Chinese online marketplace is the largest in the world, with 57.7 % population being internet users. Overseas brands use this opportunity to expand their business in China. However, they must consider various social media and SEO practices to ensure high click-throughs, conversions, and overall business success.

Chinese internet and ranking sites like Baidu have their unique trends. A business must ensure an optimized strategy according to these trends. That way, it will be easier to create an online presence and grab the attention of 989 million internet users engaging with e-commerce businesses.

To rank higher on Baidu and other Chinese search engines, you should know about the following SEO practices in China.

An ICP License

An ICP is an Internet content provider license issued by the Chinese government. It gives a business owner permission to post on the internet. The government strictly regulates any content, app, e-commerce website, or games on the internet within its border. Therefore, to do an online business in China, you must have a permit.

The catch is, you can only get this license if your business is operating in China. Fortunately, you can partner with Chinese Internet companies to go about this problem.

.CN Domain Name

Domain names have high importance for SEO ranking in other countries as well as China. Your business’s domain name should be Baidu-friendly and have the right combination of keywords to attract customers and rank well. By Baidu friendly, it means that your domain name should end with .CN. Chinese search engines favor sites having domain names end with .CN and display them on top in the search results.

Chinese Web Hosting

Baidu’s policies include hosting the website in China or nearby places, such as Hong Kong or Singapore, to secure high rankings. If you operate your website outside of China, the Great Firewall Restrictions will make it harder for citizens to access your webpage. Hence, it will affect the user’s experience.

Although getting Chinese web hosting can be complicated and expensive, the revenue stream is worth your time and effort.

Optimized Website In Chinese

Only a few percent of the total Chinese population understand English. Therefore, it is essential to have your webpage content in simplified Chinese such as Mandarin or Cantonese. A foreign language website will show up lower in search engine results and gain fewer click-throughs and conversions.

Your website should have proper Chinese keywords – not google translated ones – to work through Baidu’s algorithms. Other on-site SEO practices like meta description, alt text, title tags, and heading tags also contribute to high search engine ranking. Tailor these descriptions in simplified Chinese with appropriate keywords to increase your chances of ranking higher.

Baidu also prioritizes websites with high backlinks. Previously, the search engine used to favor quantity over quality. However, with the new update, it ranks sites that have quality and authoritative backlinks.

Are you looking for a digital marketing agency to optimize your website according to Chinese trends? Connect with us at Do matters for a one-stop solution for all your social media-related problems. We offer digital marketing services to foreign brands based in China by optimizing their site to rank higher on Chinese search engines.

Our services include social media marketing, Chinese content and copywriting, Baidu SEO, and Chinese translation.

Contact us for affordable and effective digital marketing solutions.