China SEO Explained: SEO for Baidu, not Google
Baidu SEO requires more than translation. Here's what non-Chinese brands need to succeed in China's digital ecosystem.
When international brands think about SEO, Google is usually the starting point. But in mainland China, Google is blocked meaning that everything from your SEO strategy to your web infrastructure needs to change.
When thinking about SEO for China, think Baidu, China’s dominant search engine. With over 70% market share, it is the gateway to online discovery for brands entering China. But there's a catch: Baidu SEO is not like Google SEO. From algorithms to infrastructure, and even design preferences, China plays by its own rules.
1. Baidu SEO ≠ Google SEO
Translating your website is not enough.
Baidu has its own ranking signals, crawlers, and priorities. It favors:
- Locally hosted websites
- Simplified Mandarin written by native speakers
- Keyword-rich content (more than what Google tolerates)
- Internal linking and structured metadata
- Visible ICP license for compliance
And it penalizes:
- Slow-loading overseas sites
- Google Fonts, YouTube embeds, and other blocked resources
- Machine-translated or poorly localized text
- Broken Chinese characters or encoding issues
2. Hosting in China (and the Need for an ICP License)
Fast, reliable access behind the firewall is essential for both SEO and user experience.
To succeed:
- Host your site on mainland Chinese servers (e.g. Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud)
- Or use Hong Kong hosting with a Chinese CDN
- Strip out all blocked external resources
🛑 Hosting in mainland China legally requires an ICP (Internet Content Provider) license.
No ICP = no visibility.
3. Ditch Google Web Tools – Use Local Alternatives
Western tools often fail in China. Replace:
| Western Tool | Why It Fails | Chinese Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Google Fonts | Blocked | Host fonts locally |
| Google Maps | Inaccessible | Baidu Maps, AMap |
| Google Analytics | Unreliable | Baidu Tongji |
| YouTube/Vimeo | Blocked | Tencent Video |
| GTM | Blocked/delayed | Inline/local script managers |
4. Use Baidu Tongji for Analytics
Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager (GTM) are unreliable. If you want to track performance:
- Use Baidu Tongji (百度统计) for SEO and traffic analysis.
- Track visits, bounce rate, keyword performance, and even heatmaps.
- Bonus: integrates well with Baidu Ads.
Other tools:
- CNZZ (Umeng)
- Alibaba Analytics (if hosted on Aliyun)
5. Simplified Mandarin – Written for Local Users
Chinese SEO = native content + localized keywords.
- Use Simplified Mandarin, not Traditional
- Avoid machine translation
- Research Baidu-specific keywords using Baidu tools or Chinaz
- Localize CTAs, navigation, and structure
6. Match the Chinese Web Aesthetic
Design expectations are different in China:
- Denser layouts
- Smaller font sizes
- Bright colors and more visual elements
- Trust badges, QR codes, and embedded social proof
- Live chat widgets or QR to WeChat
- Mobile-first layouts as the majority of users browse on smartphones, not desktops
A responsive site is not enough. Your design should prioritize mobile performance, load times, and legibility on small screens. Minimalist, Western-style design can feel empty to Chinese users.
7. What Development Stack Works in China?
WordPress: Only with Heavy Optimization
- Common plugins use blocked scripts
- Slower performance unless stripped down
- Needs ICP + CDN for decent performance
Better Options:
| Option | Best For | Pros |
|---|---|---|
| Static HTML/HTML5 | Landing pages, microsites | Fast, secure, easy to host locally |
| Headless CMS + Static Generator | Content-heavy marketing sites | Fully customizable, firewall-friendly |
| Drupal (if optimized) | Enterprise multi-language sites | Strong localization, scalable |
No matter the stack: host assets locally and avoid any blocked scripts.
Final Thoughts: Chinese SEO Deserves Its Own Strategy
You can’t just mirror your global SEO setup in China. You need a strategy tailored for:
- Local hosting and fast speeds
- Baidu compatibility and ICP license
- Simplified Mandarin content
- Firewall-friendly design and tools
- Chinese UX patterns and analytics
Need help entering China the right way?
Neat Interactive helps brands build compliant, optimized Chinese websites that perform inside the firewall. From ICP applications to Baidu SEO and analytics setup — we’ve got you covered.
👉 Contact us to talk about launching your Chinese site the right way.