Baidu Basics
Why advertise on Baidu?
Baidu is the dominant search engine in China with over 70% market share. Other search engines like Google and 360 attract nowhere near that level of traffic in China.
Are my goods/services OK to sell in China?
Certain industries receive more scrutiny than others, but in general, as long as you can provide the proper documentation for your business, you can sell your goods/services in China.
Gambling and pornography are explicitly forbidden.
Can I set up a Baidu account if I do not have a Chinese business?
Yes. Where your business is based has no effect on your application.
Should I advertise a website that is not in Chinese?
This is generally not a good idea. Even if your business is targeting English-speaking Chinese, most prefer a website with Chinese content. Also, in some situations non-English speaking family and friends of your target audience may want to check out your site. We offer professional translation services if needed.
Do I need to host my site in China?
No. If your website is consistently accessible and fast-loading within China, then there is no need to host your site in China. We can test your site to ensure its speed is up to par.
Is advertising on Baidu a good way to reach Chinese speakers in countries outside of China?
Generally no. Only a small percentage of web users outside of China use Baidu.
Baidu Account Setup
What type of documentation do you require from us to set up an account?
In most cases, we only require a scan of the certificate of incorporation of the business to be promoted. In some industries, we may also require additional certifications. Note that we require the original, untranslated version issued by your local government.
In cases where you have both a home business and a business in China, we require documentation for the home business.
Who owns the account?
You own the account that you ask to open, we only have the right to manage it on your behalf (if you choose).
How does the account setup process work?
Please see the “How It Works” page.
How long does it take to set up an account on Baidu?
It takes approximately 5 work days.
Can I advertise multiple businesses with one Baidu account?
No, you can only advertise one business/website per account.
Am I locked in with you if you set up my account?
No. You can quit at any time. You can change your ad spend at any time. You can upgrade or downgrade your management plan at any time.
What does “verification” mean?
Baidu uses a “Guarantee” system now, although it’s referred to as “Verification” in Baidu’s back-end. Read more here.
We will take care of the advertiser account verification/guarantee setup. It doesn’t require any extra action on the advertiser’s part.
Advertising Options
Can I display my company logo alongside my text ads?
Yes, if your ad ranks in the number one spot on the Baidu search engine results page for a keyword, you can display your company logo alongside the text ad. See the image below for an example:
What are Baidu’s display advertising formats?
Text Ad Formats
Here a text ad is shown displayed over a website image.
Text ads include one title line and two description lines.
- Title: Up to 14 Chinese characters or 28 characters.
- Description line 1: Up to 20 Chinese characters or 40 characters. No less than 8 characters.
- Description line 2: Same as the first description line.
- Image add-on: 60 by 60 jpg or gif.
- URL: Up to 1024 characters.
- Display URL: Up to 35 characters.
Image Ad Formats
Image ads can be in jpg, gif of swf (flash) format, and must be within 55 K.
Dimensions:
- Banners: 468×60, 728×90, 960×90, 960×60, 640×60, 460×60, 580×90, 760×90
- Rectangles: 250×250, 200×200, 336×280, 300×250, 360×300
- Verticle Banners: 120×600, 160×600
Floating Formats
These are image ads that show on the side of the page and move up and down as the user scrolls.
May be in jpg, gif of swf (flash) format, and must be within 55 K.
Dimensions:
- 120×270
- 120×120
- 300×250、250×200
Video Formats (贴片形式)
May be in jpg of swf (flash) format, and must be within 55 K.
- Dimensions: 400×300
- Length: 3 to 4 seconds
- CPU usage (for Flash): Under 25%
Should I use search ads or display ads?
We generally stick to search ads when managing a PPC campaign, but in some cases use display ads as well.
Can I create ads targeting mobile devices?
Yes. You can setup mobile landing pages. With nearly 80% of the population in China using mobile phones to access the internet, this is a necessary component in most PPC campaigns.
Baidu Account Management
Can I see the ads and keywords to be used before they’re activated?
If you choose to have us manage the account for you, we will send you a list of keywords and ads for your approval. In general we send a sample of ads and keywords and discuss the strategy with you. However, we can also create a full output of ads and keywords if you prefer.
Will I receive a report about the campaign? What will it cover?
We’ll send you report about all of them weekly or monthly soon after account starts to run. We can customize the report to suit your requirements.
Do we have access to the account?
You can log in at http://www2.baidu.com. Except for username and password, you also need verification code or corresponding cellphone number. If you need verification code, you can ask us for it from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (China time) at any working day.
Can I manage a Baidu account if I do not speak Chinese?
Even with prior PPC experience, managing a PPC account on Baidu will be very difficult for non-Chinese speakers. While an English version of Baidu’s account management interface is available, one will find it difficult to localize site content and keywords without native-level Chinese skills. It is certainly better to use a Chinese agency if possible. Read more here.
Do I pay for your services before or after services are provided?
Our clients pay at the beginning of each month, before services are rendered.
Does Baidu have an analytics platform? If so, how does it compare to Google Analytics?
Yes. Baidu’s analytics platform is called Baidu Tongji. Read more here.
Is Baidu’s account management interface in English?
Baidu’s online pay per click management interface is only in Chinese. However, their desktop account editor is offered in English and Chinese. You can read more about their interface here.
How can I add negative keywords?
You can follow the below 3 screenshots to add negative keywords via Baidu’s web browser interface.
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
