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| Search Engines display different kinds of information when delivering output from a search query. Besides the natural results, which are the most relevant websites according to the query, there are also sponsored results. Sponsored results are a form of advertising that companies purchase because they want to ensure they are associated with certain search query words. The way search engines work can be easily demonstrated by typing in a very popular keyword combination, such as "Hotel Shanghai" (上海宾馆). |
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Research has shown that Internet users are generally much more likely (as high as 60 to 80%) to click organic results than paid results. Furthermore, Chinese users are less likely to click on ads in the right column, compared to users in other countries. One theory is that Chinese users are used to the experience with Baidu's search results and as a consequence with the fact that Baidu's sponsored listings (right side of the page) are often not related to the actual content. Google's paid ads suffer from this phenomenon, even though they may be much more relevant.
Paid search, especially pay-per-click, generates immediate traffic. As long as you have purchased queries that are actually searched for, you will generate clicks. Whether these clicks are of any value is another question. Advertising for generic terms like "Shanghai" will produce a lot of visitors, but since the search term is so broad and users could be searching for many things about "Shanghai," it's probably money not well spent.
Appearing in an organic listing can only be achieved through website and search optimization. The website has to be indexed by search engines first, and in addition the site's content has to be considered as closely related to your business in order to receive a ranking in a top position. There's no quick fix for this, as Search Engine Optimization is a ongoing process, requiring continuous monitoring and adjustment to indexing and content, since your competition will seek advantages in ranking, as well. The upside is that once the website is ranked, it will be easier to maintain the ranking and traffic is not charged per click.
Both search engines generate revenue through sponsored listings, but while unbiased results are an important part of Google's service, Baidu is less scrupulous and sells any position on the first page. This may seem like a less appealing proposition from a user point of view, but it works in China, so it has to be taken into consideration. |
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At first glance, it seems to be the best approach to obtain a ranking on Baidu is to simply buy paid listings. Why bother making your website search engine friendly when the "organic" part of the first page is already occupied by sponsored ads?
However, not all of the internet users type in the same keywords when searching. In reality, people's keywords vary greatly in word combinations (or characters in China) when they are looking for the same information.
Users searching for a "hotel" in "Shanghai", may not only use those two keywords, but also add additional terms, such as "Bund", "five-star" or "budget". For a company deciding on which words to purchase, keyword research has to be done initially in order to determine a pool of relevant and popular keywords.
Therefore, the best way to get started with Baidu is setting up a test campaign on their pay-per-click ad system (The ads displayed on the left side of the screen) and monitor the traffic. You will quickly find out which keyword combinations are providing the best results. Buying the ads in the right column, although not as much clicked on, can still be a good additional option as the yearly cost, depending on the keywords, can be relatively low.
At the same time, make your website "search engine friendly" for Baidu so the site will also hold organic rankings for character combinations. It will take some time for the organic ranking to improve, but this will absolutely pay-off in the long run, as it will generate relevant traffic without having to pay for each individual click.
With Google, your website has to be search engine optimized in order to be listed in the organic results section. As with Baidu, it takes some time to achieve high rankings, but over the long-term it's a much more cost-efficient approach.
Google's pay-per-click system is a good way to generate some immediate traffic. However, as Chinese users are less attracted by the "right-column" ads than other nationalities, you may not get the volume you'd expect nor experience in other parts of the world.
At the end, no matter which strategy and search engine you choose, there is one aspect that needs attention even before the work of site optimization or paying for that first keyword – you need to understand what people think and type into that small search box when they are looking for your product or service. Time and effort invested at the front-end can provide faster and larger returns later, so understand the users" habits and preferences, first.
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Unpaid (Algorithmic) results are called "organic" results. These results are sorted by relevancy. In other words, the search engine does its best to match the search query terms with the most relevant websites. Getting ranked organically takes time and requires a long-term strategy, but is worth the effort.
Paid (Sponsored) results give advertisers the option to buy keywords and thus appear on the search results page when a user performs a specific search, regardless of absolute relevancy. Most paid results are charged on a "per click" basis, meaning the advertiser pays only if a user clicks on the ad. The amount charged per click varies by keyword or phrase (depending on demand – perfect supply and demand market!). Paid clicks generate immediate visitors, but come with a direct cost. Therefore, paid keyword combinations over the long-term have to be weighed against keyword return on investment (are you attracting the RIGHT users to click, and do they convert into customers?) |
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reads "promotion", meaning the result is paid. Results further down the results page(s) would be organic, but paid results (if someone has
purchased) always appear on top of apparent "organic" listings.
