Baidu Basics
What is your relationship with Baidu?
BaiduAdvertising.com is an informational site created by Nanjing Marketing Group, a digital marketing agency. While Nanjing Marketing Group provides a more comprehensive range of Chinese-language marketing and localization services, BaiduAdvertising.com is a portal meant to make the Baidu setup and management process easier and more affordable.
Why advertise on Baidu?
Baidu is the dominant search engine in China with over 70% market share. Other search engines like Google and Yahoo attract nowhere near that level of traffic in China. In order to effectively reach Chinese web users, one simply must go through Baidu.
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.
Would advertising on Baidu work for my business?
We have helped a large variety of businesses from all over the world setup and manage PPC accounts on Baidu. With rising incomes, an exploding web user base, and a penchant for foreign goods and services, the Chinese market is where businesses across the globe are focusing their efforts.
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 a Chinese domain to set up a Baidu account?
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. The only reason you should consider hosting in China is to increase performance. Hosting is usually quite low on our list of priorities.
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 Set Up
What type of documentation do you require from us to setup 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 do we charge the account?
Baidu provide this service based on prepayment, you’ll need charge at least 5,000 CNY for the first time. Later you’ll need charge in advance based on monthly budget, you’ll need charge at least 2,000 CNY each time.
Are you a reseller? Are you Baidu?
We’re agency.
Why setup a Baidu advertising account via BaiduAdvertising.com instead of directly via Baidu.com?
It would be great if setting up a Baidu pay per click account was like setting up a Google AdWords account, but it just isn’t. Baidu has a complex bureaucracy and their support staff aren’t familiar with how to get non-Chinese companies through the sign up process.
Chinese companies get better support for account setup and maintenance. We think non-Chinese companies should get that kind of support too! BaiduAdvertising.com was established as a solution specifically for English-speaking clients.
How does the account set up process work?
Please see the “How It Works” page.
How long does it take to setup an account on Baidu?
It takes approximately 15 to 30 work days to set up a pay per click advertising account on Baidu. If you are in a rush to set up an account it is possible to do it within 15 work days through Baidu’s KA application(Key Account).
What additional requests might Baidu make for setting up a PPC account?
In general, Baidu requires any business that wants to setup a pay per click advertising account to submit a scan of its certificate of incorporation as well as add some Chinese content to the About Us and Contact Us sections of the website that will be advertised. However, depending upon the industry the business operates in, Baidu may also require some additional documentation.
For example, a company in the food and beverage industry may need to present documentation that proves its products are regulated and safe for consumers. A real estate business may need to submit documentation proving its brokers are licensed in the country they work in. Baidu rarely requests documents that aren’t fairly easily attainable.
There are two types of Baidu account application:
1. If we submit a normal/traditional account application, we may need the following documentations:
- Scanned copy of certificate of incorporation or any equivalent.
- Chinese Company ICP License (Internet Content Provider)
- Initial Ad Credit of 900 USD
For normal account application, Baidu will have a detailed account scrutiny lasting about 1 month.
2. If you submit a KA account application, we may need the following documentations from you:
- Scanned copy of certificate of incorporation or any equivalent.
- Screenshot of your Landing page.
- Scanned copy of your latest transaction’s bank skip (The bank account should be under your company name)
- Initial Ad Credit of 1,500 USD
- Extra documentations depending upon the industry you are in.
For KA account application, it will take about 15 working days altogether.
How much does account setup cost?
The fee for Baidu account setup is 500 USD. If for any reason your account cannot be setup we will issue a full refund.
What’s the best way to pay?
We accept payment via PayPal, credit card, wire transfer and some debit cards. We charge a flat fee of 35 USD per transfer to cover banking fees. Please to go to the Account Recharge page to pay.
We recommend you use the auto billing option for account recharge so that the campaign never runs out of funds.
Do I need to pay a transaction fee every time I add money to my account?
Yes. Because adding money to your account entails certain administrative costs associated with bank fees, taxes, and exchange rates, we charge a $35 fee for handling this process.
Can I advertise multiple businesses with one Baidu account?
No. You can only advertise the business for which the account was setup. You will need to setup a new Baidu account to advertise the goods or services of another business.
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?
There are two types of verification. Read more here.
We will take care of the advertiser account verification process for you, so there is no need to be concerned.
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%
What kinds of ads can I create on Baidu?
The options are endless. You can create anything from basic text ads to highly interactive ads that integrate text, image and video.
Where will my ads appear?
This depends entirely upon your PPC strategy. Search ads will show up on Baidu SERPs. Display ads can appear in any number of places depending upon how your ads are targeted. Read more about display ads here.
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.
What are your advantages compared to other Baidu resellers?
（1）We only serve clients from outside of China, so are better positioned to serve them more effectively, quickly and inexpensively.
（2）We have professional bilingual account managers available to provide service and consultancy.
（3）We offer easier payment options.
（4）We not only provide service for Baidu, but also for other platforms, including WeChat, Sogou, Haosou, Google, Weibo and more.
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 you provide account management services?
Yes. We provide monthly packages as well as hourly service options in case you just need a little extra help. See our Pricing page for more info.
Does part of your monthly account management fee go towards ad credit in my account?
No. The management fee simply covers our services. Any money you choose to add to your account comes in addition to the management fee.
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:
