Baidu is the most popular search engine in China with a whopping 80% market share. So it is no wonder that most foreign companies looking to set a footing in the Chinese market use Baidu for marketing. However, because of established local and global brands, competition is tough and so it is advisable to tie up with a China SEM Agency. Below are some tips on successful Baidu SEM to help you get started.

Get an Internet Content Provider (ICP) License

To use Baidu SEM for the purpose of driving traffic to your site, you will first need to get an Internet Content Provider (ICP) license from the Chinese government. Without it, Baidu will completely ignore your site and won’t even allow you to open an ad account. The process may take one month or longer. For getting this license and also to set up a Baidu ad account, you should take the help of a China SEM Agency.

Create Compelling Ads

Your ads have to be compelling enough to attract visitors. Users go through numerous ads and so your message and creatives need to be unique to stand out. Ideally, follow the AIDA model while creating an ad, i.e, it should create awareness about your product or service, develop an interest in the minds of your potential customers, build a desire to own it and induce them to take action. Remember in this regard that the best ideas for ads are often the most simple. Also, back up your ad content with appropriate keywords which need to be well-researched.

Localization is Key

Most Baidu users are native Chinese speakers. So, your website content and ads need to be in Chinese. Just translating foreign language content into Chinese won’t do. Make sure that you rely on people who know the nuances of the Chinese language-people who can address the cultural and social needs of users while creating an effective Baidu SEM strategy.

Also, Baidu’s account management interface is in Chinese and to talk to Baidu Support you need someone who can speak in Chinese.

Host your Website in China

Baidu is not too comfortable sending users to foreign websites that are beyond the control of the Chinese government. So, for a successful SEM campaign, it is crucial that you host your website in China itself. If Baidu recognizes that your website is hosted locally, it will rank you higher in search engine results and you would be able to reach more people.

Also, it would speed up your website which would benefit your ranking as well.

Ad Real-Time Support

Chinese users expect real-time customer support, often via chatbox. If you surf through Chinese websites, you will come across these chat boxes. Adding real-time support to your campaigns will increase your conversion manifold.

Baidu Provides an excellent chat tool that integrates with its SEM platform and is very easy to use. It is called Baidu Shangqiao. Using this tool, you can find out the locations of users and the keywords that they have used.

Earn Special Baidu Approval

Baidu awards a ranking of ‘V’ 1, 2, or 3 to websites depending on how much it trusts them. ‘V3’ ranking for an ad means that Baidu considers the source extremely trustworthy. This will help you get a higher ranking in search results, all other aspects being equal.

It will take time but by taking the help of a China SEM agency and following Baidu best practices, you can achieve a V3 ranking faster.

Integrate Google Analytics

Baidu has its own analytics tool known as Baidu Analytics. However, it has certain drawbacks like accuracy issues, is only available in Chinese, and doesn’t allow for highly customizable reports. Therefore it is better to integrate Google Analytics, in which case the Baidu ads will need to have Google custom URL parameters added in order to provide data like keywords used.   

Conclusion

To be successful with Baidu SEM, you would need to engage with the right people as well. A China SEM agency that is also a marketing partner of Baidu understands the search engine and the needs of the people using them. So it is better equipped to make your Baidu SEM efforts successful.  Do you’ve any questions?