How to use Baidu to grow in China? A guide for Italian companies

With a market share of 72% and over 676 million monthly active users, Baidu today confirms its position as the leading search engine in China.

A unique platform that must be understood in its distinctiveness to help you gain visibility, qualified traffic, and conversions in the Chinese market.

Summary:

• What is baidu and how does it work?

• Why SEO on Baidu is essential for your business in China

• The main differences between SEO on Baidu and Google

• The key steps to optimize a website on Baidu

• Beyond Baidu: digital strategies for success in China

• Conclusions

What is Baidu and how does it work?

Baidu (百度), often hastily labeled as the “Chinese Google,” is the leading search engine in China, with around 679 million monthly active users (as of December 2024) and a daily search volume reaching 6 billion. Google, on the other hand, handles 8.3 billion searches globally.

Founded in 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu, over the years Baidu has expanded its offerings by integrating features such as Baidu Maps, Baidu Video, Baidu Encyclopedia, the DuerOS voice assistant, and various applications optimized for mobile devices.

The company generates most of its revenue through advertising, adopting a model similar to Google’s, in which advertisers bid on keywords to trigger ad displays and can pay to secure premium placement in search results.

Why SEO on Baidu is essential for your business in China

Although Baidu is not the only search engine in China, it is by far the largest, holding a 72% market share and serving as a key gateway for Chinese netizens looking to browse the web in search of new products and services.

Unlike Google, Baidu uses unique indexing algorithms and ranking criteria, as well as having different technical requirements and user behaviors.

This means that a global SEO strategy does not automatically guarantee results in China. To gain visibility and trust from Chinese users, it is necessary to adapt your websites to Baidu’s ecosystem by using the Chinese language, hosting sites in China (or a nearby location), obtaining the necessary licenses such as the ICP, and complying with local regulations.

An effective SEO strategy on Baidu allows your brand to stand out in search results, giving you a competitive edge in one of the largest and most dynamic digital markets in the world.

The main differences between SEO on Baidu and Google

When it comes to SEO for the Chinese market, it is essential to understand the significant differences between Baidu and Google, as the strategies that work for the latter are not always effective on China’s leading search engine. Baidu strongly favors content in the Chinese language and websites with a .cn domain or local hosting. This is because servers located in China ensure faster loading speeds, a crucial factor for ranking on Baidu, which penalizes websites hosted abroad due to the restrictions of the Great Firewall.

From a technical perspective, Baidu favors a simple website structure based on static HTML, avoiding the use of JavaScript, AJAX, and iframes, which are often too complex for the search engine to interpret.

Unlike Google, which is more advanced in indexing dynamic content, Baidu tends to reward websites with clean, accessible code where information is directly readable by its crawler.

Another key difference concerns link building and site authority. Google places greater emphasis on the quality of backlinks, favoring those from reliable and relevant sites. Baidu, on the other hand, has historically valued the quantity of backlinks, although in recent years it has strengthened its algorithms to penalize spam and artificial links.

However, having a good number of internal and external links remains a useful strategy to improve ranking, especially if they come from authoritative Chinese websites.

To monitor and optimize visibility on Baidu, it is essential to leverage Baidu Webmaster Tools (百度站长平台, bǎidù zhànzhǎng píngtái).

This platform provides detailed insights into site performance, indexing speed, technical issues, and any penalties. Additionally, it allows you to manually submit your site’s URL for faster crawling.

In summary, to succeed on Baidu, it is necessary to adopt a localized SEO approach that takes into account the search engine’s technical preferences, the importance of Chinese-language content, and local hosting.

Optimizing site structure, building an effective link-building strategy, and monitoring performance with Baidu’s tools are essential steps to improve ranking and effectively reach the Chinese audience.

The key steps to optimize a website on Baidu

Optimizing your website on Baidu in the best possible way requires essential measures such as:

1. Choose a domain and hosting located in China

Having a .cn domain and hosting in China offers undeniable immediate advantages for Baidu ranking: faster response times behind the Great Firewall, greater reliability, and a signal of geographical proximity that boosts user trust and indexing.

2. Create content in Mandarin Chinese that is culturally relevant

The importance of localization and cultural nuances in content. Beyond translation into Simplified Chinese, it’s essential to adopt references, examples, and a tone of voice that resonate with the local audience to improve engagement and time on site.

3. On-page optimization for Baidu

Use Baidu Index and Baidu Keyword Planner to identify high-volume keywords and naturally incorporate them into titles, descriptions, and headings. Short, descriptive URLs in Chinese, along with reducing scripts and resources to ensure loading times under 2 seconds, a requirement often rewarded by Baidu’s algorithm.

4. Effective link building for Baidu

Collaborate with local blogs, news portals, and industry communities (WeChat Official Accounts, Zhihu), avoiding link spam and focusing on sites with good Domain Authority in China.

5. Mobile optimization

Implement lightweight pages, instant loading (AMP-like), and Progressive Web Apps to deliver a smooth experience on smartphones, where over 90% of searches take place.

6. Use of Baidu Webmaster Tools

Register on Baidu Zhanzhang (站长平台), submit an XML sitemap, analyze crawl and ranking reports, fix crawl errors, and continuously optimize based on the data provided.

Beyond Baidu: digital strategies for success in China

Beyond SEO on Baidu, to establish yourself in the Chinese digital market it is essential to adopt an omnichannel approach that integrates social media, e-commerce, and influencer marketing. First of all, leverage WeChat not only as a messaging channel but also as a mini-app platform.

At the same time, investing in local e-commerce platforms like Tmall and JD.com provides immediate access to millions of ready-to-buy consumers, while live streaming campaigns on RED (Xiaohongshu) or Douyin encourage real-time conversions through direct interaction with KOLs and opinion leaders.

Finally, analyzing CRM data and social listening helps to understand tastes and trends, optimizing offers and creativity to respond promptly to the market’s rapid changes.

In this interconnected ecosystem, the synergy between search, social, e-commerce, and data intelligence becomes the key to lasting success in China.

Conclusions

Baidu represents a strategic opportunity for international brands aiming to achieve a high return on investment in the Chinese digital market.

However, opening and managing a Baidu account requires specific skills and a deep understanding of the local cultural context. The procedures can differ significantly from those in the West, so it is essential to rely on a partner experienced in the Chinese market. This support enables the development of effective and targeted marketing strategies, increasing the chances of success in the market.

Executive Summary

Baidu is the leading search engine in China, holding over 70% market share and reaching 676 million monthly users (as of June 2025).

Italian companies aiming to enter the Chinese market must optimize their websites specifically for Baidu, which has very different SEO rules compared to Google.

Key success factors include:

• Chinese-language content

• Local backlinks

• Use of tools like Baidu Webmaster Tools

• The most effective approach combines SEO + PPC (Baidu Tuiguang) + localized content + social media presence.

Glossary of Technical Terms

Baidu: The dominant Chinese search engine, comparable to Google in the West.

Baidu Baike: A Chinese collaborative encyclopedia (similar to Wikipedia), useful for generating high-quality local backlinks.

Baidu Webmaster Tools: A free SEO tool to monitor and improve site performance on Baidu.

Key Takeaways

• Baidu uses a different algorithm than Google → custom SEO required.

• Local hosting in China and an ICP license are essential for visibility.

• All content must be written in Simplified Chinese.

• Local backlinks (e.g., from Baidu Baike or Zhihu) carry significant weight.

• SEO alone is not enough — combine with PPC and local social strategies.

FAQ

• What is Baidu and how does it work?

Baidu is the most widely used search engine in China, with 676+ million monthly users. It works similarly to Google but favors localized, Chinese- language content hosted within China.

• Why is Baidu SEO important for Italian companies?

Because if you're not visible on Baidu, you're essentially invisible to Chinese consumers. It's the #1 channel for finding brands, products, and services in China.

• How is Baidu SEO different from Google SEO?

Baidu prioritizes simplified Chinese content, local hosting, and backlinks from Chinese websites. It doesn't support advanced metadata like canonical URLs and often blocks foreign platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

• What is an ICP license and how do you get it?

It's a government-issued license required to legally host a website in China. It must be obtained via a Chinese-based hosting provider.

• What tools are essential for improving Baidu SEO?

Baidu Webmaster Tools

Baidu Index

Baidu Site App

Content seeding platforms like Baidu Baike and Zhihu

Practical Application Example

Scenario:

An Italian furniture brand wants to reach Chinese customers in 2026.

Actions Taken:

Website translated into Simplified Chinese

Hosted using a Chinese CDN

Created a Baidu Baike profile

Ran a PPC campaign via Baidu Tuiguang

Published editorial content on Zhihu and RED(Xiaohongshu)

Result:

+67% organic traffic from Baidu in 6 months, +22% direct conversions from the Chinese market.

Operational SEO Checklist for Baidu

• Translate your website into Simplified Chinese

• Use hosting within China or a compliant Chinese CDN

• Apply for an ICP license (via a local partner)

• Set up Baidu Webmaster Tools

• Optimize keywords in both Pinyin and Chinese characters

• Build backlinks from trusted Chinese platforms (Baidu Baike, Zhihu)

• Launch PPC campaigns via Baidu Tuiguang

• Publish localized, mobile-friendly content