Speaking about SEO, you will definitely think of Google at first.
Here we are discussing the Chinese search engine, Baidu, and its SEO tactics that aid in targeting the Chinese market. Multiple reports have found that the online economy of Chine is shooting up quite fast, mainly because of the measures imposed by the Chinese government, including internet infrastructure development.
The Chinese market is loaded with opportunities for everyone to thrive, whether you produce and export goods or manage an online marketplace. In fact, the fast-growing manufacturing business platform is not what it was a decade ago, but those who want to dive in get the opportunity to get recognized in one of the largest economies of the world. And using Baidu correctly can help you establish an organic presence in the Chinese market without turning to paid advertisement.
Besides, in the world of digital marketing, the Chinese market is one of a few places where the ‘Big G’ is not king.
So, if you want to set your feet in the Chines market, you need to get used to the rules of Baidu and its SEO techniques. Here is how you can get acknowledged in China.
Develop a Chinese-Friendly Website
Firstly, you need to develop a locally hosted website or adapt your website to a Chinese version accessible to the Chinese people by registering the .cn domain. You can also do this by hosting your website directly in China by applying a license of ICP (Internet Content Provider), as well as hosting your website in Hong Kong; it may not provide you the .cn domain but help in SEM.
Target Baidu’s Audience by Localizing Content
Baidu is purely Chinese and relying on a translator for content is not going to be the Chinese market’s cup of tea. If your website uses traditional characters of Hong Kong and Taiwan, you will have to change them to characters used in Mainland China. Having a Mandarin speaker won’t just be helpful translation and localizing your website, but also in navigating Baidu’s Webmaster tools. However, making a Chinese-friendly website only gets you halfway to your target; there is a long way to go. You need to ensure your content is optimized according to the Chinese customer base to boost brand awareness and generate traffic.
Get Active on Chinese Social Media
The Western and global digital marketing tactics won’t work when you are hitting the Chinese customer base and replicating them will lead to failure. Social media is a great way to engage with your prospects locally. Famous social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube are banned in China, but you can get your hands on Chinese social media to boost your online presence. WeChat, Tencent QQ, Douban, Sina Weibo, Zhihu, Toudou Youku and Momo are some of the most popular social media platforms in China.
Prioritize Mobile Optimization
The mobile trend in China doesn’t get obstructed by the use of mobile gadgets in other countries or Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and Mobile-First Indexing. Mobile, certainly, has more importance in China and having a desktop PC or a laptop wasn’t actually a commonplace there. For most people in China, the smartphone is the most prefered medium to the digital world.
Baidu cares intensely for mobile, so it has its individual version of Accelerated Mobile Pages known as MIP (Mobile Instant Page). Display and loading speed on mobile devices is crucial for Baidu and will be more important potentially, therefore, prioritizing mobile-friendly website shouldn’t be taken as an option; it is the most important thing.
Since the Chinese market is mainly manufacturing and exporting part, B2B e-commerce platforms mustn’t neglect the significance of mobile optimization.
The End Word
Regardless of whether you are optimizing your website for Google or Baidu or even both, the quality of your content will eventually decide if you can flourish in the complex Chinese market.
Being the most populated country, China inevitably entails innumerable opportunities for businesses looking to grow on the international platform. For this very reason, the competition is raging among websites that want to rank higher on Baidu.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.