Baidu is the leading search engine in China, making it an essential platform for businesses targeting the Chinese market. To succeed on Baidu, it’s crucial to optimize your website using effective strategies. In this article, we’ll explore the top 10 Baidu search engine optimization (SEO) practices that can help improve your website’s visibility and drive organic traffic.
With the right SEO strategy, marketers can seize the opportunity to improve their content ranking within Baidu’s search results and generate organic traffic from a highly targeted audience.
How Does Baidu Search Engine Optimization Work In China?
Much like Google SEO, the primary goal of Baidu SEO in China is to deliver the most relevant and high-quality content to its target audience. To achieve this, brands must consider various on-site and off-site factors such as keyword relevance, content quality, website structure, and backlink profile.
The only problem is that Baidu SEO is bound to unique nuances and user behaviors that significantly differ from the Google search console. Like other Chinese search engines, Baidu’s ranking factors do not favor non-Chinese websites or content that doesn’t resonate with the local market.
Keeping these things in mind, it’s crucial for a brand aiming to enter the Chinese market to tailor its SEO strategy to meet Baidu’s specific requirements.
Understanding the cultural, linguistic, and technical aspects of Baidu SEO is not just about translating content but about adapting to the local digital ecosystem, complying with local regulations set by the Chinese government, and resonating with the needs of local consumers.
Here are the 10 Baidu search engine optimization practices you should know.
1. First Step for Baidu Engine Optimization-Get a Chinese Website Domain Name
If you want to rank high in Baidu’s search engine results, foreign brands must ensure that their Chinese websites do not mix with their English web pages. The best way to resolve this dilemma is to host your website in Mainland China and get an Internet Content Publishing license.
If you intend to use a website for commercial or sales purposes within the Chinese digital landscape, getting a business-level ICP license is legally required. The easiest way to go about this process is to work with a Baidu SEO agency or partner with a Chinese company to represent the business locally on your behalf.
2. Localize Website With Simplified Chinese Characters
As we already mentioned in the article, the Baidu index does not give priority to non-Chinese language sites as the local search engine is programmed to interpret Chinese text.
When localizing a website, brands should note that Baidu is predominantly available in simplified Chinese. Although the platform does support traditional Chinese characters, it often converts queries to simplified ones.
3. Baidu Search Engine Optimization Requires Understanding of Baidu’s Algorithm
Baidu’s search algorithm differs from other search engines like Google. To optimize effectively, familiarize yourself with Baidu’s ranking factors, such as keyword relevance, backlinks, domain age, and user engagement. Stay updated on any algorithm changes to adjust your strategy accordingly.
4. Optimize Meta Tags and Descriptions
Craft compelling meta tags and descriptions using relevant Chinese keywords. Ensure they accurately represent each webpage’s content and entice users to click. Keep titles within 70 characters and meta descriptions within 150 characters to avoid truncation on SERPs.
5. Build Quality Internal & External Links
Another trick not all marketers know about Baidu SEO is that the platform often puts websites with many relevant backlinks on top of organic search results. Links from and to high-authority Chinese websites are always best.
Typically, the content Baidu prioritizes in its search engine results page includes backlinks from official sources like newspapers or Chinese government websites.
When it comes to this Baidu SEO strategy, you should also remember that quantity matters. While inbound links from authoritative sites are excellent ranking factors, getting backlinks from less reputable websites carries as much importance.
On top of that, don’t forget to anchor internal links that can lead your audience to another related web page within the website. Having this structure helps Baidu spider to web your content together and increases your odds of climbing the rankings.
6. Conduct Keyword Research
A massive part of Baidu search engine optimization is adding relevant keywords to your content to reach the right audience. Marketers must conduct thorough keyword research based on popular terms on Baidu SERP. They also should conduct a market study to see how their industry competitors rank on Baidu and their strategies to achieve better results.
Unlike Google, Baidu SEO favors precise keywords, so your priority should be adding relevant title tags and image descriptions for your content. You can also utilize built-in back-end tools from the platform, like Baidu Index and Baidu Keyword Planner.
7. Mobile Optimization
Mobile usage is prevalent in China, so mobile optimization is crucial. Make sure your website is responsive and loads quickly on mobile devices. Compress images, minimize unnecessary scripts, and leverage browser caching to enhance mobile performance. Conduct regular mobile testing to ensure a seamless user experience.
8. Baidu Webmaster Tools
Utilize Baidu Webmaster Tools to monitor your website’s performance, submit sitemaps, and identify any indexing or crawling issues. Leverage the platform’s features like Baidu Analytics to gain valuable insights into user behavior and traffic sources. Regularly check for notifications and alerts to stay informed about your website’s health. You can click here to learn the latest game-changing requirements about Baidu webmaster tools.
9. User Experience and Page Speed
Baidu prioritizes websites that offer a positive user experience. Optimize your website’s design for easy navigation, clear structure, and fast loading speed. Minimize pop-ups, intrusive ads, and excessive interstitials that can hinder user experience. Regularly monitor and improve your website’s performance to provide a seamless browsing experience.
10. Regular Content Updates
Consistently updating your website with fresh, informative, and relevant content is vital for Baidu SEO. Regularly publish blog posts, articles, or news updates to demonstrate your authority and relevance in your industry. Utilize targeted keywords and optimize content for user engagement. Encourage user comments and discussions to increase user interaction.
Optimizing your website for Baidu requires a tailored approach to succeed in the Chinese market. By following these ten best Baidu search engine optimization practices, you can enhance your website’s visibility, drive organic traffic, and effectively reach your target audience in China. Stay updated with Baidu’s algorithm changes and continuously refine your SEO strategy to stay ahead of the competition. And since Baidu search engine optimization is a very professional work which requires rich experience and high skills for Baidu search engine optimization, we recommend you ask a local professional SEO agency for help. If you are looking for ways to do Baidu search engine optimization, do not hesitate to contact us for support.