Which organic channels are worth investing in over the next 3 years?

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Chapter 1: Awareness · Question 15
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive —&ldquo;Which channels offer the best ROI right now?&rdquo;
Strategies that worked three years ago may now be obsolete; some new channels are in a growth phase, where early entrants get the biggest share. I’ve categorized channels by ROI potential to help you decide where to focus your limited energy.
Channel tiers: Tier 1 / Tier 2 / Tier 3 Tier 1: Highest priority investment (high certainty, high ROI over the next 3 years) 1. AI Search Optimization (AIO / GEO)
This is the biggest growth opportunity over the next 3 years.
As AI tools like Baidu Wenxin Yiyán, Douyin Doubao, Kimi, Tongyi Qianwen become widespread, more and more search behavior is shifting from"Baidu one click" to"AI ask ". Being cited by AI = ranking #1 in the new era.
Why Tier 1:
User search behavior is migrating—this trend is irreversible
Current competition is low, offering strong first-mover advantage
Synergy with traditional SEO (good SEO content is easier to be cited by AI)
How to do it:
Structured content, authoritative source building, FAQ coverage, ensure content is crawlable by AI bots.
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)—but upgrade your approach
Traditional SEO isn’t dead, but it must evolve from"keyword ranking stacking" to"becoming an authoritative source in a specific field".
Key changes:
While Baidu traffic is declining, commercial-intent searches remain valuable
Search results are becoming increasingly diverse (videos, images, Q&A, AI summaries)
The core value of SEO has shifted from"driving clicks" to"building citable content assets" Tier 2: High potential but requires continuous investment 3. Xiaohongshu search + content
Xiaohongshu has evolved from"a product seeding platform"into"a search engine". Increasing numbers of users directly search for product reviews, tutorials, and guides on Xiaohongshu.
Data reference: Over 300 million monthly active users (source: QuestMobile public rankings), with about 70% engaging in search behavior (industry estimate). For consumer goods and lifestyle services, Xiaohongshu’s search traffic conversion rate even exceeds Baidu’s.
Suitable industries: Consumer goods, beauty, maternal & child, home, food & beverage, travel, education
4. Douyin search optimization
Douyin is not just a video-scrolling platform—daily PV for Douyin search has surpassed half of Baidu’s (industry estimate, based on public reports).
Characteristics of Douyin search:
Results are primarily short videos, low barrier to content consumption
Search and recommendation are interconnected (search behavior affects recommended traffic)
Local life search is growing rapidly
Suitable industries: Local services, education & training, e-commerce, knowledge monetization
5. WeChat ecosystem (Sousou + Official Accounts + Video Number)
WeChat Sousou’s search volume is growing rapidly, with unique advantages: it can index content within closed ecosystems such as official account articles, Video Number content, mini-programs, and Moments.
Official accounts remain a core acquisition channel for B2B
Video Number’s recommendation algorithm is maturing
Sousou integrates more external content sources Tier 3: Valuable in specific scenarios, but not universal 6. Zhihu
Zhihu’s traffic is declining, but for B2B, professional services, and high-ticket products, it remains a great place to build trust. Its strength lies in long content lifecycle—one good answer can drive traffic for 2–3 years.
7. Bilibili
Ideal for brand awareness and reaching younger audiences, but monetization takes longer. Suitable for long-term brand building in education, tech, and gaming sectors.
8. Podcasts
Chinese podcast listeners are growing rapidly, though absolute numbers remain small, but audience quality is extremely high (high education, high income, high decision-making power). Ideal for B2B brands and premium consumer goods.
Emerging channels: Worth watching but not yet mature
Channel | Opportunity | Risk
AI Agent as traffic entry point | AI assistants will recommend products/services—being recommended = free customer acquisition | Rules are opaque, hard to optimize
AI search engines (Perplexity-like) | Citation = exposure, high-trust traffic | Chinese coverage is still limited
Jike / Xiaoyuzhou | High-quality communities, fast word-of-mouth propagation | Limited user base
Declining channels (reduce investment) | 
Baidu Tieba — Activity continues to decline, content management is chaotic
Traditional forums/BBS — Although platforms like Tianya are still running, activity has dropped sharply, and they’ve largely exited mainstream traffic visibility; niche forums are also shrinking
QQ Space / QQ Groups — User demographics are aging, commercial value has decreased
Pure Baidu SEO (without AI optimization) — Traffic volume is shrinking
Practical recommendations
Immediately start AI search optimization: Check whether your core content can be correctly cited by AI search tools (Kimi, Doubao, Wenxin Yiyán). If not, prioritize solving issues related to content structure and crawlability
Choose Tier 2 channels based on business type: For B2C, prioritize Xiaohongshu + Douyin search; for B2B, prioritize WeChat ecosystem + Zhihu. Don’t overextend—focus on 1–2 channels for deep cultivation
Re-evaluate channel mix every six months: The traffic landscape is changing rapidly—what was optimal six months ago may already be outdated. Stay sensitive to new channels, but don’t chase every trend

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Which organic channels are worth investing in over the next 3 years?

Channel tiering: Tier 1 / Tier 2 / Tier 3

Tier 1 : Investissement prioritaire par excellence (forte certitude et haut ROI à venir dans les 3 prochaines années)

1. Search Optimization with AI (AIO / GEO)

2. Optimisation des moteurs de recherche (SEO) – mais avec une stratégie améliorée

Tier 2 : Haute potentielle mais nécessitant un investissement continu

3. Xiaohongshu search + content

4. Optimisation de la recherche sur Douyin

5. Écosystème WeChat (Sousi + Public Account + Video Number)

Tier 3 : valeur dans des scénarios spécifiques, mais non universel

6. Zhihu

7. Bilibili

8. Podcasts

Canal émergent : à surveiller mais encore en développement

Declining channels (reduce investment)

Practical recommendations

channel	Opportunités	Risk
AI Agent comme entrée de trafic	Les assistants IA recommandent des produits/services ; être recommandé = acquisition gratuite	Règles opaques, difficile à optimiser
Moteur de recherche IA (comme Perplexity)	Une citation = exposition ; trafic à haute confiance	Chinese coverage is still limited
Jike / Xiaoyuzhou	High-quality communities, fast word-of-mouth propagation	Limited user base