How to Localise Content for Baidu (China)
What is Baidu?
Baidu, Inc. is a China-based multinational Information Technology (IT) company which specializes in artificial intelligence, related products, and internet-related services. It is headquartered in Haidian District, Beijing and is said to be one of the biggest AI and internet companies around the globe. The holding company of this organization is incorporated and set up in the Cayman Islands.
In January 2000, Baidu was established by Robin Li and Eric Xu. It finds its roots in an earlier search engine, commonly known as RankDex, which was founded in 1996 by Robin Li, before founding Baidu in 2000. The search engine currently ranks fourth in the Alexa Internet rankings.
While Google (GOOGL) retains its dominance in the global internet search market, Baidu, Inc. (BIDU), takes credit for 74.6% of China’s online search queries, as of February 2019. Google China, which is a Google subsidiary, ranked fifth in China’s online search market, with just a share of 2.03% (Statistics by Investopedia).
The Tech-Company also provides many services including a Chinese search engine and a mapping application called ‘Baidu Maps’. Baidu also provides about 57 community search services, such as ‘Baidu Baike’ (an online encyclopedia), ‘Baidu Wangpan’ (a cloud storage service), and ‘Baidu Tieba’ (a keyword-based discussion forum).
Why Leverage Baidu for Localization?
Fully compliant with local laws and censorship, Baidu remains to be a Chinese company, as directed by the state government. For localization in China, Baidu comes out on top as the best in the game.
Because of an in-depth understanding of the local Chinese language and culture, Baidu can adapt its search technologies to the needs of its local users. The Chinese language is intricate, with multiple interpretations of some words. Search algorithms by Baidu put great importance on the context in which the terms are used in the content.
Lately, Baidu has come up with its mobile search application and has partnered with mobile manufacturers so that they can integrate Baidu’s search engine in their smartphones.
At this pace, Marketers have no option but to leverage Baidu for capturing the Chinese Market.
Baidu is expected to continue its dominance and development in China based on its localized offerings in the world’s most populated country, which still have achieved a rather minimal penetration of the Internet.
Understanding the Digital Ecosystem
In today’s times, it’s common knowledge that China is one of the most exciting markets in the world, and it’s no secret that it is a host to exponential opportunities for new & upcoming brands. It is also a complex, rather hard to navigate the market, as Chinese customers are perhaps the most brand-conscious buyers in the world.
Consumers from all around China believe in researching and validating the credibility of a brand, which results in them purchasing higher-priced goods. It is interesting to note that China, the world’s largest smartphone market, is host to its growing middle class who are extremely comfortable purchasing high-quality goods through digital platforms, not to mention that nearly 90% of Chinese customers use Baidu for marketing.
Here are some pointers to keep in mind while localizing your product for China -
- Understanding your target audience:
When we talk about China, being a rather economically and culturally imbalanced domain, it is very important to understand your audience in full depth. It is also very important to start with a localization strategy which consists of more than just the translation of your product. Chinese consumers are very different from western counterparts and in order to be successful in the market, you must prove you are worthy of the success.
- Language and Translation
The language of the content may differ depending on the target audience of your brand but as for mainland China, it should be in simplified Chinese. Many brands aim to get the best results from a local team of language experts to translate the same. For you to keep your brand message intact and prevent unnecessary brand harm, it is advisable to invest in a localization team which effectively delivers your brand message to the local audience.
- Content and Design
Compared to western websites, a Chinese website has a different feeling and tone to it. Contrary to the ‘simple’ design style of western websites, Chinese consumers look for a site with a lot of details. It is essential to keep the design and content current and consistent. This is one of the most efficient ways to appeal and build brand loyalty amongst your target audience.
How To Get Web Traffic From Baidu
Baidu, being the Chinese search engine with the highest market share, greatly influences your traffic growth with Chinese content on your website/work. If websites don’t have Chinese content, Baidu doesn’t even index them.
Understanding the keywords people use when searching on Baidu is essential. One should carefully choose their “Business-Relevant” keywords and incorporate them in the key spots on their website. But, indulging in Spam and Clickbait would only result in the drop of your ranking. Baidu is an extremely Intricate & Sophisticated Search Engine and cannot be tricked. With the Arrival of BERT in the Search Engine sphere, it will further get much more difficult to attract traction through various previously used SEO techniques. It is important to write for the people first, and then for search engines.
Quick tech insight: The translated material must be accessible for Baidu to use in HTML. Baidu can’t read JavaScript that well.
By Prajal Narain
Team Loc-N-Apps
