Baidu vs. Google: Key Differences & Why They Matter for You

When we say “search engine marketing in China,” you may wonder why we almost exclusively talk about Baidu. Well, for one, our agency is called Baidu Advertising 😉. But more importantly, the search market in the Far East vastly differs from Western countries…and Baidu dominates it. 

In this article, our team of China specialists reveals their compiled knowledge of winning strategies for China’s most relevant search engine, Baidu—organically and through paid strategies. We will compare Baidu to Google, extract the most important aspects foreign marketers need to know, and give examples.

Why should you listen to us? We draw from almost 20 years of experience with hundreds of high-profile clients globally, whom we have helped to raise their brand in China and increase sales. Overall, we have run thousands of campaigns—not every single one a complete success; however, we have taken those that didn’t perform well, analyzed them, and learned how to adapt strategies to improve future results.

No time to waste – let’s go!

Search Engine Sector in China

If you look at official data from statistics portals, Baidu has lost a lot of market share and is hovering below 50% with other players gaining traction. However…

This is not the picture we see in our everyday work of creating and optimizing content and running ads across key platforms in the Chinese market.

Here’s why.

Baidu’s financials show 600 million monthly active users (MAU) for its mobile app, which is an understatement of the search engine users because users can search on Baidu’s website without installing or logging into the app.

Statistic pages like Statcounter show that Baidu’s dominance is dropping, but this data is based on website usage, which doesn’t include the app. Besides, Statcounter needs to be installed on Chinese websites to collect this data. Our take: The sample size is far too small to extrapolate this data.

In conclusion, the largest statistical sites only show part of Baidu’s true potential.

For reference: China’s search market according to statistics portals.

As of February 2025, Baidu is the most popular search engine in China with about 47% market share, but Bing (Microsoft) has been catching up since its release in China in 2009. Unlike Google, which was blocked in China in 2010, Bing remained operational by adhering to government policies. Today, Bing is the second-largest search engine in China with approximately 36%.

Established in 2012, Haosou (aka 360 Search), is owned by a Chinese online security company and holds about an 8% market share.

The other “non-China” search engine on the list is the Russian search engine YANDEX, a publicly traded company owned by investors and shareholders. YANDEX entered the Chinese market in 2012 and currently has a share of around 3%.

Founded in 2004, Sogou was once a subsidiary of Sohu, one of China’s largest internet companies. In 2013, Tencent (owner of WeChat and many other companies) became a significant shareholder in Sogou with about 40%; however, this rise only lasted a short time. According to statistics groups, Sogou’s market share in China has recently declined to about 2.5%.

Finally, there’s Alibaba’s Shenma (launched in 2014). Despite its powerhouse owner, the search engine never really took off and has only a small sliver (2%) of the overall pie.

The real picture – According to us.

What we see in our campaigns is different:

• We almost always start with Baidu, because it has the greatest search volume by far.
• Then, we might add Sogou or Shenma to help a campaign get even more reach.
• What about Bing? Well, Bing is integrated into Baidu’s ad system. If you advertise on Baidu, your ads can also be extended to Bing.
• Even Google, which is blocked in China, can have a role in Chinese marketing because it’s used by Chinese users who have a VPN (as well as those abroad).

And then, there’s WeChat.

Although not a stand-alone search engine, WeChat plays an interesting role in the search market. Of course, you know that WeChat is THE must-have app in China, used daily by every person for chatting, shopping, payment, food, tickets, taxis, and anything and everything else you can think of (well… almost), but life in China without WeChat would be making things harder than necessary. 

Now, WeChat has an integrated search functionality in the app, which many netizens use simply due to convenience (because they’re on the app anyway, and can organize everything in one place). 

Users should take the WeChat search results with a grain of salt though. WeChat mainly refers to its ecosystem (official accounts, public content, etc.) to create search results. Some information is pulled from the entire web, but not nearly as much as a proper (meaning search-only) platform does. Interestingly, WeChat has a partnership with Baidu, which can allow some search queries to pull information from Baidu’s search engine. 

Baidu vs Google

Although they don’t operate in the same market, Baidu and Google have some similarities and even more differences attributed to culture, regulations, and market dynamics.

Both platforms are primarily search engines and leaders in their markets: Baidu in China and Google in the rest of the world (except for a handful of countries where it is blocked or restricted).

In terms of algorithms, both search engines value high-quality and relevant content, but Baidu’s rankings are more influenced by local factors and restrictions. 

Google focuses on global factors like backlinks, and user experience, with advanced AI tools to interpret the users’ intent. It also emphasizes mobile optimization. Conversely, Baidu’s algorithm is tailored to China, prioritizing information in Simplified Chinese and in-country hosting.

Next, let’s look at the special role videos play on both platforms.

Videos

Interestingly, Google dominates video search through YouTube (the largest video platform worldwide), which is fully integrated with Google Search. On Google, videos often appear in search results, benefiting from SEO and user engagement.

Baidu does not own a YouTube-equivalent (although not for lack of trying), but its search results often bring up video results, mostly via Bilibili (first indexed and shown on Baidu SERPs) and Haokan (formerly Baidu Video) integrating video results into searches. Baidu also prioritizes short-form videos from Chinese platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou.

In China (and the rest of the world), video content is gaining more relevance as it fosters higher engagement, and builds trust and brand awareness. Videos on products or services—explaining how to use or repair them, and containing important testimonials— can lead to higher click-through and lower cost-per-click rates. 

Furthermore, Baidu prioritizes video content in its search results, giving brands better visibility. Successful video ads are short (under 60 seconds), have localized Mandarin subtitles, and focus on storytelling rather than direct sales. 

Brands can cross-promote videos on WeChat, Baidu Tieba, and other popular platforms and leverage this multi-platform synergy to expand their reach.

Example: Search for “Mercedes” on Baidu, results include videos

Moving on, let’s take a closer look at how Baidu and Google compare.

Platform Comparison

You are likely very familiar with the next topic: Running search engine ads.

PPC Advertising Types

Baidu and Google offer similar or comparable pay-per-click (PPC) advertising options with key differences in their respective ecosystems and user behavior.

Basic Search Ads

Example: “Study abroad in USA” (美国留学)

Advanced Search Ads

Example image ads: “English language training” (英语培训)

Mobile Ads

Example: “Photo retouching app” (修图软件)

Other Ads (PPC)

Other Ads (not PPC)

Finally, let’s examine how to rank first on Baidu through organic and paid strategies.

How to Rank First on Baidu

To rank first (or high) on Baidu, combine organic SEO and paid advertising strategies. Read this in-depth article on SEO vs. PPC strategies on Baidu.

For organic ranking, focus on useful content that is entertaining, informational, or adds value in another way. 

Onsite SEO: Optimize your website (fast-loading is a must to surpass the Great Firewall of China) for keywords and user experience and leverage parasite SEO. 

Parasite SEO: Publish interesting, keyword-enriched content on sites like WeChat or Rednote and take advantage of their popularity. Engagement on Baidu Tieba, Baijiahao, and Zhihu also boosts rankings.

Offsite SEO: Link building and other SEO methods like forum/community engagement are used to increase the ranking of a website via activities done outside of the website.

For paid strategies, leverage Baidu PPC ads and ensure strong ad copy and a call to action. Keywords with high volume and low competition are ideal, as well as long-tail and buyer-intent keywords.

Example: Search for “Adidas”

At the top, you see the aforementioned Brand Zone live and in action, which is followed by text and image ads, organic text, and video results. Ads on Baidu must be marked with “广告” for “advertising,” and you will also commonly see the tag “官方” to indicate a listing is “official” and thus legitimate.

On the right-hand side of the image, you can see related results and trending topics (both organic results).

Now, let’s take a look at all this in comparison.

Case Study: Dior

When comparing ads and organic search results on Baidu and Google, in terms of display and user experience, Google appears more structured with a clear separation of ads and organic results (which is more integrated on Baidu). 

On Google, the top section prominently features ads for Google Shopping and more, followed by sponsored text links. The following organic results prioritize the official Dior website and its subpages, while featured snippets provide additional content about the brand.

Baidu’s top results include advertisements and promotions. The “Dior China Official Website” is a Baidu Brand Zone, and these paid ads blend with organic results that follow. The Dior China official site is displayed but is mixed with news articles and social discussions about the brand. Additional localized content, including forums (Baidu Tieba) and discussions, appears within the organic results.

This brings us to the end of this article on Baidu versus Google.

The Takeaway

A strong presence on Baidu is a must for any brand serious about the Chinese market. But beware: How the algorithm works and the way netizens use this search engine differs from the Western powerhouse Google.

Following the strategies laid out in this article will allow your brand to rank first (or at least very high) on China’s largest search engine.

• Run Baidu ads to reach millions of potential customers
• Optimize your Chinese website and socials with relevant keywords and localized content
• Leverage parasite SEO
• Utilize video ads to boost engagement at lower advertising costs

Don’t wait any longer—every day without marketing puts you one step behind your competition. Take action now to stay ahead in the dynamic China market.

Contact us today to get started.