When it comes to search engines, we believe that the first name that pops into most people's heads is almost certainly Google. But would you believe that, looking specifically at China, in 2022 Google Search captured a market share of just 3.56% — even though China has a combined internet user base of more than 1 billion people?
Of course, many people are probably aware that Baidu is the most popular search engine in China. But beyond Baidu, a number of competing search engines have also begun entering the market. For brands or marketers planning to break into the Chinese market, this is not to be missed. If you're ready, let's dive in.
1. Baidu
Baidu, which Thai people know as "Baidu," is the most popular search engine in China, capturing a market share of up to 75% in the country. If you can't quite picture it, just imagine it as the Chinese-language version of Google. To put it simply, almost every function of Google has a Baidu equivalent — whether it's running Google Ads, which is called Baidu Ads, or Google Maps, which becomes Baidu Maps.
The key thing for brands or marketers who want to do marketing in China is that if you want to push your website's ranking to the top of Baidu, you must use Chinese as the primary language only.
2. Sogou
Sogou is a search engine that first launched in 2004, holding the number two position in search engine market share in China at 4.83%. In September 2021, it was acquired by Tencent, which has made many people watch closely to see whether the search engine market positions might shift. Because Tencent is the parent company of popular chat apps in China such as WeChat and QQ Messenger — well known as apps that a huge number of Chinese people love to use — Sogou has become another search engine that is very much worth paying attention to. The thing to know about Sogou is that, similar to Baidu, it primarily supports Chinese only.
3. Haosuo
This next search engine stands out for its interface, which looks simple and is more friendly toward mobile device users, along with a security system that is considerably tighter than other search engines in the market. Many people may know it well by the name Qihoo 360, which can be compared to the national Internet Explorer of China. It was merged and became Haosuo in 2016.
4. Shenma
As for Shenma, many Thai people may not be very familiar with it, but in China this search engine is popular specifically for searching on mobile devices — whether it's searching for products on various e-commerce websites and applications, or even searching for books and novels. This is because this search engine is a joint venture between the e-commerce giant Alibaba and UC Web. Shenma holds a search engine market share of 1.74% in China.
For marketers or brands planning to break into the online market in China, these search engines are among the first fundamentals that SEO practitioners cannot overlook. However, you must also understand that the online market in China is quite unique. Therefore, novice marketers need to know how to catch waves and various trends, and doing Keyword Research is one of the first and most important priorities — together with choosing efficient Website Hosting, which will help minimize problems with your website. This ensures that your strategy for doing SEO is well suited to your business's target audience and performs effectively.
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