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Google is the world's most used search engine. But did you know that in China, Google ranks number 2? Baidu dominates the Chinese search engine market with a 62,1% market share, while Google is only visited by 25,3% of the users.
Baidu foremost used by students
Seach engines in China have different characteristics and are used by a diverse target audience. Successful search engine marketing (SEM) considers these circumstances. On the east coast of China, where most of the Internet users are located, Baidu is popular in Beijing, whereas the majority of users in Shanghai surf Google. Baidu's users tend to be younger and mostly students, while Google is the prime search engine for most white-collar employees and business people. Those figures help to identify your market potential and to adjust marketing strategies. In addition to Baidu and Google, there are other search engines such as Yahoo, Sogou or iAsk that may need to be considered as well.
It's all about the right keywords
The initial step of all SEM activities is finding the right keyword combination. Most users, regardless if they are Chinese or Western, are using a combination of 2 or 3 words, rather than single terms. Therefore, the popularity of a keyword combination and the competition for those combinations are the biggest factors in search result success. Those two components are also measurable. Also, keep in mind that people are using descriptive terms and not necessarily a company name. Market situations and user behaviours are changing constantly, continuous updates, modifications and adjustments are necessary, just as in the "offline" marketing world.
SEM and SEO
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the other important element of a balanced online strategy. SEO is the optimisation of structure and content according to the given keywords. It makes the website "search-engine-friendly", and ensures that search engines will index the right keyword combination. While SEM campaigns may deliver fast success, SEO is a sustainable marketing tactic, which will have positive long-term effects on the ranking position. Thus, a combination of both SEM and SEO is highly recommended.
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