Recently updated on September 16th, 2024 at 09:23 am
Is your website indexed by Baidu? Do you want to build a digital presence on China’s largest search engine and fuel your global business growth? However, your website might be blocked by China’s Great Fire Wall, and it’s not indexed in the Chinese internet ecosystem.
Submitting your website to Baidu Webmaster Tools is an essential step to getting it indexed by the largest search engine in China.
In this article, we’re looking into how to submit your website to Baidu and secure potential traffic from the world’s largest eCommerce market.
What’s Baidu?
Known as the “Chinese Google”, Baidu (百度) is the largest search engine in China specializing in Internet-related services and products. The multinational company was founded by Robin Li and Eric Xu in 2000 and is now headquartered in Beijing, China.
What’s the Origin of the Name “Baidu”?
Baidu (百度), meaning “hundred times”, represents a persistent search for the ideal.
The name comes from a poem by 辛弃疾 (Xing Qiji) in South Song Dynasty. The poem compares the search for a retreating beauty amid chaotic glamour with the search for one’s dream while confronted by life’s many obstacles.
Chinese:
众里寻她千百度，暮然回首，那人却在灯火阑珊处。
-南宋 辛弃疾《青玉案·元夕》
English:
Hundreds and thousands of times, for her I searched in chaos,
Suddenly, I turned by chance, to where the lights were waning, and there she stood.– South Song, Xin Qiji, Qing Yu An · Yuan Xi
What is Baidu Webmaster Tool?
Similar to Google Search Console, Baidu Webmaster Tool (also known as Baidu Ziyuan or Baidu Zhanzhang in Chinese) is a portal dedicated to helping webmasters monitor and maintain their website’s performance in Baidu’s organic search results.
The platform offers plenty of metrics you can only get from Baidu, for instance, you can submit your website to Baidu and get it indexed, get tools to test and analyze the speed of your website, find out which keywords bring you the most traffic, get information on backlinks, etc.
How to Use Baidu Webmaster Tool?
To use Baidu Webmaster Tool, first you need a verified Baidu account. There’re two types of Baidu accounts: standard Baidu account and Baidu PPC account.
#1 Standard Baidu Account (百度账号)
A standard Baidu account allows you to access Baidu Webmaster Tool (Baidu Ziyuan) and Baidu Tongji. Creating a Baidu account can be quite challenging if you don’t speak Chinese and you don’t have related Chinese information such as a Chinese phone number or ID (for later use).
You might wonder as a non-Chinese citizen whether you can register a Baidu account, submit your website, and manage it in your Baidu webmaster tool, just as you do on other search engines like Google, Bing, Yandex, etc.
The answer is a mixed Yes and No.
Yes, you can register a Baidu account. But NO, you can’t access premium features unless your account is verified with Chinese information, for instance, Chinese ID, phone number, and in some cases even face recognition, etc.
Here’s my account, which is a premium-level account verified with my Chinese ID, face recognition, and mobile verification. Therefore, I can access all the features available in Baidu Webmaster Tools.
The current security rating of my account is 90, as I haven’t turnt on the two-factor security log in feature.
💡 You can register a standard Baidu account with an international phone number, however, the features are restricted and there can be system errors like not receiving the verification code.
💡 If you aren’t Chinese or residents in China, it’s nearly impossible to verify your account with ID card, address, etc. to get access to the premium features. A few years ago, these verifications weren’t required, but now, they’re mandatory. 🙁
#2 Baidu PPC Account (百度营销账号)
The pay-per-click account of Baidu is very powerful as it gives you access to more advanced tools. For example, the Jimuyu page builder, Baidu Yingxiao (similar Google Ads), and more. With it, you can create PPC ads with selected keywords and budgets, choose your target audience, and analyze the results.
What Do You Need to Register a Baidu PPC Account?
Baidu PPC account is only open to companies registered in China. In addition, you have to provide company registration information, website registration information, the promoted keywords, a Chinese phone number, etc.
The website must belong to the company, or its owner, and the promoted keywords must be related to the website.
Why is it Important to Submit Your Website to Baidu?
Baidu is the most visited website in China, which makes it a fundamental factor for companies that want to enter or succeed in the Chinese market. It’s the top search engine in China with a market share of 79%.
To appear on the SERPs of Baidu, there’re a few essential steps you should take, and the first and foremost important is to submit your website to Baidu Webmaster Tools.
Submit Your Website to Baidu: 5 Incredibly Easy Steps
Let’s get started with Baidu Webmaster Tools, and submit your website to Baidu in 5 incredibly easy steps. Note: this feature is only available in verified account.
Total Time: 20 minutes
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Step 1: Log in to Baidu Webmaster Tools
Go to Baidu Ziyuan platform (百度资源平台), click “百度账号登录 (Baidu account login)”, and log in.
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Step 2: Add Your Website
Click “用户中心 User Center” menu, choose “站点管理 Website Management”, and click “添加网站 Add a Website”
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Step 3: Verify Your Website
Type the URL of your website, choose category, and choose one of the following verification methods:
* Download the verification file, and upload it to the root directory of your website
* Copy the HTML meta tag and paste it into the header of your website (possibly the easiest way) -
Step 4: Submit Your Sitemap
Go to the menu “资源提交 resource submission”, click “普通收录 standard index”, then “资源提交 resource submission”, and click “sitemap”.
Baidu recommends using sitemaps in the following formats:
* www.site.com/site.txt
* www.site.com/site.xmlNote: Now the sitemap submission feature is no longer available on Baidu.
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Step 5: Submit Links Manually
Go to the menu “资源提交 resource submission”, click “普通收录 standard index”, then “资源提交 resource submission”, and click 手动提交 (submit manually).
How to Check if Your Website is Indexed by Baidu or Not?
After submitting your sitemap and URLs, it’s time to check whether Baidu has indexed them. It might take a few days or even weeks for Baidu to index new websites and URLs. Simple enter the domain name “business-in-guangzhou.com” or “site:business-in-guangzhou.com” (replace business-in-guangzhou.com with your domain name) on Baidu and check whether your website appears in the SERPs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the meaning of Baidu in Chinese?
Baidu (百度), meaning “hundred times”, represents a persistent search for the ideal.
How to submit your website to Baidu?
Step 1: Log in to Baidu Webmaster Tools
Step 2: Verify Your Website
Step 3: Submit Your Sitemap
Step 4: Submit Individual URL
How long does it take for a website to be indexed by Baidu after submission?
The indexing process can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on various factors such as the size and complexity of the website, the quality of the content, the overall performance of the website, the volume of requests being made to Baidu’s servers, etc.
Do I need a Baidu account to submit my website?
Yes, you will need a Baidu account and verify ownership of your website in order to submit your website to Baidu. Once you have done this, you can use the tool to submit your website to Baidu for indexing.
Is it necessary to submit my website to Baidu if it is already indexed by Google?
Yes, a website indexed on Google doesn’t mean it’s also indexed on Baidu. Submitting your website to Baidu helps to ensure that your website is properly indexed and can be easily discovered by users on the Baidu.
How can I check if my website is indexed by Baidu?
You can use the “Site Search” feature in Baidu to check whether your website has been indexed. Simply enter your website’s URL into the search bar on the Baidu homepage and press “Enter”. If your website has been indexed, it should appear in the search results.
Is it better to translate my website into Chinese before submitting to Baidu?
Yes, it’s suggested to have a zh Chinese language version of your website before submitting to Baidu. But it’s not mandatory as Baidu also indexes and ranks non-Chinese websites.
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