In the past two years, companies have had quite different experiences with promotion. Previously, investing in Baidu Ads and publishing a few press releases would get the phone ringing; now, with more traffic channels, fragmented user attention, and the emergence of AI search, many business owners find that they are spending no less money but getting fewer inquiries. Digital marketing hasn't become harder; the logic has changed. As a digital marketing service provider that has served thousands of SMEs nationwide, Yunxuan Network Technology wants to share our observations of industry changes and how companies should adjust their customer acquisition strategies—especially how Baidu Ads, brand promotion, and local customer acquisition can work together effectively.
In the Era of Traffic Fragmentation, a Single Channel Struggles to Meet Acquisition KPIs
Over the past decade, Baidu was almost a must-have for online promotion. With bidding rankings and SEO optimization, as long as keywords were chosen correctly and rankings were high, customers would come naturally. But now it's different. Short-video platforms have taken away a large share of user time; Xiaohongshu and Zhihu have become important platforms for decision-making references; Douyin, Kuaishou, and even WeChat Channels are doing search; not to mention AI assistants like Doubao and DeepSeek that directly provide answers. Users no longer just look at Baidu; they switch between multiple screens and compare across channels.
What does this mean for businesses? It means relying solely on Baidu Ads might miss a large portion of potential customers; but abandoning Baidu could lose those high-intent search traffic. So, our advice to clients nationwide has never been to choose one or the other, but to use a combination. Baidu Ads handles high-intent users actively searching; brand promotion builds awareness before users even search for you; local customer acquisition solves the problem of getting foot traffic for physical stores. The three work together to cover the entire process from 'not knowing you' to 'wanting to find you' to 'finding you'.
In serving manufacturing plants, trading companies, and engineering firms nationwide, Yunxuan Network Technology has found that many clients already realize the importance of multi-channel, but don't know how to allocate budgets or make channels cooperate. Some clients have been running Baidu Ads for over six months with decent conversions, but brand keyword search volume hasn't increased; others have made dozens of short videos with good views but few inquiries. The problem often lies in channels being isolated and not forming a synergy.
Baidu Ads Remain the Core Channel for Search Traffic, but the Game Has Changed
Despite the proliferation of channels, Baidu Ads remain the core channel for most B2B companies and local service providers to obtain precise leads. The reason is simple: when users have clear needs, they still search. Whether looking for suppliers, checking product parameters, or comparing service providers, Baidu search has the strongest intent and relatively controllable conversion rates. However, the way Baidu Ads work has indeed changed in recent years—it's not just about burning money on rankings.
First, users are more discerning about ads, and click-through rates on pure ad placements have declined. Many people now deliberately skip links marked 'ad' and prefer to click organic results. Therefore, Baidu Ads should be combined with SEO: paid rankings capture short-term traffic, while organic rankings build long-term trust. When devising plans for clients, Yunxuan Network Technology usually recommends splitting the budget into two parts: one for bidding and one for SEO content optimization. This way, even if users don't click on ads, they can still see you in organic results, and clicks from organic rankings are more trusted.
Second, the landing page of Baidu Ads determines conversion rates. Many companies spend money on clicks, but their landing pages are poorly designed—either slow to load, lacking content, or missing online consultation entry points, so users leave without leaving their information. We've seen many clients with high keyword bids but landing page conversion rates below 1%. After we helped them redesign the landing page structure, placing core advantages, cases, qualifications, and contact information on the first screen, and adding online forms and intelligent customer service, conversion rates doubled immediately. So, Baidu Ads is not just about launching; planning and optimizing the landing page is equally important.
Third, Baidu is also promoting AI search. Baidu's ERNIE and AI agents are changing the presentation of search results pages. In the future, users may get direct answers instead of a list of links. This means companies need to prepare for GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) in advance, so that AI prioritizes your brand information when generating answers. Yunxuan Network Technology is already helping some clients with GEO optimization, such as publishing content on Baidu Baike, Zhihu, and industry vertical websites, so that AI can capture your positive information. This is a trend; the earlier you start, the more advantage you have.
Brand Promotion Is Not Exclusive to Large Enterprises; SMEs Need It Even More
Many SME owners think brand promotion is for big companies and that they can't afford it with limited budgets. This is a misconception. Brand promotion doesn't mean spending heavily on CCTV ads; it means getting your positive information seen by target customers across multiple channels to build trust. Especially in B2B, where decision cycles are long and customers often search repeatedly and compare. If searching your brand keyword yields negative information or nothing at all, would customers dare to cooperate with you?
Yunxuan Network Technology approaches brand promotion for national clients from three levels. First, brand positioning on search engines: on Baidu, Sogou, 360, etc., ensure that the first three pages of brand keyword search results are positive content—official website, press releases, encyclopedia entries, Q&A, and industry media inclusions. This way, when customers search for you, they see authoritative information, boosting trust. Second, reputation building on content platforms: publish professional content on Zhihu, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, etc., such as product tutorials, industry solutions, and customer cases, so potential customers can learn about you while browsing. Third, soft article exposure in news media: publish company news and technical articles through industry media and portals to expand brand visibility.
We package these services as a 'Full Network Brand Promotion Plan', particularly suitable for SMEs with a certain foundation but low brand awareness. For example, we served a manufacturing plant with excellent product quality, but no information could be found online, and customers' first question was 'Is your company legitimate?'. After we helped them with brand keyword optimization, news source publishing, and industry platform registration, within three months, brand keyword search volume went from zero to dozens per day, and inquiries increased significantly. Brand promotion is not superficial; it directly lowers the trust barrier and improves inquiry conversion rates.
Local Customer Acquisition: The Growth Code for Physical Stores and Regional Enterprises
Local customer acquisition is a direction we've been emphasizing in the past two years. Many national promotion methods don't apply to local physical stores—for example, if you bid on national keywords on Baidu but your service area is only in Zhanjiang, the leads you get are likely not precise. The core of local customer acquisition is 'being seen by local users when they need you'.
Yunxuan Network Technology has deep roots in the Zhanjiang local market and also provides local acquisition solutions for physical stores nationwide. Our methods include: map listing optimization (Baidu Maps, Amap), local life platform registration (Meituan, Dianping), local keyword SEO (e.g., 'Zhanjiang decoration company', 'Zhanjiang hardware wholesale'), and short-video local promotion (Douyin same-city page, POI addresses). Combined, these tactics make your store appear frequently in local searches and recommendations, bringing real foot traffic.
For instance, we served an engineering equipment rental company in Zhanjiang that previously relied on referrals and grew slowly. We helped them with local keyword SEO and Baidu Ads, focusing on terms like 'Zhanjiang engineering equipment rental', while optimizing map listings and Douyin same-city content. Three months later, their inquiry calls increased significantly, and most were genuine local needs. They later told us they used to think online promotion was useless, but now they know they just didn't have the right approach. We often cite this case to show that local customer acquisition isn't just about 'targeting nearby people'; it requires refined operations combining search, content, and platform rules.
Of course, local customer acquisition isn't only for physical stores. Companies doing national business can also create localized content for each target city, such as answering 'What to pay attention to when decorating an office in Shenzhen' on Zhihu or posting 'Beijing business registration process' on Douyin. This way, when you have service capabilities in a city, you can precisely capture local traffic. We call this model 'national layout, local penetration', which is an important direction for future customer acquisition.
The Rise of AI Search: GEO Optimization Becomes a New Variable
If a few years ago people were discussing the difference between mobile and PC, now the most noteworthy trend is AI search. AI assistants like Doubao, Qianwen, DeepSeek, and Kimi are changing how users access information. Previously, searching 'which company is good for corporate website building' would show a list of links; now AI directly recommends a few service providers with brief introductions and reviews. If your brand isn't recommended by AI, you're invisible to the new generation of users.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is an optimization service for this new scenario. Yunxuan Network Technology is one of the early adopters of GEO optimization in China. We analyze the crawling rules of AI platforms, publish high-quality content on authoritative websites, Q&A communities, and industry vertical platforms, and optimize the semantic structure and keyword layout of content so that AI prioritizes your brand information when generating answers. It's like an upgraded version of SEO, but with a stronger emphasis on content professionalism and credibility.
We already have clients who have benefited from GEO optimization. An industrial equipment company that relied mainly on Baidu Ads noticed a decline in inquiries over the past six months. Our analysis found that many customers were using AI assistants to research, and the AI-recommended competitors didn't include them. So we helped them with GEO optimization, adding substantial professional content on Zhihu, industry forums, and Baidu Baike. Two months later, their mentions on a major AI platform increased noticeably, and inquiries rebounded. This case shows that AI search is not the future; it's happening now. If companies don't position themselves now, competitors will take the spots, and it will be harder to reclaim them.
How Should SMEs Respond to Changes? A Combination Punch to Win
After all these trends, what SMEs care most about is: what should I do? Yunxuan Network Technology's advice is not to blindly follow trends or stay stagnant, but to design a 'search + brand + local + AI' combination strategy based on your business characteristics.
Step one: Build a solid search foundation. Regardless of industry, Baidu Ads and SEO optimization are the basics. Ensure your website has good indexing and rankings on Baidu, and open a Baidu Ads account to secure paid positions for core keywords. Both are indispensable.
Step two: Establish brand trust. Register on Baidu Baike, complete company information, publish press releases, and build a brand zone on mainstream media platforms. Even with a limited budget, ensure that searching your brand keyword shows positive content.
Step three: Expand local channels. If your service area is geographically restricted, make sure to do local SEO and map listings; if you operate nationally, deploy localized content in key cities.
Step four: Embrace AI search. Start GEO optimization as soon as possible to ensure your brand information is indexed and recommended by AI assistants. The sooner, the better, because AI knowledge bases are still forming; early positioning is cost-effective and yields visible results.
Step five: Use tools for efficiency. The AI agent built by Yunxuan Network Technology can automatically handle customer inquiries 24/7, answer common questions, and collect sales leads. It's like a tireless salesperson helping you capture every potential customer. Many of our clients have seen a 30% increase in lead retention from nighttime inquiries after deploying the AI agent.
What Can Yunxuan Network Technology Do for You?
As a service provider integrating digital marketing and technology development, Yunxuan Network Technology serves SMEs and local physical customers across various industries nationwide. Our core capabilities include: custom website development (compatible with PC, mobile, and AI search indexing), Baidu Ads managed services (refined account management to reduce acquisition costs), SEO optimization (stable keyword ranking improvement), GEO optimization (capturing AI search traffic), full-network brand promotion (multi-channel content layout to boost brand visibility), AI agent development (enterprise-specific intelligent customer service), and full digital marketing management (one-stop services from website building to promotion to tool implementation).
We don't do one-off deals; we aim to be long-term marketing partners. Many clients have been with us since 2015, starting with a single website, then Baidu Ads, SEO optimization, content marketing, and now GEO and AI agents. We've grown with them, witnessing their inquiries grow from dozens per month to hundreds. This long-term trust is our most cherished asset.
If you're facing difficulties in customer acquisition or feeling confused about AI search and GEO optimization, feel free to contact Yunxuan Network Technology. We can first provide a free marketing diagnosis, analyzing your industry, competitors, and current promotion effectiveness, then offer targeted recommendations. Whether you're interested in Baidu Ads, brand promotion, or local customer acquisition, we have proven solutions and cases. No matter how fast digital marketing changes, the core logic remains the same: use the right methods to deliver the right information to the right people at the right time. Yunxuan Network Technology is willing to help you do this well.