Beyond SEO: Dusit Thanni's Simple Path To 40% More Traffic
The rules of search have changed, and most brands haven’t caught up. More than 50% of Google queries are now long-form, conversational questions like “best waterproof running shoes for city commuters under $150.”
If your content strategy is still built around keywords, you’re losing ground to brands that have already pivoted to what Chetan Patel, VP of Digital Marketing & eCommerce at Dusit International, calls “answer-first, solution-focused content.”
In his recent interview, he reveals how Dusit achieved 40% year-over-year traffic growth without bigger budgets simply by rethinking how content works in the age of AI search.
Hospitality and retail face the same reality where consumers research everywhere except your website, compare instantly, and drop off at the slightest friction. Dusit’s success holds a powerful lesson - when your content and customer journey are built around answers, not ads, discovery turns into demand.
4 Shifts Worth Stealing
1. From Keywords to Questions: The AI Search Pivot
“Search isn’t about keywords anymore,” Patel says. “It’s about how people ask.” AI search models now prioritise context, intent, and specificity. That means optimising for questions like “what’s the best eco-friendly moisturizer for sensitive skin?” — not just “skincare.”
Dusit saw a massive engagement when a cocktail video didn’t just entertain but answered questions: ingredient swaps, how-to tips, and where else to try the drink. That content didn’t just trend but it drove real bar visits.
💡 Retail takeaway: Build content that solves. Tutorials, product comparisons, Q&A-based pages — this is the new discovery funnel.
2. Platform-Native Content Wins Attention
Every channel rewards different behaviours. TikTok loves completion rates. Instagram favours the first three seconds. YouTube rewards depth. Patel’s team re-engineered every story for how audiences behave on each not by reposting, but by adapting format, pacing, and storytelling.
💡 Retail takeaway: That product launch deserves three creative versions: a watch-through TikTok, a scroll-stopping Instagram reel, and a narrative-driven YouTube story. Same message, different psychology.
3. Eliminate Friction, Increase Conversions
When Dusit required users to log in before seeing loyalty rates, bookings dropped. The fix? Move login after rate selection. Conversions immediately surpassed previous highs.
💡 Retail takeaway: Audit your customer journey ruthlessly. Every pop-up, login gate, or extra click silently bleeds revenue.
4. Turn Data into Action
“You can have all the data in the world,” Patel warns, “but the real challenge is making it actionable.” His solution was to integrate CRM, loyalty, and app data into a single ecosystem enabling both HQ marketers and on-site teams to personalise experiences in real time.
💡 Retail takeaway: Stop hoarding dashboards. Start unifying them.
The Future of Search Belongs to Problem Solvers
The customers typing long, specific AI queries aren’t browsing, they’re buying. If your brand isn’t showing up with the right answers, someone else’s will.
Watch the full 15-minute interview with Chetan Patel for a tactical breakdown on AI-optimised content, platform-native strategy, and the conversion fixes powering real growth.