Here are a few typical Baidu SEO questions and my answers to them:

Which are the relevant SEO factors for Baidu search engine optimization?
Page titles, keyword density, amount of inbound links (not relevancy and quality), and as you can hear, some luck and/or connections into the Baidu organisation.

If I optimize for G, do I automatically optimize for Baidu?
Yes and no. In terms of onsite SEO (titles and content) it would fit, but in terms of offsite SEO (i.e. amount and quality of incoming links) it doesn’t.

How sophisticated are Baidus SEO ranking and paid search bidding algorythms?
Baidu’s paid search factors are basically all about the CPC. Higher price, higher ranking. SEO algorythms can be compared with those of G a few years ago, I’d say.

Can you explain the structure of the Baidu search engine result page?
There is a large left column and a smaller sized right column. In the left column you’ll find the paid search results and underneath, the natural search results. Baidu’s paid search results show a 推广 next to the displayed URL. Natural results can be identified by a 百度快照. The paid search results always come first, the natural results always follow.

The right column looks like paid search as well (like G) but it’s not. These slots can be booked for one whole year and if the desired keyword is already taken you have to reserve it. Position 1 to 3 cost an equal annual fee and rotate among each other. The same is for position 4 to 6 and position 7 to 10.

Baidu SEO, necessary at all?

Well, on the first glimpse: No, because of the strange paid search listings. In the long term: Yes! Why? Because already now many Chinese are unsatisfied with the search results of Baidu. Especially the educated people and white-collar worker use G to find relevant information in the Internet. This is not just a perception, that’s a fact (read this post about Baidu’s and Google’s user demographics and search behaviour).

So, sooner or later, Baidu will have to refine their search and bidding rules and also revise the display of natural search results and text ads on their search result pages. Then, that’s what I believe, the effort that is invested now into Baidu SEO will pay off even greater.

Although the procedure looks pretty easy at the first glimpse, the detailed campaign management is essential for a well-performing search engine marketing campaign. Detailed campaign management includes continuous tracking, monitoring and optimization of the campaigns.

But why is a PPC in China so important?

In China, Baidu is the local search engine and has the biggest market share. They can claim 60% and more with Google being second with roughly 20%. But Baidu’s pay-per-click campaigns and search engine result pages (SERPs) work a little different: All keyword advertising placements will be listed before the index search results. So, professional keyword advertising is a must to be listed in Baidu.

That’s why the selection of a local SEM agency who understands the market and the Chinese search engines is absolutely mandatory for a successful PPC campaign in China.

To ensure high quality of our managed Chinese keyword advertising campaigns we use sophisticated tracking and campaign management software. Besides we are experienced in handling large budgets based on conversions and achieving sales targets.

Glossary terms:

SEM: Short form of China search engine marketing. Synonym for pay-per-click (PPC), keyword advertising or paid search. The meaning is to buy a position in the search engine result pages by bidding for click prices.

ROI: Short form of return-on-investment and a key figure to measure marketing expenses. Let’s you know if a search engine campaign was successful and to which degree.