Category: China Internet

If you cannot beat them, join them. Instead of trying to find your way around China’s Great Firewall, why not work with it to your advantage?

Baidu.com is a Chinese search engine that voluntarily and actively censors its output to adhere to the regulations set forth by the Chinese government. Established and developed by and for Chinese, Baidu has become the logical choice for search engine services because of its domestic advantages and wide array of offerings.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the easiest method to ensure your site is at the top of the pack when related search results are produced. Chinese SEO on Baidu could prove beneficial to Internet Marketers owing to the large number of Chinese Internet users, which has risen to 338 million in 2009.

An in depth survey of Chinese Internet demographics also shows that the Internet has become a vital source of information and interaction as well as a means of communication and convenience for the users. 84.3% say the Internet for them is a major information channel. 81.6% say the Internet saves them a lot of time. The value of the Internet in today’s digital age is undeniable. The power of information and of convenience has turned the Internet into ally rather than a foe.

By doing Chinese SEO on Baidu, you would be advertising your products for a relatively low cost because of the large target audience you can reach. China has a sprawling population of 1.3 billion, the largest in the world. More than 25% of that population is already wired and the number of Internet users is steadily growing despite the censorship implemented by the Chinese government. A sprawling nationwide market with a size at the fraction of more conventional advertising costs is a marketer’s dream. Moreover, word of mouth about your site from returning users is always welcome. And 76% of Chinese Internet users say they will forward something good when they see it.

SEO is also a natural way to lead users to your site unlike other paid Internet marketing alternatives. Though the clever use of keywords to rise above the ranks to the top can be employed by other dummy sites, leading search engines such as Baidu remove from their indices or records these sites that aggressively use SEO to the point of nonsense and miscorrelation. This will ensure the results are always valid and that your site does not get lost under the rubbish.

Chinese SEO on Baidu will put your site on the map accessed by millions of Chinese users everyday. To target and tap into a market that is already established and growing could open the doors to your site. And, as everyone knows, the Internet is open 24/7.

At approximately 1.3 billion, it has the largest population in the world. The number of its Internet users rises significantly each year. It has a great virtual wall that rivals its real one that stretches 8,800 kilometers from Shanhaiguan to Lop Nur. It is the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

On March 22, 2010, all users who tried to access google.cn were redirected to google.hk to bypass more than 60 Internet regulations set by the Chinese government. Hong Kong, being a Special Administrative Region (SAR) and having special judicial powers, is not subject to some national laws including Internet censorship.

Google, one of the leading search engines in the world, gave up its stake in China leaving in its wake a void teeming with potential and growing opportunity costs. One such search engine can fill the gap. Enter baidu.com.

Established in 2000, baidu.com is a Chinese and Japanese search engine that censors inappropriate web content in consonance with the Internet regulations set forth. Moreover, owing to its domestic nature, Baidu, is privy to the inherent cultural and social tendencies of its users. This makes it the preferred search engine of the largest country in the world.

Chinese Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on baidu.com could prove quite profitable and lucrative for Internet marketers. SEO is a method by which keywords are strategically repeated in a website to produce a top result for that site in a related search engine query.

It is undeniable that the Internet has become an indispensable tool in people’s lives. Despite the censorship, the number of Chinese Internet users continues to grow each year so much so that the Chinese Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) concluded in 2009 in its 24th Survey Report that the construction of network infrastructure is being overtaken by the increase in Internet users. It has even called for more rigorous means to improve the quality of Chinese Internet.

What else did the CNNIC report? 77.5% of users say the Internet is separable from their lives. 78.5% say they share their knowledge with others. This chain of users relying more and more on the Internet and their tendency to share information with others is an overflowing resource waiting to be tapped. The higher your site ranks on search engine queries, the more mouse clicks to your virtual door, the greater your web presence.

By implementing SEO for your site on Baidu alone – you could be reaching out to 338 million prospect users. The figures are staggering. And the possibilities that lie beyond the Great Wall? Unbounded.

Easy access to internet has its own advantages as well as disadvantages; as in the positive light Chinese internet is considered as a major source for information acquisition, interpersonal communication, social participation, practicality and much more for the Chinese people. On the flip side, internet has isolated the user from the real world and is also the cause for various mental illnesses that related to internet addiction and requires Chinese censorship. According to a survey conducted to find out the overall lifestyle recognition, the need for Chinese censorship can be grouped under internet trust, internet interaction and internet reliance.

In the category for internet trust, the web users were analyzed for information trust as well as transaction trust. Around 84.3% users attested that the world wide web is their major source of information and 48% stated that they trust the information available on the web over Television channels.

When it comes to transactional trust the numbers seem to be coming down, as people in china are vary about giving out their personal information over the net. Only 39.4% of internet users were willing to provide true data during online registration. It has been found that 29.4% of Chinese users say that Chinese censorship is lacking and one believes in online transactions are inadequately protected.

Interaction on the internet can be addicting for the surfers and requires the Chinese censorship. In this 56.1% expresses an opinion poll and there has been a steep rise in the number of users taking part in important social events since the advent of internet. Around 78% of the web users attested that whenever they come across any useful and interesting information on the net, they make sure to share it with their friends on the internet.

Among others who comment on the reliance of the common man to the internet, feel that there is a growing need for Chinese censorship as today, many people are getting addicted to the web because 77.5% of the users think that life is inseparable from it. 81.6% of the users say that the internet saves them a lot of time spent in acquiring information from other sources; it is also very convenient when it comes to the web as a life aid. However, some users feel lonelier even in the era of social networking website available online. But internet also leads to social isolation as the user is spending more time online rather than with the significant others, in the real world.

Therefore, the Chinese censorship of the internet is very useful as it limits the usage of internet and ensures a healthy lifestyle.

The decline in the number of Chinese Internet users has affected the Economy in China, as the New Economy is propelled by the advancements in internet and any changes in the usage has a direct impact. In the nascent stages, when internet was a new concept, the number of internet users has been steadily increasing.

In fact, today they have reached the 16.9 million mark as recorded, in the early part of the last decade. The ecommerce transaction also increased by leaps and bound with subsequent advancements in B2C transactions. According to experts, Internet commerce has a promising future on the virtual front. The internet has transformed the mode of communication, as today one can communicate around the globe at an amazing speed that seems so effortless.

On the flip side of the coin, internet has been blamed for social isolation and other mental problems of the Chinese internet users. According to an online survey, the number of Chinese internet users that socialize through the internet has increased significantly, and can be calculated to 4.8%. Various social networking websites are available on the internet, and are almost addicting as users spend more time tweeting online rather than communicating in the real world.

In the present scenario, where everybody is too busy in the lives and have no time to visit friends and family, make use of the internet to stay in touch. According to a survey, internet has contributed to the development of interpersonal relationships in the virtual world. Around 90% of the internet users attested that internet usage enhanced their relationships with friends and family by 4.8%.

Many users who find useful information on the internet are willing to share it with their colleagues; this has lead to enhanced life efficiency and spread of knowledge which is important for the growth of society as a whole. It is the nature of progress that is instrumental in enhancing efficiency among the people in china. The internet is the platform that offers both flexibility and personalization in communication for the Chinese internet users.

The internet is an open arena for the various companies involved in ecommerce as the small business entrepreneur can compete against big conglomerates. Internet has also witnessed the downfall of major companies from the real world that could not survive on the internet. On the other hand, there have been many entrepreneurs that have made a phenomenal success on the World Wide Web. The Economy in China is now struggling to adapt as the number of Chinese internet users is eroding at a fast pace. Therefore, it is important to embrace change in order to propel the internet economy in China.

Today, internet in China seems to be re-emerging as a major player in the virtual arena. In the present scenario, China is climbing the technological ladder at a fast pace, with an increasing number of businesses hosting web servers in the country.

The Chinese government seems to have evolved into an economic power house with world power. China may seem to have become an economical and technological power house at the global forefront, but internally, it is very fragile as a result of the technological developments, the communist political leaders seem to be having a deep sense of domestic insecurity. And it is this insecurity that backs the introduction of various rules and regulations with Chinese censorship for every aspect of web hosting in China.

Today, there are stricter rules in according to Chinese censorship for registering a .CN domain names at CNNIC. According to latest news, web hosts are looking for alternative places for registering their domain names. It is has been observed that the technical nature of the global domain name system is causing a political stir within China. It is the technological advancements in China that have caused the technocratic government to impose very rigid regulatory rules and Chinese censorship for web hosting in China.

The DNS system was originated by the Americans and they have a complete veto on any kind of changes in the naming system. Therefore, Chinese censorship is trying to regain a control of what the government thinks, is its rightful niche on the World Wide Web.

According to the latest additions in the regulations of Chinese censorship, the domain names need to be registered with the government. And in case, the owners fail to register, their website would be pulled down by the government. To add to the plight of web hosts in China, the .CN is commonly known to be used in phishing attacks of security infringement on the internet.

According to statistics, as a result of the rigid regulations put forth by the government in China, there has been a steep decline in the number of users that are registering for .CN extension; as it reached a record low of 76% as recorded in the last month of 2008.

The rigidity in regulations for domain names indicates that China seems to have been wedded to the belief that technological advancements can have an impact on the political and social aspects of the country, thus leading to digital governance.

Baidu.com is a Chinese and Japanese search engine founded by Chinese entrepreneurs Robin Li and Eric Xu. According to co-founder Li, Baidu, which literally means hundreds of times, represents the persistent search for the ideal.

This is the concept behind Baidu.com which makes it a popular choice among Chinese Internet users for reliable and valid search engine results. Coupled with Baidu’s strong advocacy of the Chinese government’s Internet regulations, Baidu has stepped up to fill the void left by the death of Google in China on March 30, 2010 when all access to the leading search engine, including its international sites (with the exception of Google Mail and Google Maps), was banned in the mainland.

The domestic search engine Baidu’s strong online presence, as well as its firm grasp on intrinsic Chinese values and culture, has made it a household name and virtual bulwark akin to the Great Wall of China.

With the implementation of the Internet regulations, Chinese homes, schools and offices are turning to Internet search engines that would give them optimum results each and every time. Parents and teachers would trust only a search engine that can filter inappropriate content for children, as students comprise the largest group of Chinese Internet users. Offices would also prefer censored accessible sites to maintain productivity and proper conduct in the workplace. Corporate workers, managers and professional and technical staff combined also make up a majority in the demographics.

The onset of Chinese Internet regulations should prompt Internet marketers to step up their game and ensure more traffic passes through their sites despite the limitations. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the most cost-effective, painless and quickest way to do just that. Moreover, Chinese SEO on Baidu.com would give you an edge. If your site comes out at the top of the hierarchy of results on a search engine that actively censors content and which many Chinese users utilize in school and at work, then you would have marked your site with a large, red X on the Chinese map of the Information Superhighway.

This highway is traversed everyday by roughly 338 million Chinese Internet users. With the largest population in the world of 1.3 billion, the increase of Chinese Internet users in the next years would undoubtedly be viably incremental. Reaching out to an established and growing target market of that size and potential at a relatively lower cost of advertising makes for a lucrative ratio.

Don’t be left on the other side of the wall. Chinese SEO on Baidu.com could be your ladder to the top.

The year 2009 has witnessed major changes in the internet development in China. The Chinese internet is no longer confined to the computer terminal, especially with the advent of mobile internet technology. The number of Chinese internet users that make use of mobile phone for browsing the internet has been growing at a fast pace. According to statistical data, the count of mobile internet users has touched the 155 million mark and shows a growth rate of 32.1% for the last six months.

The state council government has passed a resolution in favor of the application of Chinese internet technology to mobile devices. This has been made possible by issuing 3G Licenses to mobile phone manufacturers in China. The internet services also reduced cost of internet access on the mobile gadgets. Therefore, there has been a considerable advancement in mobile phone technology and this combined with easy access to GPRS, where the Chinese telecom services are working in favor of advancing the mobile phone technology by reducing the fee for wireless connectivity.

Other major telecom operators in china have also contributed towards bringing Chinese internet technology of the mobile phone users in china. The concept of internet on the mobile phones has been catching up with the Chinese internet users, especially with the younger generation.

The younger generation is very interested in standing out in a crowd with some of the latest gadgets and high tech accessories. Mobile devices with GPRS are very much in vogue among the youngsters as they make use of the mobile internet technology as a status symbol. As they say, with an increase in demand there is a consequent increase in supply, therefore, with the increase in the usage of mobile phone technology, various internet applications have evolved like the mobile blog, mobile video and mobile entertainment TV that is very much in demand.

Today, the mobile devices have recorded a penetration of around 60% or more, in some of the developed countries. Another fact, the mobile and internet have been the driving forces that created demand for information on the internet that is available anywhere anytime and comes at a low cost too. In terms of ecommerce, there are many advantages of having an interconnected population in china, that also presents a vast opportunity for technological as well as ecommerce advancements, as distance is no longer a barrier.

Mobility of the internet and easy accessibility has given a new face to ecommerce, as it can provide more meaningful service to the mobile phone users. This has lead to a universal availability of useful information and adaptation and management that has been critical in the success of mobile internet in china.