Common misconceptions about Baidu — Marcus Pentzek // Searchmetrics

Show Notes

• ·01:37 : Recap of marketing in China week ·Ben gives a recap of marketing in China week. So far, Marcus and Ben talked about deciding whether or not you need to enter the Chinese market and things to consider. One defining element of the Chinese market is that Google is not leading search there, Baidu is. Ben and Marcus have discussed the various ways in which Google and Baidu share similarities and differences when it comes to ranking and SEO. ·01:52 : Misconception #1: You have to be ru ing a Chinese website ·With 70% of the top search results in Baidu being .com websites, its clear that you dont have to use a Chinese domain to rank well in Baidu. Ben and Marcus clear up the rumours surrounding needing a local domain to rank in the Chinese market. Bear in mind, though, that you still have to translate to content for this to make sense. ·03:12 : Misconception #2: Meta Keywords ·Marcus explains that meta keywords are not only seen as u ecessary in the western world but also in Baidu. Similar to using other western search engines like Google or Bing, you do not need meta keywords for your website to rank in Baidu. Marcus and Ben discuss the extent to which meta keywords matter in your Baidu ranking. ·04:08 : Misonception #3: You need a, ICP license ·Another misconception that the world has about Baidu is that you need an Internet Content Provider (ICP) license. Ben and Marcus bust this myth and explain how it works out to be a myth. The loophole here is that while you ca ot publish content in China without an ICP license, you can still publish content outside of China that can be consumed in China. ·05:28 : Misconception #4: Spamming backlinks ·Despite popular opinion, you ca ot spam Baidu with weak backlinks. Similar to working with Google, authority and domain rank matter with Baidu. Marcus and Ben talk about staying away from just buying a bunch of links instead of creating them organically or getting them from good sources. ·06:26 : Figuring out the best path forward into the Chinese market ·Stepping into a new marketplace can be daunting. Soyou want to ensure that you have all the help that you can get when youre just getting your foot in the door. Marcus talks about how you can strategically enter the Chinese market with the help of companies dedicated to assisting western companies with the transition. Ben and Marcus discuss different ways that you can take advantage of the size of the Chinese market.