Over the past two years, the digital marketing industry has changed more dramatically than in the previous decade combined. Douyin has evolved from a content platform into a search entry point, Baidu has integrated AI into every search results page, and generative engines like Doubao, DeepSeek, and Qianwen are capturing users' first attention. Business owners are finding that the old playbook of "open an account, spend some money, wait for calls" is becoming less effective—not because the platforms are failing, but because users' decision-making paths have been completely restructured.
Having served SMEs nationwide for many years, our biggest takeaway at Yunxuan Network Technology is that many clients do value online promotion but are confused about whom to trust amid the changes. One day they hear Douyin promotion is a must, the next day SEO is declared dead, and then GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) emerges as the next big thing—all sounding quite mystical. As a service provider that handles both technical development and full-funnel marketing, we want to share our perspective on this industry shift, explain how enterprises should respond, and why "performance-based customer acquisition" is becoming the ultimate litmus test in digital marketing.
1. The Underlying Logic of Digital Marketing Has Changed: From "Grabbing Positions" to "Grabbing Answers"
Previously, online promotion was about grabbing positions: the top ten results on Baidu, the first three slots in Douyin's feed where users linger a few seconds longer. Whoever bid higher or had stronger content got the traffic. The customer acquisition formula was simple: impressions × click-through rate × conversion rate. As long as a company invested in Baidu promotion and had a decent corporate website, inquiries were usually not too bad.
Now, that's no longer the case. Two significant shifts are occurring in user behavior.
First, search entry points are fragmenting. A young person researching a product might first ask Douyin, then DeepSeek, and only later turn to Baidu. This means if a company only does SEO on Baidu, it's effectively shutting out more than half of its potential customers. Second, users no longer want "a list of links" but "an answer." Previously, searching for "engineering anti-corrosion company" would lead users to open several top-ranking websites and compare them one by one. Now, when they ask a generative engine "Which anti-corrosion engineering company in Zhanjiang has a good reputation?" the AI provides a summary, and whoever is mentioned gets the business; those not mentioned don't even get a chance to be clicked.
This shift presents both challenges and opportunities for SMEs. The challenge is that while you used to be able to buy exposure with money, now you must align content, technology, and channels. The opportunity is that most enterprises haven't reacted yet; those who first complete the transition from "grabbing positions" to "grabbing answers" can acquire more precise customers at lower costs.
Yunxuan Network Technology has been focusing on GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) over the past two years specifically to address this trend. Simply put, GEO isn't about advertising on AI platforms; it's about optimizing a company's content layout, semantic structure, and knowledge graph across the web so that generative engines like Doubao, Qianwen, and DeepSeek are more likely to cite and recommend you when generating answers. This is somewhat like early SEO, but the search engine has evolved from "crawlers" to "large models," and keywords have become "question contexts." We already have clients who, through GEO optimization, have become the default recommendation in their category on AI platforms, doubling their inquiry volume.
2. Is Douyin Promotion Still Worth It? Yes, But the Game Has Completely Changed
Many business owners ask us: Has Douyin promotion reached saturation? Seeing others burn money on feed ads without results, should we pull out?
Our answer has always been: Douyin isn't something you can't do; you just can't use the 2020 methods. Early Douyin promotion was about competing on creative materials and bids; a single viral video could bring thousands of leads. Now, users have become more immune to ads, and the platform's algorithms are smarter. Relying solely on paid ads to leverage organic traffic is difficult. However, Douyin search traffic is surging—users search for "which renovation company is good" or "what delicious food is nearby" on Douyin, and these search behaviors carry much stronger commercial intent than casual browsing.
So, the core of Douyin promotion now isn't "advertising" but "seeding." Enterprises need to continuously publish content related to products, services, and cases on Douyin, turning their accounts into "living official websites" that answer user questions. Then, use feed ads to amplify videos that perform well organically, making ad budgets more targeted. We once worked with a small machinery factory that initially only ran feed ads, resulting in high costs and poor conversions. After we restructured their content strategy—creating a series of short videos featuring factory footage, technical explanations, and customer cases—and promoted them with Dou+ and search ads, their cost per lead dropped by 40% within three months, and the leads were B2B clients with clear needs.
More importantly, Douyin content can serve as a repository for GEO and SEO optimization. When AI generates answers, it tends to cite brands that have high-quality content across multiple platforms. Every piece of professional content you post on Douyin could become "evidence" for generative engines. So Douyin promotion is no longer an isolated channel; it's a piece of the entire digital marketing puzzle, working in tandem with your website, Baidu, and AI platforms.
3. Performance-Based Customer Acquisition: From "Ad Mindset" to "User Mindset"
The term "performance-based customer acquisition" has been tossed around for years, but few truly understand it. Many enterprises think it means paying only for results, like CPA or CPS, believing this eliminates risk. But in practice, if your website has poor conversion capabilities, slow customer service response, and unconvincing content, even if the ad platform sends you 10,000 visitors, you won't be able to handle them.
We often say: Ads are only responsible for inviting guests to your door; whether you can close the deal depends on your "reception capability." This reception capability is the combined performance of your corporate website, landing pages, AI agents, customer service scripts, and sales follow-up. That's why Yunxuan Network Technology insists on integrating website building, promotion, AI tools, and GEO optimization—these elements are interconnected. A great Douyin promotion plan is useless if the landing page takes too long to load or isn't mobile-optimized; users will swipe away in 0.5 seconds. Similarly, a precise Baidu keyword won't help if your website lacks substance, case studies, and trust signals; users won't leave their contact information.
So, the essence of performance-based customer acquisition is helping enterprises turn every traffic entry point into a "converter." When we create a plan for a client, the first step is never to rush into advertising; it's to diagnose their website, content, and customer service chain to identify bottlenecks. For instance, some corporate websites were built five years ago and still display the PC version on mobile, requiring users to zoom in to read. Others have no online customer service, so nighttime inquiries go unanswered until the next morning, by which time the user may have contacted a competitor. If these issues aren't resolved, no amount of ad spend will be effective.
Last year, we provided full-service management for an environmental equipment company. We first rebuilt their website with mobile optimization and basic SEO, then deployed an AI agent that could answer customer questions 24/7 about product specs, quotation timelines, and after-sales policies. Only after everything was ready did we launch Baidu and Douyin campaigns. With the same budget, their inquiry volume nearly tripled, and many inquiries came in late at night through the AI agent, allowing sales to follow up on high-intent leads the next morning. This is the typical approach of performance-based customer acquisition: not chasing traffic volume but optimizing conversion efficiency at every step.
4. Digital Marketing Enters the "Dual-Engine" Era: SEO and GEO Must Work Together
If the core of digital marketing a few years ago was "search + feed," it's now becoming a dual-engine structure of "traditional search + AI generative engines." Traditional search engines like Baidu and Google remain important; they are the foundation of corporate website traffic. But generative engines like Doubao, DeepSeek, and Qianwen are rapidly capturing users' "first answer" mindset—users no longer need to open ten web pages to compare; AI gives them an integrated conclusion directly.
What does this mean for enterprises? It means if your information isn't indexed or cited by AI, you're "invisible" in the new search scenario. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) helps enterprises build visibility under these new rules. It's not about buying ad slots but using technical and content strategies to make AI more likely to recommend your brand as the answer during training and inference.
At Yunxuan Network Technology, we integrate SEO and GEO into the same framework. Traditional SEO ensures your website ranks high on Baidu, while GEO ensures your brand is mentioned in AI answers. Both share the same content assets but with different outputs. For example, when writing technical articles for an industrial door company, we consider both Baidu keyword density and AI's semantic preferences. The FAQ page on the website is structured data that Baidu likes, but it's also formatted as Q&A that AI can easily crawl. This way, one set of content benefits both systems.
We've noticed that many peers are still applying old SEO tactics to GEO, like keyword stuffing and link schemes. In the AI era, this is not only ineffective but could be penalized. Generative engines value content authority, relevance, and information structure. So when doing GEO optimization, we help clients map out their business knowledge graph—what industry they're in, what products they offer, what problems they solve, and what cases they have—then reorganize content in a way AI can understand. This process demands technical expertise, which is why Yunxuan Network Technology dares to make GEO a core service: we have 20 years of website development experience and continuously track AI algorithm updates.
5. National Promotion Doesn't Mean "Casting a Wide Net": Local and National Strategies Must Be Differentiated
Many SMEs dread the idea of "national promotion," thinking it's only for big companies. But national promotion doesn't mean advertising everywhere; it means using digital means to let customers with needs across the country find you. Yunxuan Network Technology is headquartered in Zhanjiang, but our clients span the nation, from manufacturing plants in the Pearl River Delta to trading companies in the Yangtze River Delta and engineering firms in the north. Our experience shows that national promotion must be differentiated: some businesses suit a nationwide rollout, while others are better served by deep local cultivation. The tactics are completely different.
For example, we served a local engineering company in Zhanjiang whose business radius was mainly in western Guangdong, but they hoped to win more projects in the Pearl River Delta. Our plan: their website and Baidu promotion covered the nation, focusing on generic terms like "anti-corrosion engineering" and "steel structure construction." Simultaneously, we implemented GEO optimization to make them a recommended option for engineering services in South China on AI searches. We also used Douyin promotion to post videos of large project construction processes, attracting attention from clients outside the region. This combination not only solidified their local market but also brought in several out-of-province inquiries.
Conversely, some businesses with highly standardized products and convenient logistics are naturally suited for the national market. For instance, a small electronic components factory we served could ship nationwide. We focused on SEO optimization and Baidu promotion, targeting long-tail keywords for distributors and purchasers across the country, and used an AI agent to handle nighttime inquiries. Now, less than 30% of their customers are from Guangdong; the rest come from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and elsewhere. This proves that for SMEs, the key to national promotion isn't budget size but strategy correctness.
One caution: many enterprises fall into the trap of "biting off more than they can chew." They see others succeeding with Douyin and jump in, then rush to GEO when they see competitors leading, but they dabble in each channel without forming a complete customer acquisition loop. Digital marketing isn't a lottery; it's not about luck with any single channel. It's a systematic project. That's why Yunxuan Network Technology offers full-service management: we've found that only when website building, SEO, GEO, Douyin promotion, and AI agents are planned and executed in a coordinated manner can performance-based customer acquisition be maximized.
6. Three Suggestions for SMEs Nationwide: Treat Digital Marketing as a Long-Term Investment
Drawing on 20 years of client service, we'd like to offer three suggestions to enterprises that are either considering or already investing in digital marketing.
First, stop asking questions like "How long until I see results from online promotion?" The effectiveness of digital marketing depends on industry competition, budget scale, and execution quality—there's no standard answer. We've seen clients reach the first page of SEO in three months, while others struggle on the second page for six months. Instead of worrying about time, focus on whether each step is executed properly. If your website's conversion rate is only 1%, more traffic is just waste. If your content quality is subpar, why would AI recommend you?
Second, shift your budget from "buying traffic" to "buying conversion capability." Many companies are willing to spend tens of thousands on ads but hesitate to spend a few thousand optimizing their website. That's putting the cart before the horse. Ads are amplifiers; your website and customer service system are the foundation. If the foundation is shaky, the amplifier only magnifies problems. We recommend allocating at least 30% of your budget to website upgrades, content creation, and AI tool deployment. These investments may not generate direct inquiries in the short term, but in the long run, they determine how low your customer acquisition cost can go.
Third, when choosing a service provider, don't just look at the quote; examine their technical depth and industry understanding. The bar for digital marketing is rising. Previously, knowing how to run ads was enough to start an agency; now you also need to understand AI, GEO, and the content ecosystem. Yunxuan Network Technology can serve clients nationwide because we have a technical development team for underlying architecture, a marketing team for full-channel campaigns, and a dedicated research group tracking Baidu algorithm and generative engine updates. This way, clients don't need to coordinate with five or six vendors; one team can manage everything from start to finish.
Finally, remember: digital marketing changes never stop. Today Douyin promotion is mainstream; tomorrow a new platform may emerge. Today GEO is a novel concept; in two years, it might become standard. What enterprises can do isn't chase every trend but build a digital marketing system that adapts to change—your website is the base, content is ammunition, AI is the weapon, and data is the navigation. Yunxuan Network Technology is willing to accompany enterprises nationwide in building this system, making every click closer to a deal and every inquiry more qualified. Performance-based customer acquisition is never just a slogan; it's what we help clients achieve every day.