Digital marketing ideas from the West don’t always work well in the Asian market, especially China. One of the hardest things to do is to learn Baidu, which is the best Chinese search engine.
You could say that Baidu is like Google in China. In China, Google isn’t very present, even though it has 81.95% of the global search market. Baidu is the leader in a country with 1.4 billion people, with about 70% of all searches going to it. This means that there is a big audience ready to be grabbed, but it also means that you need to know everything there is to know about Baidu SEO and marketing in China.
We’ve put together a complete guide to help you get there. It goes over the most important parts of the Baidu search engine and how to make your website work best with this huge market.
What Is Baidu?
Baidu is a Chinese multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products. Its main service is the Baidu search engine, which is the most popular search engine in China. Founded in 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu, Baidu provides a range of services, including:
- Web Search: Similar to Google, users can search for websites, images, videos, and other types of content.
- Maps: Provides mapping services, including navigation and location-based searches.
- Baidu Knows: A Q&A platform where users can ask and answer questions.
- Baidu Tieba: A popular social forum network where users can create and join communities.
- Baidu Baike: An online encyclopedia maintained by users, similar to Wikipedia.
Baidu also invests in artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, and other advanced technologies. It is often compared to Google due to its wide range of services and dominant position in the Chinese market.
Why Optimize Your Content for Baidu?
Optimizing your content for Baidu is essential if you want to succeed in the Chinese market. Here are some key reasons why Baidu optimization should be a priority:
Dominant Market Share: Baidu holds a dominant share of the search engine market in China, with 53.11% of searches as of July 2024. This dominance means that a significant portion of your target audience is using Baidu to search for products, services, and information. To reach this audience effectively, your content needs to be optimized for Baidu’s search algorithms.
Search Engine Market Share in China – July 2024
- Baidu: 53.11%
- Bing: 31.53%
- Haosou: 7.21%
- Sogou: 4.36%
- Shema: 1.88%
- Google: 1.83%
Localized Search Algorithms: Baidu’s search algorithms are specifically tailored to the Chinese language and cultural nuances. Unlike Google, Baidu places a strong emphasis on local relevance, user behavior and regional content. Understanding and adapting to these unique ranking factors is critical to improving your visibility on Baidu.
Consumer Behavior Insights: Chinese Internet users have different search behaviors and preferences than their global counterparts. Baidu’s algorithms take these behaviors into account, making it essential for businesses to align their SEO strategies with local search patterns. For example, users in China may use different keywords and phrases than those in other regions, and Baidu prioritizes content that aligns with these local preferences.
Increased Engagement: Optimizing for Baidu can lead to higher engagement rates from Chinese users. When your content is relevant and optimized for local search behavior, users are more likely to find and interact with your site. This increased engagement can lead to better conversion rates and a stronger presence in the Chinese market.
6 Tips to Enhance Your Baidu SE
Get a license from ICP.
Running a website in China requires a license in Internet Content Provider (ICP). Every website housed in China must possess this permit, which the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) grants.
To be granted an ICP license, you either have to open a business in China or deal with a Chinese corporation. One can apply for an ICP license via a licensed hosting provider or on the MIIT website. You will have to supply the relevant data, including details on the registration of your company and a Chinese contact agent. Although the approval procedure might take several weeks, obtaining an ICP license is crucial for enhancing your Baidu SEO since it indicates that you are according to Chinese legislation and will help your website to be more credible and easily found in China.
Choose easy to read characters.
For Baidu SEO, you have to utilize simplified Chinese characters. Simplified Chinese is the official writing code used in mainland China. Most Chinese Internet users prefer their new Chinese characters over the conventional ones. Make sure Simplified Chinese accurately translates all you write. Use not machine translation if you seek accuracy and quality. Rather, hire a professional translator. Regular updates help your material remain engaging and fresh for Chinese readers.
Work with Baidu Zhidao and Zhihu
Particularly well-known are Chinese Q&A sites Baidu Zhidao and Zhihu. They resemble Quora really strongly. By increasing visitors to your website and establishing yourself as a subject-matter authority, using these sites will assist your SEO. Provide excellent, high-quality responses to key queries in your field and, where it makes sense, link to your website. Regular participation in debates will help you to boost your reputation and visibility.
Become Visible on Baidu Baike
For Chinese users, Baidu Baike—which functions similarly to Wikipedia—is a trustworthy resource. Having a page on Baidu Baike will boost your SEO and business’s legitimacy. Verify that your Baidu Baike listings are accurate, exhaustive, and grounded in much research. Update your listings about your company and the location you operate in often with fresh data. Linkages to your website will increase visitor count and improve your SEO.
Improve the functioning of your website on mobile devices.
Given most Chinese consumers access the internet on their phones, mobile optimization is quite crucial for Baidu SEO. Every month in March 2024, some 676 million users of the Chinese search engine behemoth used their app. Using flexible design will help your site look excellent and function on all devices. Make sure on mobile devices photos and movies load fast. Simplify browsing to improve the mobile experience and cut out extraneous items.
Use HTTPS rather than HTTP.
Because HTTPS indicates a site’s dependability and safety, Baidu prefers websites using it. Changing from HTTP to HTTPS will improve your SEO and win consumers’ confidence. To move to HTTPS, obtain an SSL certificate from a respectable provider and place it on your web server. Change all of your internal links to utilize HTTPS rather than HTTP, then set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS to maintain your SEO results. Change your XML Sitemap last and forward it to Baidu.
Conclusion on Baidu SEO
Investing in these strategies not only improves your search rankings, but also builds trust and credibility with Chinese consumers. As China continues to be a leading global market, aligning your digital presence with Baidu’s requirements will position your business for long-term growth and success.
Navigating Baidu’s SEO can be complex, but you don’t have to do it alone. EC Innovations offers professional Chinese translation services to help companies like yours optimize content for Baidu and the Chinese market. Contact us now to start your journey to success on Baidu.
