How to Use Baidu in English: Easy Translate Options

China’s answer to Google, the glorious Baidu, is only growing bigger. With a market share of over 70%, it is not only the leading Chinese search engine but also a multinational technology company that offers artificial intelligence and internet-related products.

Chances are even if you don’t reside in China, you have already heard of Baidu but are not sure how to start with it. In this blog post, we will show you how to use Baidu when you don’t speak Chinese.

Looking to get your brand visible to Chinese consumers? Baidu should be one of your top priorities

Baidu is the leading browser in China, however, if you don’t speak Mandarin, it can be difficult to use. The language barrier and the complications of keyword research turn Baidu into a challenge. The good news is there are some translation options available to navigate the site in English.

How to use Baidu in English

Most likely, as a non-Mandarin speaker, you have already typed Baidu.com into your web browser, and the resulting webpage appeared nonsense to you. So the question is, is it really possible to use Baidu in English? The answer is yes.

Your browser matters

First, go ahead and download the google translate extension if you don’t have a google chrome browser on your computer. The extension works like magic and enables the translation as easy as that. If you are already a Google Chrome user then what we do is also simple. 

On your screen find the little 3 dots and click on them. Check the images below to see where they are located. Now click and go to settings options. From there, click on advanced and then languages.

With the language setting, you can choose English or any other language that you speak or understand. If there’s a page written in a language you don’t know, Google will also offer to translate it for you.

Now your Baidu homepage is translated into English.

While Google Translate is far from perfect, translating Baidu.com into English will make it easier for you to get around the page and understand search results. This leads us to our next point…

Searching Baidu in English: Does it work?

Now that you’ve allowed Google Translate to do its thing, it’s time to start searching. You can search in English by hitting enter just like in any other search bar and related results for your keyword pop-ups. But does it really?

Go ahead and try just typing in whatever you wish to search in the search bar in English. You will get some results for sure. Searching in English would not bring you the best results.

To obtain the most accurate and relevant search results on Baidu, you must search in Chinese.

Although this approach may seem easy, it actually does not work very well. Baidu is designed for Chinese users and therefore they search using simplified Chinese characters rather than English. This often yields irrelevant or fewer results for those who use English and not Mandarin characters. The best way to get accurate search results on Baidu is to search in Chinese as well. And luckily there is a way around that too.

To search in Chinese on Baidu: 

1. Go to Google Translate and enter your search term in English. You can also use DeepL, it’s often better than Google.
2. Translate it into Simplified Mandarin characters.
3. Simply Copy and paste the outcome in mandarin characters into the Baidu search bar

Now you receive pretty much the same results with Chinese speakers and the number of the results will be four times more than searching in English.

If you’re ready to improve your brand’s reach on Baidu, contact us for a complimentary assessment!

Working with a marketing agency that understands the Chinese market is the best way to achieve your goal and get a good return on investment. Our team of experts can help you create Baidu Ads campaigns that are customized to your brand and within your budget.

We have helped many companies be successful in China, and we take pride in each one. We know the specific needs of every company we work with, as well as the right strategies to help them succeed specifically in China.