The Chinese search engine landscape is surprisingly diverse given the ultra-competitive nature of apps and platforms in China. Each of these options has its strengths and weaknesses and you should consider the pros and cons of each before moving forward with a marketing strategy in China.
Chinese Search Engines - The Breakdown:
In 2024, the Chinese search engine market continues to be diverse, though Baidu remains a dominant player with a significant market share. As of January 2024, Baidu holds 61.11% of the market share across all platforms, and an even higher share on mobile at 75.93%. This is a notable presence but indicates a shift from previous years where its dominance was even more pronounced.
Bing has seen a significant increase, capturing 17.5% of the market share across all platforms, and is particularly strong on desktop with a 41.88% share. Haosou (360 Search) follows with 6.86% market share across all platforms. Sogou, which previously showed rapid growth, now holds 5.58%, and Shenma, mainly used on mobile, has a 4.3% share in this segment.
Google remains blocked in mainland China, and its market share is minimal at around 2-3%, largely accessed via VPNs. The landscape highlights a more competitive environment with Baidu still leading but facing significant challenges from other search engines like Bing and Haosou (StatCounter Global Stats)
Why Baidu?
As the biggest search engine in China, it’s going to be hard to find a better opportunity to target Chinese customers directly by search intent. Other platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and Jinritoutiao profess to have good targeting options but at the end of the day they are unreliable and you will end up getting very low-quality results. However, if you have a niche product or are B2B, Baidu is a great opportunity to target people specifically looking for your product or service. Also, Baidu is relatively cheaper than Google when it comes to CPC! Read more about Baidu vs Google here.
Why Sogou?
Sogou pinyin was originally a mobile keyboard app that became extremely popular as the default app for typing in Chinese using Roman characters. Sogou was able to leverage that massive audience to create search functions within their app and other third-party apps. Sogou has also pushed hard on innovation and AI for improving search results, something which Baidu has been slow to move on likely stymied by regulations (being the biggest company of their kind) and a different attitude to embracing change.
Like Baidu, Sogou requires all advertisers to have an assigned Sogou agent who will assist you through the process, red tape, account creation, and advertising process. Sogou might be a good option for those looking to target hyper-competitive keywords on Baidu or those industries to be deemed too ‘sensitive’ to advertise on Baidu (Sogou seems to have fewer regulations in this area).
Getting started with search engines in China
The key thing to remember when doing anything in China related to advertising is that it’s going to take longer and a lot more red tape than almost anything in the rest of the world. In most cases, you’re going to need to show evidence of your legal presence in China. If you don’t have a legal presence in China it’s possible to register through Hong Kong as an international company.
Is your company right for Baidu and SEM in China? Speak with one of marketing experts to find out.
