Over the past decade, the most common complaint from enterprises about online promotion was, "We spent money, but customers didn't come." Today, the problem is more complex—customers are coming, but can your website, your content, and your response speed retain them? Digital marketing in 2025 is no longer an era where "casting a wide net across multiple platforms" works. The rise of AI search, generative engines, and intelligent customer service is reshaping how users access information and redefining the standards for "performance-based lead generation."
As a service provider with 20 years of experience in the internet industry, Zhanjiang Huasu Technology (hereinafter referred to as "Huasu Tech") interacts with enterprise clients from all over the country every day. They include engineering equipment manufacturers, foreign trade factories, and local retail stores. The challenges they face are strikingly similar: Baidu promotion costs are rising but returns are diminishing; Douyin content creates little inquiry; and their websites are stagnant. These symptoms do not mean that promotion channels are ineffective; rather, the user's decision-making path has changed.
1. User Information Access Paths Are Being Reshaped by AI
In the past, when users had a need, they would open Baidu, search for keywords, and click on websites or ads in the search results. This was a linear path: search, click, browse, and inquire. Now, more and more users—especially the younger generation—directly open AI tools like Doubao, DeepSeek, or Qianwen and ask natural language questions: "Which factory produces high-quality custom equipment within a budget of 500,000 yuan?" The AI synthesizes information from the entire web and generates a recommendation list, rather than traditional blue links.
This means if your business is not mentioned in AI-generated content, or is mentioned in a negative or insufficient way, you lose that potential customer. This is no longer fully solvable by traditional SEO; it requires a new optimization method—GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Huasu Tech began investing in GEO technology two years ago to help clients build brand visibility in the AI search ecosystem. We don't simply stuff keywords into content; we restructure a company's information architecture based on AI's crawling and generation logic, so that when AI answers user questions, it naturally recommends your business.
2. The Core of Performance-Based Lead Generation: Full-Chain Thinking from Traffic to Conversion
Many business owners complain, "We're doing Baidu promotion and getting thousands of impressions, but no inquiries." Where is the problem? The gap between "traffic" and "conversion" is enormous. Traffic only brings users to you; conversion makes them willing to leave contact information, initiate a consultation, or place an order. This requires a persuasive website, professional content, and fast response times.
When serving clients nationwide, Huasu Tech adheres to one principle: we don't just look at campaign data; we focus on inquiry conversion rates. We helped an engineering company in Zhanjiang that had been running Baidu promotion on their own, spending hundreds of yuan daily but receiving few valid consultations. After taking over, we didn't rush to increase the budget. Instead, we conducted a comprehensive "lead generation health check"—analyzing the search term report, we found that 60% of clicks came from long-tail keywords related to "price," but the client's website homepage had no pricing information or quotation explanations. Users didn't find what they wanted and left.
We restructured the client's business scenarios, optimized the website structure, added specific case studies, service processes, and FAQs, and even implemented an AI agent to provide instant responses after hours. Then, we adjusted the Baidu promotion strategy to focus on high-intent long-tail keywords, combined with GEO optimization, so the client could also be recommended in AI searches. Three months later, the client's inquiry volume increased by 180%, and the quality of inquiries improved significantly, with the closing rate doubling. This case demonstrates that performance-based lead generation is not a single-point optimization but a collaborative effort across the entire chain: channel, content, website, response, and follow-up.
3. Baidu Promotion Remains Important, but the Game Has Changed
Despite the rise of AI search, Baidu promotion remains a vital channel for national enterprises, especially for B2B and local services. However, the gameplay is vastly different. The old model of "buy keywords, set bids, write creatives" is increasingly unprofitable. The reason is simple: users are more immune to ads and demand more trustworthy content.
When helping clients with Baidu promotion, Huasu Tech emphasizes "content-driven ads" and "conversion-oriented landing pages." We don't just write "Professional production of XX equipment, competitive prices." Instead, we incorporate real case studies, technical specifications, service guarantees, and even user reviews to create persuasive landing pages. At the same time, we use tools like Baidu Jumu to set up multiple conversion entry points—forms, phone calls, and online consultations—and deploy AI agents to provide 24/7 automatic reception. This way, every click from an ad has the potential to become a valuable inquiry lead.
We served a foreign trade manufacturing factory that mainly targeted overseas markets but also received domestic inquiries. Previously, they only bid on Baidu brand keywords, with almost no effect. We redefined their keyword strategy to include long-tail terms like "export quality," "factory direct sales," and "custom processing," and combined it with GEO optimization so their website could be recommended in AI searches. We also developed a multilingual version of their website and deployed an AI agent to automatically answer common questions from overseas customers. Now, their domestic inquiries have increased by 120%, and overseas inquiries by 30%.
4. GEO Optimization: Seizing the Traffic Dividend of AI Search
If Baidu promotion is "proactive outreach," then GEO optimization is "passive interception." When users ask AI questions, whether your business appears in the recommendation list directly determines whether you get this high-quality traffic. GEO optimization is not simple keyword stuffing; it requires understanding how AI crawls information, judges authority, and generates answers.
Huasu Tech's GEO optimization service includes three layers: First, content restructuring. We analyze how AI platforms answer questions in specific industries and help businesses produce content that fits those patterns, such as FAQs, comparison articles, and how-to guides, making it easier for AI to crawl and cite. Second, structured markup. We embed Schema markup in website code to help AI understand page content more accurately and increase the chance of being recommended. Third, authority building. We help businesses build high-quality industry backlinks and brand endorsements to enhance trust in AI algorithms.
We helped a tech company specializing in smart devices with GEO optimization. Their products were niche, with long decision cycles, and traditional advertising was ineffective. We produced a series of in-depth technical articles and solution guides around their products and published them on high-authority platforms. We also optimized the website's FAQ page to cover the top 20 questions users cared about. Three months later, when users asked DeepSeek, "Which smart device manufacturer is trustworthy?" their brand was mentioned three times, compared to zero before optimization. As a result, organic website traffic increased by 90%, and inquiries steadily rose.
5. AI Agents: Ensuring Inquiry Conversion Never Fails
Many enterprises have experienced this: a potential customer visits your website at night, wants to inquire, but no one responds, so they close the page and go to a competitor. Traditional customer service cannot provide 24/7 availability, but AI agents can perfectly solve this. The AI agents Huasu Tech builds are not just simple auto-replies; they are "digital sales assistants" that understand business logic, identify potential customers, and conduct initial screening and guidance.
We launched an AI agent for a retail store client, deployed on their website and WeChat mini-program. When users inquire, the agent asks key questions like "Are you looking for wholesale or retail?" and "Do you have specific product requirements?" and then recommends relevant product pages or promotional information. If users leave contact information, the agent automatically notifies the sales team and organizes the conversation transcript for follow-up. After launch, the store's nighttime consultation conversion rate increased by 35%, and lead capture rate by 60%.
For nationwide enterprises, AI agents break down geographic and time barriers. Regardless of which city or time zone a customer is in, they receive instant responses. This not only improves user experience but also greatly enhances inquiry conversion efficiency.
6. Full-Case Digital Marketing Management: Let Professionals Do What They Do Best
Many SME owners don't have the time or energy to study constantly changing platform rules, algorithm updates, and tool iterations. Today they learn Baidu promotion, tomorrow Douyin operations, and the next day AI search—this is too costly for them. Huasu Tech's full-case digital marketing management service is designed to solve this problem.
We integrate "website building—promotion—AI tools—GEO optimization" into a closed loop. Clients only need to tell us their business goals and budget; we handle the rest. We provide regular data reports so clients know exactly where every penny is spent and what results it brings—impressions, clicks, and inquiries. Among our clients are foreign trade companies in Guangzhou, restaurant chains in Chengdu, e-commerce brands in Hangzhou, and engineering service providers in Xi'an. Their common goal is to achieve the most certain results with the least effort.
Full-case management is not simple "agency operation"; it is about developing personalized lead generation strategies based on a deep understanding of the client's business. For example, for B2B enterprises, we focus more on Baidu promotion and GEO optimization; for B2C stores, we emphasize Douyin local life and short-video traffic. We dynamically adjust strategies based on industry characteristics, target audience, and competitive environment to maximize results.
7. Synergy Between Local Lead Generation and National Promotion
Some people think that doing national promotion means you can't focus on the local market, or that local lead generation can't cover the whole country. In fact, these can be synergistic. Huasu Tech is headquartered in Zhanjiang, but we serve clients across the country. For local brick-and-mortar stores, we leverage Baidu Maps, Dianping, and Douyin local life to precisely attract customers within a few kilometers. For national enterprises, we use full-network promotion to cover search engines, short-video platforms, and industry websites to achieve brand exposure and inquiry collection.
We helped a construction decoration company in Zhanjiang that needed both local projects and orders from other regions. We developed a "local + national" dual-track strategy: locally, we used Baidu promotion and local life platforms to target keywords like "Zhanjiang decoration company" and acquire nearby customers; nationally, we used GEO optimization and Douyin promotion to produce content like "construction decoration case studies" and "decoration pitfall guides" to attract attention from clients in other provinces. Now, this company has stable local projects and also receives orders from Hainan, Guangxi, and other regions.
8. Five Key Actions for Enterprise Lead Generation in 2025
Based on our experience serving clients nationwide, we recommend that enterprises take the following five key actions in 2025 to adapt to AI search changes: First, re-evaluate your website. Your website is not a business card; it's your digital salesperson. Ensure it is compatible with desktop, mobile, and AI retrieval, with professional, structured content and fast loading speed. Second, invest in GEO optimization. Don't wait until your competitors are already appearing in AI search results. Start now to let AI recognize and recommend you. Third, upgrade your Baidu promotion strategy. Move away from broad casting and toward content-driven, precise, conversion-oriented campaigns. Fourth, deploy AI agents. Ensure every potential customer gets an immediate response, so you never miss a lead. Fifth, establish a data monitoring system. Use data to drive decisions and continuously optimize your lead generation chain.
As a full-chain service provider with 20 years of experience, Huasu Tech has helped numerous national enterprises leap from traffic to inquiry. We are not just a promotion company, nor a pure technical development team; we combine both to provide truly effective lead generation solutions. Whether your business is in a big city or a small town, in manufacturing or retail, if you are struggling with customer acquisition, feel free to talk to Huasu Tech. We will develop a practical lead generation plan based on your business characteristics, ensuring every promotion budget is spent wisely.
In an era where AI search is reshaping customer acquisition, choosing the right partner is more important than ever. Huasu Tech is willing to be your reliable partner on the path to digital growth, embracing the new era of performance-based lead generation together.