Buyer's Guide · Baidu SEO

How to Choose a Baidu SEO Agency

What a good Baidu SEO engagement includes, the questions to ask, the red, yellow and green flags to watch for — and a neutral directory of providers.

Published: 2026-09-27
Updated: 2026-09-27

This guide is written for companies choosing a provider for search engine optimization on Baidu, the leading search engine in mainland China. It applies to any provider, including those listed in the directory below. Disclosure: Jademond Digital publishes this guide and offers Baidu SEO services; it is listed in the directory alongside other providers.

The Short Answer

Native Chinese work: keyword research and content should be done by native Chinese speakers, based on how users in China actually search.
Local testing: the provider should check rankings, indexing and loading speed from inside mainland China.
Commitments to activities, not outcomes: a trustworthy agency commits to the work it will do — never to rankings, link counts or review numbers.
Your accounts, your data: Baidu Search Resource Platform, Baidu Tongji and any ad accounts should be registered to your company.
Reporting you can read: regular reports in your language that connect rankings and traffic to enquiries and sales.

What a Good Baidu SEO Engagement Includes

Typical Scope

Technical audit: Crawlability and indexing for Baidu's crawler (Baiduspider), loading speed in mainland China, mobile adaptation, resources blocked in China, and content that depends on JavaScript rendering
Hosting and ICP: A clear recommendation on hosting location and, for sites hosted in mainland China, the ICP filing (备案)
Chinese keyword research: Research in Simplified Chinese with Chinese data sources such as Baidu Index and the Baidu keyword planner — not translated Western keyword lists
Content: Chinese content written or edited by native speakers for the target audience
Off-page work: Earning mentions and links on Chinese platforms and websites through outreach and content, with transparent methods
Baidu Search Resource Platform: Site verification, link submission and monitoring in Baidu's webmaster tools (百度搜索资源平台)
Other Chinese search engines: Where relevant, 360 Search, Sogou, Shenma and Toutiao Search
AI search: Increasingly combined with generative engine optimization for Chinese AI assistants such as ERNIE, Doubao, DeepSeek and Qwen
Reporting: Rankings, indexing, traffic and business outcomes, in the client's language

Types of Baidu SEO Providers — and When Each Fits

China-based agencies: Native Chinese teams working in mainland China. Usually strongest on Chinese content, local platforms and testing from inside China. Check whether reporting and account management are available in your language.
Hong Kong-based agencies: Often bilingual teams covering mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and wider Asia. Useful when one provider should cover several Asian markets.
Western agencies with a China practice: Headquartered in Europe or North America, with China specialists in-house or through partners. Familiar contracts and time zones for Western clients; check who does the Chinese-language work and where.
International agency networks: Performance and media agencies within global holding groups that operate China offices. Search is often delivered as part of wider media mandates; confirm which team does the SEO work and where it is based.
Independent consultants: Individual specialists for audits, strategy and training. Well suited to companies with their own execution team; limited capacity for ongoing content production.
In-house team: Chinese-speaking SEO staff employed by the company, sometimes combined with an agency for specialist tasks.

Questions to Ask Every Provider

Ask these questions in writing and compare the answers side by side.

Who will work on our account? Meet the people who will do the work, not only the people who present the proposal. Are keyword research and content produced by native Chinese speakers, and where are they based?
How do you test from inside mainland China? Rankings, indexing and speed look different from outside China.
What do you recommend for hosting and ICP filing — and why for our site?
How exactly do you earn links and mentions? Ask for the concrete methods and examples. A trustworthy answer describes activities, never a number of links.
Which data sources do you use for keyword research and market sizing?
Who owns the accounts? Baidu Search Resource Platform, Baidu Tongji and ad accounts should be registered to your company, with access for the agency.
What will reporting look like, and in which language? Ask for a redacted sample report.
What Baidu-specific evidence can you show? Case studies with verifiable details, published research or conference talks on Baidu SEO.
What are the milestones, and how can we exit? Look for defined milestones and reasonable notice periods rather than long lock-in contracts.

Red, Yellow and Green Flags

Red flags point to methods that can harm your website or waste your budget. Yellow flags are not disqualifying on their own, but deserve a follow-up question. Green flags are signs of a provider that works transparently and knows the Chinese market.

Red Flags

Guaranteed rankings: No provider controls Baidu's rankings. Promises such as "page 1 in 30 days" mean either manipulation or a promise that cannot be kept.
"Quick ranking" (快排) services: Offers to push keywords up within days by simulating searches and clicks. Baidu's Jinglei (惊雷) algorithm, launched in 2017, targets exactly this kind of click manipulation.
Guaranteed link quantities: "15 links per month" or link packages (外链套餐). Earned links cannot be promised in advance; a commitment to a number means the links are bought or manufactured. Baidu's Lüluo (绿萝) algorithm, launched in 2013, targets buying and selling links. A trustworthy agency commits to outreach activity, never to the outcome.
Links with a minimum metric: "Baidu weight 4+" (百度权重) or "DR 40+" placements. These are third-party estimates — Baidu weight is calculated by tools such as Aizhan and Chinaz, and Baidu does not recognise it. Selling by a minimum metric means the inventory comes from a catalogue of sites that exist to sell links.
Per-link price lists: A rate card by metric ("Baidu weight 3: ¥X, weight 5: ¥Y") is a link shop, whatever it is called.
Site networks and scraped content: Building many small websites (站群) or publishing large volumes of scraped or auto-generated content to capture traffic. Baidu's Hurricane (飓风) algorithm targets scraped content and site networks.
"Review building" campaigns: Organized, incentivized or orchestrated reviews — for example on Dianping or Rednote (刷好评) — are fake by definition. Helping you ask satisfied customers for a review is legitimate; a campaign promising a number of reviews is not.
Guaranteed Baidu Baike entries: Baidu Baike has editorial rules for entries and edits. A guaranteed entry or edit implies a workaround.
Accounts registered to the agency: Baidu Search Resource Platform, Baidu Tongji or ad accounts registered to the agency rather than to you make it hard to leave and to keep your data.
Secret methods: "Proprietary techniques" that cannot be explained. Good SEO methods can be described plainly.

Yellow Flags

Statcounter as the source for China's search market: Statcounter figures for China are built on a small, skewed sample: few Chinese websites use Statcounter (most use Baidu Tongji), the data leans towards foreign websites, and VPN users are misattributed. An agency that sizes the Chinese search market with it may not be working with local data. Why Statcounter data is unreliable for China
Western metrics as goals: Domain Rating, Domain Authority or other Western SEO metrics used as targets for Baidu work. Ask which Chinese data the goals are based on.
Translated keyword lists: Keywords translated from English or another language instead of researched in Chinese.
Rankings checked only from abroad: No way to see results, speed and indexing from inside mainland China.
No view on hosting and speed: A proposal that ignores hosting location, blocked resources and loading speed in China.
A proposal before an audit: A fixed plan and price before anyone has looked at your website.
Pitch team ≠ delivery team: Senior specialists present the proposal, but the work is done by others you have not met, or subcontracted.
Reporting only in Chinese, or only rankings: Reports you cannot read, or rankings without indexing, traffic and business results.
Long lock-in contracts: Long minimum terms without milestones or an exit clause.

Green Flags

Commitments to activities: Clear promises about the work — audits, content, outreach, reporting — and honest statements about what cannot be promised.
Named, native team: You know who leads your account, and native Chinese speakers do the keyword research and content.
Testing from inside China: Rankings, indexing and speed are checked from mainland China.
Local data sources: Market and keyword analysis built on Chinese data, such as Baidu Index, Baidu's keyword planner and Baidu Tongji.
A clear hosting and ICP recommendation: A reasoned view on hosting, ICP filing, blocked resources and speed for your specific site.
You own everything: All Baidu and analytics accounts registered to your company, with access for the agency.
Transparent link and content methods: Methods explained with examples; outreach and content instead of purchased placements.
Reporting on outcomes: Regular reports in your language connecting rankings and traffic to enquiries and sales.
Verifiable Baidu expertise: Case studies with verifiable details, published research on Baidu, or talks at search conferences.
Audit first, then a plan: An audit or discovery phase before a long-term commitment, with defined milestones.
Beyond Baidu where it matters: Awareness of 360 Search, Sogou, Shenma, Toutiao Search and Chinese AI assistants when they are relevant to your audience.

Engagement and Pricing Models

One-off audit: A fixed-price technical and content audit with a prioritized action list — a low-risk way to test a provider
Monthly retainer: Ongoing optimization, content and reporting; the most common model for Baidu SEO
Launch project: SEO set-up during the build or relaunch of a Chinese website
Consulting and training: Advisory support for your own in-house or China-based team
Pricing: Varies widely with scope, keywords and content volume. Compare offers by what is included — especially who writes the Chinese content and how reporting works — rather than by price alone.

Provider Directory

The directory is an editorial selection of providers that offer, or have offered, Baidu or China search services to international companies. It is not a complete list and not a ranking. Providers are listed alphabetically within categories based on the location of their headquarters. Each entry states only facts published on the provider's own website at the time of review; where a fact was not stated, it is left out. Use the questions and flags above to evaluate any provider, including those listed here.

Disclosure: Jademond Digital publishes this guide and is listed under "China-based agencies". No provider paid to appear. Providers can request additions or corrections at hello@jademond.com. Last reviewed: 27 September 2026.

China-Based Agencies

Altima China: China office of the French altima° group, which lists offices in Beijing and Shanghai · Focus: digital marketing and e-commerce services, with a China SEO service page · altima-agency.cn
Jademond Digital: Headquarters: Guangzhou · Other office: Tianjin · Founded: 2012 · Focus: Baidu SEO, Chinese GEO and paid social advertising for Western companies · jademond.com
Nanjing Marketing Group: Headquarters: Nanjing · Focus: Baidu marketing, GEO / AI marketing, WeChat, Rednote and Bilibili marketing, website transcreation · Languages: Chinese, English · nanjingmarketinggroup.com
Netconcepts: Company: Netconcepts Co., Ltd · Founder and CEO: Allen Qu · Focus: search and brand work across Baidu, Sogou, 360, Toutiao and Shenma; short video and Zhihu marketing · netconceptschina.com
Sekkei Digital Group: Headquarters: Shanghai · Other offices: Paris, Manila · Focus: SEO and SEM in China, Chinese social media, influencer marketing, advertising, website localization · sekkeidigitalgroup.com
SEO Mandarin: Headquarters: Sanya, Hainan · Other office: Hong Kong · Founded: 2012 · Focus: Baidu SEO, GEO, Baidu PPC, Chinese web design, social media · Languages: English, Dutch, German, Portuguese · seomandarin.com

Hong Kong-Based Agencies

The Egg: Company: The Egg Company Limited · Headquarters: Hong Kong · Other offices: Shanghai, Guangzhou, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul · Focus: SEO, SEM, social media, programmatic and media buying in China · Languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean · theegg.com

Western Agencies with a China Practice

China Marketing Corp (CMC): Company: China Marketing Corp Ltd · Headquarters: Leeds, UK · Focus: Baidu SEO, PPC, Chinese social media, KOL marketing, e-commerce, research, language services · chinamarketingcorp.com
Digital Crew: Company: Digital Crew Inc. · Headquarters: New York, USA · Other offices: Shanghai, Guangzhou, Sydney, Malta, Mumbai · Focus: Baidu SEO and PPC, WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Tmall, websites and ICP licensing · digitalcrew.agency
eviom: Company: eviom GmbH · Headquarters: Munich, Germany · Other offices: Stäfa (Zurich), Hong Kong · Founder and Managing Director: Nils Horstmann · Focus: search engine marketing in China, WeChat, Weibo, B2B marketing, e-commerce · Languages: German, English, Chinese · eviom.com
HAMKAI: Company: HAMKAI GmbH · Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany · CEO: Kai Ding · Focus: Baidu SEO and SEM, WeChat, e-commerce (Tmall, JD), influencer and livestream marketing, website localization, ICP licensing · hamkai.de
Hilborn Digital: Headquarters: Toronto, Canada · Focus: Baidu SEO, Baidu PPC, Chinese website development and translation, Weibo and WeChat · Languages: English, Chinese · hilborndigital.com
Qumin: Headquarters: London, UK · Other offices: Shanghai, Dubai · Focus: creative and digital work for brands, presented through case studies · qumin.com
SALT.agency: Company: Subpixel Ltd · Headquarters: London, UK · Other offices: Leeds, Boston · Focus: Baidu SEO, AI visibility on Chinese platforms (ERNIE, Qwen, Doubao), Chinese content strategy and localization, technical audits · salt.agency

International Agency Networks

Network agencies usually deliver search as part of wider media and performance mandates. Confirm which team carries out the SEO work and where it is based.

iProspect (dentsu): Performance marketing agency within the dentsu network · China: iProspect China is listed in Campaign Asia's agency portfolio, based in Shanghai · iprospect.com
Merkle (dentsu): Data-driven marketing agency within the dentsu network · China entity: Merkle Business Information Consultancy (Shanghai) Co., Ltd · Named by Baidu as a key agency partner for international advertisers · merkle.com
Performics (Publicis Groupe): Performance marketing agency within Publicis Groupe · China offices: Shanghai, Beijing · Focus in China: performance media, content marketing, planning and consulting · performics.com

Independent Consultants

Owain Lloyd-Williams: Company: Son of Jack Ltd (England and Wales) · Focus: SEO consultancy including China and Baidu SEO, technical and international SEO · Languages: English, Chinese · Experience: more than 15 years · owainlloydwilliams.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a Baidu SEO agency do?: A Baidu SEO agency should audit your website for Baidu's crawler and for loading speed in mainland China, advise on hosting and ICP filing, research keywords in Chinese, produce or edit Chinese content with native speakers, earn mentions and links through transparent methods, set up Baidu's webmaster tools and report results in your language.
What are the biggest red flags when hiring a Baidu SEO agency?: Guaranteed rankings, "quick ranking" (快排) click manipulation, guaranteed numbers of links, links sold by a minimum metric such as "Baidu weight", per-link price lists, site networks and scraped content, organized review campaigns, and Baidu or analytics accounts registered to the agency instead of to you.
Is "Baidu weight" (百度权重) an official Baidu metric?: No. Baidu weight is an estimate calculated by third-party tools such as Aizhan and Chinaz, based on estimated traffic from keyword rankings. Baidu does not recognise it, so it should not be a goal or a price basis for Baidu SEO work.
Why is Statcounter a questionable source for China's search engine market shares?: Few Chinese websites use Statcounter — most use Baidu Tongji — so its sample for China is small and skewed towards foreign websites, and VPN users can be misattributed. Market analysis for China should rely on Chinese data sources.
How long does Baidu SEO take to show results?: Providers commonly describe first measurable improvements after several months, with competitive keywords taking longer. The timeline depends on the website's starting point, its hosting and loading speed in China, and how much Chinese content it has.
Should I choose a China-based or a Western agency?: China-based agencies usually bring native teams and the ability to test from inside China; Western agencies with a China practice offer familiar contracts, time zones and languages. Whichever you choose, ask who carries out the Chinese-language work and where that team is based.
Is the provider directory a ranking?: No. Providers are listed alphabetically within categories based on the location of their headquarters. The directory is an editorial selection, not a complete list, and each entry contains only facts published on the provider's own website. Jademond Digital publishes the guide and is one of the listed providers.
How can a provider be added or corrected?: Providers can request additions or corrections by email to hello@jademond.com. The directory is reviewed periodically, and the date of the last review is shown above it.