How to Achieve High Rankings on Baidu in 2023

Baidu, the dominant search engine in China, maintains a veil of secrecy around its website ranking algorithms. Baidu SEO, akin to the broader landscape of SEO in China, remains an enigmatic discipline. Nevertheless, within China, a community of digital experts diligently assesses and experiments with website performance to decipher the ever-evolving Chinese SEO indexing rules. We have curated an updated compilation of Baidu SEO best practices to guide you. Follow the steps outlined below to ensure that when Baidu’s web-crawling bot, Baiduspider, visits your site, you’re prepared.

Fundamental Baidu SEO Guidelines:

1. Acquire an ICP License:

Securing an Internet Content Provider (ICP) license is crucial for favorable Baidu rankings. This license, authorized by Chinese regulatory bodies, permits you to host your website legally on China’s mainland. This facilitates faster loading times and indexing by Chinese search engines. What if you’re ineligible for an ICP license? Even without one, you can achieve a high-performing website in China. The Sinorbis platform employs various technological solutions to enable clients to establish a high-performing, visible website within China. While the specifics are a Sinorbis proprietary secret, this approach allows you to integrate a robust, proprietary channel into your campaigns and social platforms.

1. Utilize Simplified Chinese Content:

Baidu not only disfavors romanized characters but also prefers simplified Chinese over traditional Chinese. Additionally, ensure your data privacy policy is presented in simplified Chinese before collecting any personal information.

1. Prioritize Mobile Responsiveness:

Baidu is increasingly favoring mobile-responsive websites. If you’re using our Sinorbis platform, your website is inherently mobile-responsive. If not, invest the effort and resources to adapt your website for mobile usage. Given that the majority of China’s internet traffic occurs via mobile devices, a website’s mobile performance significantly impacts user experience.

1. Strategic Keyword Usage:

Incorporate a keyword strategy into your website’s structure and content. Generating keywords and employing a keyword filtering strategy are detailed in other posts. Generally, your keyword filtering process should encompass:

Initial Filtering:

Select keywords pertinent to your website’s services and products. Chasing trending Baidu “buzz words” might yield short-term traffic but is unlikely to drive conversions. Baiduspider has evolved to detect keyword stuffing and penalize non-compliant sites.

Identify one to three keywords summarizing your China website’s services.

List synonyms for your chosen keywords.

Identify keywords in the overarching category, i.e., the main headings for your website’s products or services.

Enumerate all keywords relevant to products, brands, or services offered, including those of related services.

Discover a comprehensive list of long-tail keywords related to these primary keywords.

Identify keywords aligned with the search habits of your target audience.

Filtering:

Select keywords with Baidu SEO value. Evaluate the traffic generated by various search terms and account for production constraints, as content creation is time-consuming and costly.

Balancing Popularity and Potential:

Striking a balance between prioritizing target keywords is an art. High-demand keywords for your product are usually fiercely competitive, making ownership challenging. Opt for less competitive keywords, particularly when initiating your China SEO journey. Around 80% of your keywords should be low-competition, with the remaining 20% in the high-competition range. This balance can shift as your authority grows.

Keyword Placement:

Not all SEO bots function identically. Organize articles and content to position crucial keywords near the top, aiding less potent crawlers. Reiterate these keywords throughout your content.

1. Cultivate High-Quality Backlinks:

Baiduspider is vigilant not only about keyword stuffing but also about other Black Hat SEO tactics. Concentrate on the quality, not the quantity, of your backlinks.

1. Leverage Metatags:

Sound metatag practices apply in China as well. Craft unique, accurate, and enticing metatag descriptions, each comprising 78 Chinese characters or fewer. Incorporating relevant keywords can further enhance their impact.

1. Optimize Loading Speed:

Baiduspider, like general internet users, penalizes slow-loading websites (a sentiment shared by users). Consider image size, eliminate unnecessary add-ons, and prioritize a clean, user-friendly experience. Swift loading is paramount for a successful Chinese website.

In Conclusion:

SEO demands time and financial investment universally. China, however, presents a particularly competitive SEO landscape. Nevertheless, specific products and services are in high demand. With a shrewd SEO strategy and a long-term perspective, you can enhance your Chinese website’s Baidu ranking. Sinorbis extends an array of SEO foundational and management services to clients seeking to elevate their website’s Chinese SEO ranking.