AI think of you when recommending." Only when the two work together can you intercept customers at all traffic entrances across the internet.
2. Brand Promotion: Not Burning Money for Exposure, but Building Trust Assets
Many SMEs think that "brand promotion" is something only large enterprises need to do. But that's not the case. In the digital marketing environment, brand promotion has become a very practical performance tool. Why? Because before deciding whether to make an inquiry, customers will always search for you first. If your brand shows up with negative information online, or if nothing shows up at all, customers will hesitate no matter how good your product is.
When Huasu Technology does brand promotion for national clients, we never simply buy a few ad slots. Instead, we build around the core logic of "search equals trust." Among our clients, there are engineering companies in Zhanjiang, manufacturing plants in the Yangtze River Delta, and commercial stores in the southwest. Their industries and regions differ, but they share one commonality: they all need to present a professional and trustworthy brand image at key points in the customer decision-making chain.
Specifically, the approach can be divided into several layers. The first layer is basic information coverage. Ensure that when customers search for your company name on Baidu, 360, Sogou, WeChat, Douyin, and other platforms, the top results are positive and controllable. This includes SEO optimization of the official website, creation of encyclopedia entries, news source publishing, and content placement on Q&A platforms. The second layer is building industry voice. Continuously publish content related to products, technology, and industry trends on industry media, vertical portals, Zhihu, Baijiahao, and other channels, so potential customers see you as an expert in the field. The third layer is reputation content management. Encourage old customers to leave genuine reviews on Baidu Maps, Dianping, industry associations, etc., and establish a monitoring and response mechanism for any negative information that may arise.
One foreign trade OEM company had excellent product quality, but the boss always believed that "good wine needs no bush." Apart from an outdated website, they had almost no online brand presence. As a result, when overseas customers came to inquire via email, they would first search the company on Google or LinkedIn, find little information, and many would drop off. After Huasu Technology intervened, we helped them rebuild their English website, complete and update information on LinkedIn, industry B2B platforms, and Google My Business, and publish over a dozen technical articles and customer cases. Six months later, the company not only received more overseas inquiries, but customers also showed significantly more trust in email communication because "they could find a lot of professional content about this company."
Another often-overlooked role of brand promotion is reducing customer acquisition costs. When running Baidu bidding, if customers already have a preliminary understanding of you through brand content before clicking on the bidding ad, click-through rates will be higher, conversion rates will be better, and the actual cost per acquisition will decrease. So brand promotion is not spending money; it's saving money.
3. Performance-Based Customer Acquisition: From "Spreading a Wide Net" to "Precision Harvesting"
When it comes to performance-based customer acquisition, this is what all business owners care about most. After spending money, will they actually get inquiries? Can those inquiries be converted? In serving SMEs nationwide, Huasu Technology has developed a set of "performance-based customer acquisition" combined tactics. It's not about investing in a single channel, but rather linking generative engine optimization, brand promotion, paid advertising, content marketing, and intelligent customer service into a complete closed loop from front-end traffic generation to back-end conversion.
For example, an environmental equipment manufacturer targets engineering companies and municipal units across the country. If they only invest in Baidu bidding, keywords are highly competitive, click costs are high, and many clicks come from competitors or irrelevant people. Huasu Technology's approach is to first do a round of brand promotion and generative engine optimization, laying out content on the official website and third-party platforms so that when customers search for "environmental equipment manufacturers," their website ranks high and their brand appears in AI recommendations. Then, we combine with information flow ads, targeting people interested in environmental protection, engineering, and bidding. When customers click the ad and land on the page, it's not a simple product list, but a page that shows corresponding solutions and cases based on their industry and needs. Finally, an AI intelligent customer service is embedded on the page to answer customer questions in real time and guide them to leave contact information.
With this process, the number of inquiries may not be the highest, but the quality and conversion rate will be much better. Because each step is filtering: brand promotion filters out customers who don't trust you, generative engine optimization filters out mismatched customers, information flow ads filter out imprecise traffic, and AI customer service filters out visitors who are just browsing. What remains are potential customers with real needs, budgets, and decision-making power.
Performance-based customer acquisition is not magic; it requires data support. When Huasu Technology creates a plan for a client, we always first conduct a comprehensive "customer acquisition health check" to see where in the client's existing website, promotion, content, and customer service links customers are being lost. Many clients think they are "not getting results," but it's not that there are no results; it's that results are leaking. For example, if the website loads slowly, customers leave out of impatience; or if the form process is too complicated, customers give up halfway; or if there is no online customer service, customers who visit the website at night can't find anyone to ask and forget about it the next day.
One building materials trading client had a good offline store business but little online presence. They had invested in some ads but felt they were "useless." After Huasu Technology analyzed their situation, we found that they had been running local precision ads with good impressions, but the landing page was poorly designed—no product details, no store address or phone number. Customers clicked the ad, didn't know what the store sold, where it was, or how to contact them, and naturally left. Later, we helped them redesign the landing page, adding real store photos, product prices, customer reviews, and an online appointment feature. At the same time, we created short videos of the store's daily operations for Douyin local life content to attract nearby customers. Three months later, their monthly online inquiries went from single digits to dozens, and most were precise local customers.
4. Differences in Customer Acquisition Across the Country and a Unified Approach
Although Huasu Technology is based in Zhanjiang, we serve clients across the country. Clients in different regions do have different customer acquisition priorities. For example, companies in first-tier cities may focus more on brand tone and content marketing, while those in second- and third-tier cities may rely more on search bidding and local platforms. But the underlying logic is the same: wherever your customers are, you need to be there; however your customers make decisions, you need to plan accordingly.
For national clients, we often recommend a strategy of "full network coverage + regional deep cultivation." Full network coverage means establishing brand presence on multiple channels such as Baidu, AI platforms, social media, and industry websites through generative engine optimization and brand promotion, so that potential customers across the country can find and see you. Regional deep cultivation means doing localized content and services for regions where your target market is concentrated, such as running same-city traffic on Douyin or improving store information on map platforms.
One industrial equipment company, headquartered in the Pearl River Delta, had customers nationwide. Previously, they only did Baidu promotion, and results were getting worse. Huasu Technology helped them re-analyze their target customer profile and found that in addition to searching broad terms like "industrial equipment," their customers also searched long-tail terms like "which XX equipment is good" and "recommended XX equipment manufacturers," and many people were watching equipment review videos on Douyin. So we adjusted the strategy: for SEO, we focused on optimizing long-tail keywords and product pages; for content, we created dozens of equipment usage tutorials and industry knowledge sharing videos on Douyin; for brand promotion, we published a series of technical white papers and case articles on industry media. Six months later, the company's inquiries from across the country increased by over 60%, and many new customers found them through Douyin or industry articles.
So, national promotion is not just about placing ads nationwide; it's about providing the communication methods and content formats that customers in different regions are accustomed to. Huasu Technology's advantage is that we understand both technology and marketing, as well as the customer acquisition logic of different industries. No matter which city you are in or what industry you are in, we can help you find the right customer acquisition path.
5. From Website Building to AI Agents: A One-Stop Closed Loop Guarantees Performance-Based Customer Acquisition
Many companies hire one service provider for website building, another for advertising, and yet another for content, resulting in fragmented efforts, disconnected data, and inconsistent strategies. In the end, money is spent, but results are hard to evaluate. Huasu Technology has always emphasized the value of "full-service management" because digital marketing is a systematic project; if any link fails, it affects the final performance-based customer acquisition.
We provide clients with a one-stop closed-loop service: starting with custom website building, ensuring the official website is not only aesthetically pleasing but also compliant with search engine and AI model indexing rules; then through SEO and generative engine optimization, achieving natural rankings on Baidu and AI platforms; next, through paid channels like Baidu promotion, information flow ads, and Douyin promotion, quickly acquiring precise traffic; simultaneously, through brand promotion, building brand trust on news sources, industry platforms, and social media; finally, using AI agents to build enterprise-specific customer service and acquisition assistants that are online 24/7, automatically answering questions, guiding lead generation, and even completing initial screening.
The benefit of this closed loop is that data from each step can be tracked and optimized. For example, we can see which channel a customer came from, how long they stayed on the website, what questions they asked the AI customer service, and whether they ultimately left contact information. Based on this data, we can continuously adjust promotion strategies and content direction to improve customer acquisition results.
One engineering consulting client previously had only a display website with no promotion or customer service, resulting in almost no online inquiries for a year. After Huasu Technology took over, we helped redesign the website, adding case studies and online consultation features; then we did three months of search promotion and brand content building; and we also built an AI agent and placed it on the website. Now, this AI agent receives dozens of visitors daily, automatically answering questions about service scope, pricing, cooperation processes, and transferring to human agents for complex issues. The client boss said that now he receives new consultations every day, and many are handled by the AI customer service at night and on weekends—something he never imagined before.
6. Pitfall Avoidance Advice for National Enterprises
Finally, based on our experience serving clients nationwide, here are a few suggestions for companies currently doing or planning to do online promotion, to help you avoid common mistakes.
First, don't rely on a single channel. Baidu promotion works, but costs are rising; Douyin has huge traffic, but conversion may not be good; AI search is a new trend, but it takes time to build. The best strategy is a combination, allocating channel weights based on your industry and budget.
Second, the website is not just a decoration. Many companies neglect their website thinking no one visits it, but in reality, the website is your brand base and an important platform for customers to verify your authenticity. A professional, fast, and content-rich website can significantly improve inquiry conversion rates. When Huasu Technology builds websites for clients, we emphasize both "AI-friendly" and "user-friendly" requirements, ensuring the website can be crawled by search engines and AI models while allowing visitors to quickly find the information they need.
Third, data should be closed-loop. Don't just look at impressions and clicks; focus on lead volume, inquiry volume, and conversion rates. If you have high impressions but no inquiries, the problem may be in the landing page or customer service, not in insufficient ad spend.
Fourth, value the importance of AI agents. Many companies still use traditional forms to collect leads, but customers' patience is increasingly limited. AI agents can respond instantly, remember each visitor's conversation history, and provide personalized recommendations, which is very helpful for improving lead conversion rates.
Fifth, adopt a long-term mindset. Generative engine optimization and brand promotion are not quick fixes; they require continuous investment and optimization. If you give up after one or two months without seeing obvious results, your previous investment will be wasted. Huasu Technology recommends that companies evaluate results on at least a quarterly basis and continuously adjust strategies to see real returns.
In summary, at this point in 2025, the underlying logic of customer acquisition has changed. Customers no longer only trust Baidu or watch TV ads. They jump between multiple platforms, ask AI, watch short videos, and check reviews. What companies need to do is not to do everything on every platform, but to find the combination that suits their industry and goals. Generative engine optimization, brand promotion, and performance-based customer acquisition are not choices but mandatory questions. Huasu Technology is willing to be the one to help you answer them.
If you are struggling with online customer acquisition or want to understand how generative engine optimization can be implemented, feel free to contact us. No matter which city you are in or what industry you are in, we can provide you with a practical customer acquisition plan. After all, we have served engineering companies in Zhanjiang and manufacturing plants in other provinces, with practical experience across different regions and industries nationwide. We look forward to working with you.