Generative Search Optimization: Reimagining Brand Marketing in the AI Era
When AI Becomes the Ultimate Shopping Assistant
Imagine asking an AI, “Find me a sunscreen for oily skin under $50” – in 2025, such conversational searches happen over 80 million times daily on platforms like DeepSeek and Doubao. A Boston Consulting Group survey reveals a striking trend: 28% of Chinese consumers now rely on AI recommendations for cosmetics, with this number soaring to 47% among Gen Z.
The GSO Paradigm: From Search Engine Optimization to Answer Generation
Traditional SEO focused on keyword rankings. Generative Search Optimization (GSO) represents a radical shift – making brand content the default answer in AI-generated responses.
Key Algorithmic Preferences
Research from Chinese AI giant Mingxi Technology highlights three critical factors that influence AI content selection:
- Authoritative Sources: Content referencing national statistics or industry reports sees a 62% higher citation rate.
- Contextual Relevance: Descriptions with specific tags like “Must-Have for New Moms” or “Camping Essential” boost click-through rates by 300%.
- Multimodal Content: Combining images, videos, and data visualizations increases AI reference probability by 40%.
A prime example is the beauty brand Huaxizi. By transforming product manuals into 500 scenario-based Q&As and embedding user review videos, they increased their AI search exposure by 320% in just three months.
Three Major Trends in China’s 2025 GSO Landscape
1. Platform Wars: AI Search Positioning by Tech Giants
- Baidu Ecosystem: Wenxin Yiyan + DeepSeek covers 120 million business users, with Baidu’s content receiving a 78% priority in AI answers.
- Tencent Ecosystem: WeChat’s embedded Yuanbao AI boosts service account FAQ document engagement by 65%.
- ByteDance Ecosystem: Douyin’s Doubao AI enables real-time video content analysis. Clothing brand UR reduced customer acquisition costs by 42% by embedding product specifications.
2. Content Infrastructure Revolution: From Keyword Databases to Knowledge Graphs
The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology recommends a three-tier content structure:
- Foundation Layer: Technical product specifications
- Scenario Layer: User decision-making tags
- Cognitive Layer: Industry knowledge integration
Haier’s approach is noteworthy: They developed a semantic library with 2,000 home appliance usage scenarios, increasing their dehumidifier recommendations in AI responses from 17% to 53%.
3. The Hidden Tech Battle: Large Model Training Data Competition
Top AI platforms refresh their data source whitelist quarterly. Q1 2025’s top three content types:
- National Quality Inspection Center Reports (38% weight)
- Highly-upvoted Zhihu long-form articles (29%)
- Douyin videos with million-view captions (21%)
Practical GSO Strategy: A Five-Step Guide for Brands
1, Structured Knowledge
- Deconstruct product manuals into Q&A formats
- Example: Babycare’s “Parenting Survival Guide for 0-3 Years”
2, Scenario Granularization
- Generate 500+ long-tail questions
- Use AI content analysis tools to match user intent
3, Trust Signaling
- Embed third-party certification data
- Certified content sees a 55% higher AI citation rate
4, Multimodal Penetration
- Add AI-readable subtitles to product videos
- Douyin tests show 70% improved AI parsing efficiency
5, Dynamic Competitive Monitoring
- Track competitor AI answer presence
- Real-time content optimization
Conclusion: The Three-Year Window of Opportunity
Gartner predicts that by 2026, AI-driven purchase decisions will exceed 40% of the Chinese market, with traditional search traffic declining by 52%.
The ultimate marketing battlefield is no longer prime e-commerce real estate, but that single line of recommendation in an AI conversation box.
The new golden rule? “Make AI believe your product is the best.”