Business owners engaged in online promotion have generally felt over the past two years that what used to work—like investing in Baidu ads or posting short videos to generate inquiries—no longer seems as effective. The reason is simple: the way customers obtain information has changed. Young people use Douyin search instead of Baidu, procurement managers start asking Doubao or DeepSeek to find suppliers, and if no one answers their late-night inquiries, they simply go to a competitor.
Yunxuan Network Technology has served SMEs nationwide for 20 years, from the earliest website building and SEO optimization, to later Baidu promotion and feed ads, and now to Douyin promotion, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and AI agents. We have always helped clients adapt to new traffic channels. In this article, we want to clearly explain the customer acquisition playbook suitable for SMEs in 2025—not piling on concepts, but focusing on how to do it and what to watch out for.
1. Traffic Channels Have Changed, and Customer Acquisition Logic Must Follow
Over the past decade, the standard approach for SMEs in online promotion was: build a website, do SEO, invest in Baidu promotion, and wait for customers to search and call. This logic worked well in the PC internet era, but its efficiency is declining in the mobile internet and AI era.
Today's customers, especially younger procurement decision-makers, are accustomed to searching for product reviews on Douyin, checking word-of-mouth on Xiaohongshu, or even directly asking AI assistants, "Which manufacturer's XX equipment has good quality?" If your business only has a presence on traditional search engines, you are effectively giving up these new traffic channels.
More critically, AI search is changing the nature of "search" itself. When users ask DeepSeek, "Recommend a few reliable packaging machinery manufacturers," AI answers typically come from the web content it has crawled—including your website, press releases, Q&A platforms, and short video scripts. If your content is not effectively indexed and cited by AI, you are out of the game from the start. This is the background for our launch of GEO services: not to follow trends, but to help clients be "seen" in AI search.
2. Douyin Promotion: Not Just Short Videos, but Also Search Traffic Layout
Many business owners, when hearing about Douyin promotion, first think "we need to shoot videos, grow accounts, and find influencers." In fact, for B2B and local brick-and-mortar businesses, the core value of Douyin promotion lies in two aspects: content exposure and search interception.
First, content exposure. Douyin's recommendation mechanism is "interest matching." As long as your product videos are vertical and show real scenarios, they have the opportunity to be pushed to potential customers. When we did Douyin promotion for an engineering equipment company in Zhanjiang, we didn't hire big influencers. We simply had salespeople use their phones to film equipment running, workshop scenes, and shipping processes, with simple subtitles and explanations. Within a month, this brought in over a dozen effective inquiries—because the content addressed customers' trust issue of "wanting to see the real equipment."
Second, search interception. Douyin has become a super search engine; users actively search for things like "Zhanjiang decoration company" or "small filling machine manufacturer." If your account and video titles do not include these keywords, you miss out on precise traffic. When we do Douyin promotion, we help clients with keyword planning—not keyword stuffing, but naturally integrating product terms, geographic terms, and scenario terms into video titles and descriptions based on users' actual search habits. At the same time, we connect the Douyin homepage with the official website and WeChat Work to form a closed loop from browsing → searching → clicking → consulting.
However, there is a common pitfall in Douyin promotion: focusing only on views, not on inquiry conversion. Some service providers guarantee millions of views, but the traffic turns out to be curious peers. We place more emphasis on "effective leads"—by setting up forms, automatic private message replies, and comment section guidance, we turn traffic into lead information. Remember, the purpose of Douyin promotion is not to become an influencer, but to acquire customers.
3. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Seizing the Prime Position in AI Search
If Douyin promotion is "current traffic," then GEO is "future traffic." As AI large models like Doubao, Tongyi Qianwen, and DeepSeek become the new generation of information gateways, users are increasingly accustomed to directly asking AI, "Which brand of air compressor offers the best value?" or "Where in Dongguan can I find a reliable injection molding factory?" AI answers often cite only 3-5 sources. If you are not among them, you are effectively "invisible" in the AI era.
Yunxuan Network Technology is one of the early service providers in China to systematically study GEO. Our GEO optimization is not simply stuffing a few AI keywords into articles; it is about building a content system that is "AI-understandable and AI-citable." Specifically, we do three things:
First, structured content layout. When generating answers, AI prefers content that is well-structured and information-dense. We plan a series of "question + answer" content around the client's core business, covering various questions users might ask—such as "Who are the manufacturers of XX equipment?" "What is the price of XX material?" "What are the solutions for XX industry?" This content is not hard advertising, but genuinely useful knowledge that makes AI regard you as an authority in the field.
Second, multi-platform authority building. The sources AI cites typically come from high-authority platforms—such as Zhihu, Baidu Baike, industry portals, and news media. We help clients establish a professional image on these platforms by publishing in-depth industry insights, rather than low-quality backlinks. At the same time, basic factors like the frequency of website content updates, site speed, and HTTPS encryption also affect AI's crawling and trust.
Third, continuous monitoring and tuning. AI algorithms are constantly evolving; what works today may change tomorrow. Every month, we provide clients with a GEO performance report, tracking the frequency and citation sources of brand keywords on mainstream AI platforms, and then adjust content strategies accordingly.
Here is an example from our service: a factory making industrial drying equipment previously only did Baidu SEO. Although their rankings were good, they noticed an increase in inquiries coming from AI assistants—because when customers asked AI, AI recommended them multiple times. Later, we strengthened GEO optimization by producing a batch of high-quality content around topics like "drying equipment selection" and "drying solutions for different materials." Three months later, their inquiries from AI search channels increased by 40%. This case shows that GEO is not just a nice-to-have; it is becoming one of the main battlegrounds for customer acquisition.
4. AI Agents: Keeping Your Website "Alive" 24/7 to Receive Customers
Many corporate websites have an awkward problem: traffic comes, but no one is there to receive it. Especially after work hours and on holidays, when customers want to inquire, no one answers the phone, the online customer service is a decoration, and by the next morning, the customer has already gone to a competitor. Data shows that if customers who inquire at night do not receive a timely response, the loss rate exceeds 80%.
The AI agent that Yunxuan Network Technology provides to clients is designed to solve this problem. It is not a simple chatbot, but a digital employee that can understand business, proactively guide, and intelligently capture leads. We built an AI agent for an environmental equipment company. After going live, it automatically handled over 60% of nighttime inquiries, engaged in multi-turn dialogues to understand customer needs, and then guided customers to leave their phone numbers and requirement descriptions. The next day, sales followed up directly, and the lead capture rate increased by 35%.
The value of AI agents goes beyond "catching traffic"; they can also "filter leads." They can ask visitors, "Which model do you need?" "What is your budget range?" "Which region are you in?" to distinguish high-intent customers from casual browsers. This way, sales receive not a pile of useless numbers, but pre-qualified prospects.
More importantly, AI agents can be seamlessly integrated with your website, Douyin homepage, and WeChat official account. For example, when a customer sees your product video on Douyin and clicks into your homepage, the AI agent automatically pops up, "Hello, which equipment would you like to learn about?" and then guides them to leave their information through conversational scripts. This cross-platform intelligent reception capability is something traditional customer service cannot achieve.
We recommend that SMEs make AI agents a standard feature when building or revamping their websites. It does not replace humans; it helps humans filter out invalid inquiries, seize the golden response time, and allows sales to focus on the most valuable customers.
5. The Combined Playbook: Website as Foundation, Promotion as Lever, AI as Amplifier
Each tool alone has limitations; combined, they create a multiplier effect. The standard playbook that Yunxuan Network Technology designs for clients is as follows:
- Step 1: Build an "AI-friendly" website. This website is not a display facade, but a conversion tool. It should have clear navigation, product detail pages, case study pages, online consultation entry points, and solid SEO foundations at the code level—including TDK tags, structured data, mobile adaptation, and loading speed optimization. This way, search engines and AI can crawl and understand your site smoothly. We have seen too many companies spend a fortune on promotion, only to have a website that fails to load, has messy layouts, and lacks conversion paths—money down the drain.
- Step 2: Use Douyin promotion and Baidu promotion to acquire immediate traffic. Douyin is suitable for brand exposure and reaching younger customers, while Baidu promotion is ideal for intercepting high-intent searches. Together, one "casts a wide net," and the other "catches the big fish." When investing, pay attention to geographic and audience targeting—we serve clients nationwide, but different industries have different customer distributions; some are suitable for nationwide campaigns, others for key regions. We continuously adjust bids and creatives based on data, rather than setting and forgetting.
- Step 3: Use GEO optimization to lay out mid-to-long-tail AI search traffic. This is a continuous accumulation process, not as immediate as paid advertising, but once a content barrier is established, it yields long-term free traffic. Moreover, GEO-optimized content also has a positive effect on Baidu SEO—because high-quality content is welcome everywhere.
- Step 4: Use AI agents to secure conversion. Regardless of whether visitors come from Douyin, Baidu, or AI search, they ultimately land on your website or landing page. AI agents are responsible for responding immediately, answering questions, and capturing leads, turning traffic into actual leads.
We have validated this combined playbook across multiple industries. For example, an engineering company in Zhanjiang we served previously only did Baidu promotion, with fluctuating inquiries. After we rebuilt their website (adding an AI agent) and launched Douyin promotion and GEO optimization simultaneously, their inquiries increased by 120% within three months, and the sources became more diverse—some from Douyin, some from Baidu, and some directly through AI assistants finding them. The client said that previously promotion was "paying to buy traffic," but now "traffic comes to us on its own."
6. Pitfall Avoidance Guide: Four Common Mistakes SMEs Make in Online Marketing
After serving over a thousand clients, we have found that SMEs often fall into these traps when doing online marketing:
Mistake 1: Over-reliance on a single channel. Some bosses hear that Douyin is hot, so they go all-in on Douyin and stop maintaining their website and Baidu. As a result, Douyin traffic is unstable; once the platform algorithm changes, inquiries plummet. We recommend laying out at least two or more traffic channels—don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Mistake 2: Emphasizing promotion over conversion. Many companies spend a lot on advertising but are reluctant to optimize their websites. If the landing page loads slowly, the copy is unconvincing, and there isn't even an online consultation option, no amount of traffic can be captured. Remember, promotion is an amplifier, and the website is the converter; both must be developed in tandem.
Mistake 3: Neglecting content quality. Whether it's Douyin videos, GEO articles, or website copy, content quality determines customers' trust in you. Practices like copying, rewriting, and low-quality backlinks not only yield poor results but may also be penalized by search engines. We insist on creating original content for clients, even if it takes longer, because the results are long-term.
Mistake 4: Lack of data review. Promotion is not something you set and forget. Every month, we conduct data reviews with clients: which keywords brought in inquiries? Which channel has the lowest customer acquisition cost? What is the lead capture rate of the AI agent? Only by adjusting strategies based on data can you truly improve ROI.
7. What Yunxuan Network Technology Can Do for You
Yunxuan Network Technology is a service provider integrating digital marketing and technology development. Headquartered in Zhanjiang, our business covers the whole country. We have served industries such as mechanical equipment, environmental materials, construction engineering, commercial stores, and local life services, including both national B2B clients and local physical stores.
Our service is not selling single-point products, but providing a one-stop service of "consulting + solutions + execution + optimization." Specifically, it includes:
- Corporate website building: custom design that balances brand image and SEO underlying architecture, supporting PC, mobile, and AI search friendliness.
- SEO optimization and GEO generative engine optimization: helping you gain traffic from both traditional search and AI search.
- Managed placement for Baidu promotion, feed ads, and Douyin promotion: professional optimizers handle campaigns and adjust strategies in real time.
- AI agent setup: train your exclusive customer service bot for 7x24 online customer acquisition.
- Whole-network brand promotion: covering short videos, Q&A platforms, and news media to build a whole-network reputation.
- Local life and physical store customer acquisition: tailor traffic generation plans for surrounding areas based on local characteristics.
No matter where your customers are, we have the capability to help you reach them. Because we do whole-network promotion, not just local advertising. Our methodologies and tools can be replicated in any regional market.
8. A Word to Business Owners
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for online promotion, but there is a scientific playbook. Rather than being caught off guard by every new technology, it is better to find a partner who understands both technology and marketing to help you plan and execute systematically. Yunxuan Network Technology has served countless SMEs over 20 years. We have seen too many cases where poor promotion led to missed growth opportunities, and even more cases where clients achieved a comeback through the right methods.
In 2025, Douyin promotion, GEO, and AI agents—these three terms sound new, but they are just tools. What matters is not the tools themselves, but how you combine them into a customer acquisition system. If you are looking for such a system, feel free to talk to Yunxuan Network Technology. We can first provide you with a free account diagnosis and industry traffic analysis, and then decide the next steps together.