Mastering Baidu PPC: Advanced Strategies and Tools to Succeed in China's Lucrative Market (Part 2)
09 May 2023 | Shy L & Janie Z| 6 min read
Expanding your business to China could be profitable, especially with all those consumers up for grabs. But let’s be real; it is a bit of a maze, and digital marketing can be tough. That is why many people use Baidu PPC, one of the top platforms for advertising in China.
In our blog post, Baidu SEM (PPC) VS Google Ads: Which is Better for Your Brand, we introduced the basics for a Baidu PPC account. However, setting up a Baidu PPC is only the first step to success; marketers must refine their strategies and management.
In this article, we will explore three sections about Baidu PPC: advanced Baidu PPC strategies, case studies, and tools for you to excel at Baidu PPC advertising.
First, if you want to utilise Baidu PPC in your business setting, strategies are the way to direct you in the correct direction and not lose your goal while starting your campaigns. Implementing an effective Baidu PPC strategy is crucial for businesses looking to tap into the vast Chinese market. With over a billion internet users, Baidu is the go-to search engine for most Chinese consumers, making it an essential platform for businesses to promote their products or services.
Baidu PPC Strategies You Should Look Out For
Do not simply show the same Google campaign from the Western
You need to use the right keywords to make a killer Baidu PPC campaign that speaks to your Chinese audience. Do not only translate your Western campaign and expect it to work – that is a rookie mistake. Instead, you need to research and find out what Chinese consumers are looking for. That means choosing keywords relevant to their interests and desires and avoiding obscure or uncommon terms that will not get you any clicks.
Know who to target with the correct keywords
But do not worry; it is not rocket science. By targeting the right keywords and demographics, you can get your ads in front of the people most likely to buy from you. For example, if you are selling luxury watches, you can use targeted keywords and ad copy to appeal to Chinese consumers who are into high-end fashion and accessories. Then, once they click on your ad, you can give them all the details they need to know about your watches and convince them to make a purchase.
If you want to get savvy with your keyword strategy, there is another way to effectively use keyword strategy and see how popular you are and see the comments.
First, review your existing campaigns and conduct data analysis on non-brand terms that bring the most traffic to find brand and brand+keywords. Then, add your brand before these words, such as: Enlybee SEM strategy”). · Brand name + comment (“How is Enlybee”).· Brand name + big sale/campaign (“Nike The Footballverse”) .· Brand name + a string of conditions (“Does Enlybee do content marketing?”).· Brand name + website (“Enlybee official website”). You can also use Google Autocomplete/baidu and related searches (on the search result page bottom) to see popular searches for your brand.
Find the balance between your Budget with Your Exposure Goals
So when you are thinking about advertising, it is important to find the sweet spot between your budget and your goals for exposure. Obviously, the more you spend, the more people will see your ad. As a result, the highest bids typically secure the prime spot above search listings. But even if you are not rolling in dough, you can still get some great results. Remember, keep in mind what kind of return on investment you are hoping to get.
Utilising Baidu Brand Zone
If you want to knock it out of the park, check out Baidu Brand Zone. It is like that scene in Talladega Nights when Ricky Bobby says, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” You need to aim for the top spot, and Brand Zone can help you get there. It is a primo spot where you can showcase your brand with text, images, and even videos. Plus, you can customise your content and target specific users with special offers. Admittedly, it is a little pricey, but worth considering if you want to increase your brand awareness and get more traffic and conversions.
Advanced Baidu PPC Strategies You Should Know
Using remarketing to target previous website visitors
Speaking of advanced strategies, have you heard of remarketing? This is when you target people who have already checked out your website. Baidu has a feature for this, and it is super effective because you are reaching out to people who know about your brand and have shown interest in your products or services. This means you get more bang for your buck and a higher return on investments than other digital marketing channels.
For example, a hotel chain could use remarketing to target people who have previously visited their website and viewed a specific hotel’s page, showing them targeted ads for that hotel.
Creating custom landing pages for specific ad groups
Another cool tactic is creating custom landing pages for your ad groups. By tailoring your content to match your keywords, you can improve your relevance and increase your chances of conversion. Plus, landing pages allow you to guide your potential customers to take the exact action you want them to take.
For example, let’s say you are an e-commerce company in China selling electronics and clothing. You can create separate landing pages for each category and target them with specific ad groups. This way, your landing pages are hyper-relevant to your ad, improving the overall user experience and increasing your chances of conversion. So, remember to keep your landing pages visually appealing, easy to navigate, and focused on a single goal or call to action. Doing so will drive more conversions and get those sales rolling in!
Leveraging Baidu’s AI capabilities to enhance marketing campaigns
Next up is Baidu’s AI. With Baidu’s AI, you can analyse user data and adjust your ad targeting and bidding strategies to optimise your campaigns. The automated bidding algorithm uses AI to adjust bids in real-time based on various factors, such as competition, location, and user behaviour. Plus, Baidu’s Intelligent Ad Delivery algorithm uses AI to analyse user behaviour and deliver ads to the right audience at the right time, increasing your ad’s visibility and chances of receiving clicks.
If you want to target high-value customers, Baidu’s AI can help you with that too! Using machine learning algorithms, Baidu’s AI can identify potential customers based on their online behaviour and target them with personalised ads for specific products. For example, a Chinese financial services company could use Baidu’s AI capabilities to identify potential customers based on their online behaviour and target them with personalized ads for specific products.
Creating video ads to engage audiences
Video ads can also be an effective way to engage audiences and increase brand awareness. With Baidu’s Video Ads feature, you can showcase your brand on Baidu’s video search page and across Baidu’s partner sites. For example, a Chinese travel company could create a video ad showcasing a popular tourist destination and use Baidu’s Video Ads feature to target people interested in travel.
Keywords Strategy: Utilise your competitors’ keywords
Along for the ride is a technique you use when you bid on a keyword for a competitor’s brand name. Implementing this strategy against your competitors for smaller, lesser-known brands can take advantage of larger competitors. You could build a better product with better quality for stronger brands.
To implement this strategy effectively, you need to follow the rules:
First, do not use your brand names in your ad titles or descriptions (or your ad will be removed). Second, delicately adopt comparison skillfully, and ensure your ad focuses on comparing your product or brand to that of your competitors (in a legitimate, non-derogatory way). Third, display the URL. Use their brand name in your presentation URL. This will make your ads relevant and protect your Quality Score.
Finally, the landing page. Ensure your landing page’s content shows what you are offering in your ad. Your visitors must see and accurately compare your features and benefits. If possible, have a third party make this comparison for you.
Case studies and success stories
Data and case studies to illustrate how valuable brand bidding is to marketers
When it comes to Baidu PPC campaigns, the first step is to come up with effective keywords to target. This means brainstorming words or phrases your target audience will likely search for on Baidu. If you are not sure where to start, there are tons of resources online that can help you with keyword research.
Once you have a list of keywords, it is time to create ad groups and ad copy that align with them. This means crafting compelling ads relevant to the keywords you are targeting and to the audience you are trying to reach.
For example, in Nike’s case, they likely adopted keywords related to athletic apparel and shoes, such as “running shoes” or “workout gear.” They may have also targeted specific regions (Tier 1 cities) within China where they wanted to promote their products.
One important thing to remember is that Baidu PPC operates on a bidding system, so you will need to set your bid amounts and budget for the campaign. The higher your bid, the more likely your ad will appear at the top of the search results page. Understanding the best bidding strategies is key!
We help our clients continuously monitor and optimise their ad copy, bid amounts, and targeting throughout the campaign to ensure the best possible results. This includes adjusting the ad copy to improve click-through rates or changing the bid amounts to improve ad placement.
Tools and resources for Baidu PPC advertising
You will need some Baidu-specific tools to conquer the Chinese market with your PPC advertising skills to get the job done. Baidu offers several handy resources to help you dominate the search rankings and drive more traffic to your website.
Baidu Keyword Planner
First, if you are not familiar with the search behaviour of Chinese online consumers, we have many great tools for you. For example, you could use one of the tools to search volume data in your target region.
You could also submit a “core keyword” to the tool, which will then display relevant keywords based on account information on the tool’s homepage. This provides a baseline for establishing deeper keyword research.
It will list suggested keywords along with metrics such as “reasons” why the keyword could be valuable, average daily search volume, competitive status, and the month with the highest search volume.
Baidu Tongii
Second, you must keep up with your website statistics and improve your ranks on Baidu; Baidu Tongji is a platform you should not neglect.
This enables you to monitor the traffic coming to your website, analyse visitor behaviour, and identify your traffic sources. In addition, it integrates Baidu Ads for PPC.
It is a powerful tool to dig through your website and enable you to gain insights into the advertisements that generate the highest traffic, conversions, and ROI.
Baidu Ads Editor
Then there is the Baidu Ads Editor – the tool you need when you are on the run and do not feel like logging into your Baidu account via your browser. It lets you manage your account offline, make quick changes through drag-and-drop functionality, and view performance data across campaigns, ad groups, and keywords. It is like having your own personal digital assistant but without the weird robot voice.
Baidu Bid Estimate
Next up is Bid Estimate Tool; it is a game-changer for all you Baidu PPC advertisers out there.
The Bid Estimate Tool is like a crystal ball for your PPC ads. It helps you predict your ad campaigns’ performance based on different bidding strategies. As a result, you can adjust your bids and see how they will impact your impressions, clicks, and costs. It is like a virtual sandbox where you can use different bidding scenarios to find the sweet spot for your campaigns.
It also helps you determine the optimal bid for a specific keyword. It shows you the estimated bid range for that keyword and the estimated daily clicks, costs, and conversion rates. This helps you decide how much to bid for a keyword based on your budget and goals.
Do not forget the Bid Estimate Tool is only a prediction. It is on historical data and statistical models but does not guarantee actual performance. So make sure you use it as a guide, not a gospel.
Having a good grasp on these Baidu PPC Tools can assist B2B marketers in efficiently managing their PPC ads.
Take Your Business to New Heights with Baidu PPC and Our Proven Strategies
If you want to spread your business wings and tap into the huge consumer base in China, Baidu PPC advertising can be your ticket to success. But do not get too excited and jump in blindfolded. You must do your homework, figure out the ins and outs of the Chinese market and make sure your marketing campaigns become tailored to the local crowd.
There are much more strategies and tactics you can leverage to win the China market. You can find out more from our latest e-book with over 100 resources here: Download Now! Or book a Free Discovery Call with our Baidu PPC campaign team. Book now!