We often get questions about the fastest way for foreign businesses to increase their visibility on Chinese search engines. Everyone knows pay-per-click advertising will get your business exposure on SERPs, but what if you want more presence organically without having to wait for your SEO work to kick in?

Simple: create a Chinese wiki page for your business. Below are five reasons Chinese wiki pages are awesome for marketing.

1) Instant Exposure

Baidu, Qihoo 360, and Sogou – China’s three largest search engines – all have their own wiki platforms.  Creating a wiki page on any one of them essentially guarantees your business awesome exposure for branded keyword searches on that search engine.  While SEO is still necessary to get your actual website ranking for non-branded keyword searches, it typically takes a minimum of six months of continuous work before businesses start seeing results.

For you under-the-gun marketing managers and small business owners that need to show something in less time than that, your company will gain exposure at or near the top of the SERPs as soon as the wiki page is approved.  Here’s an example of where a wiki page appears for a branded keyword search on Baidu:

A search for “Walmart” (沃尔玛) causes the company’s wiki page to be displayed at the top of the organic search results

2) Increased Credibility

Chinese shoppers are meticulous researchers, meaning any brand that lacks a presence on the internet is going to have a rough time making sales or even generating leads.  When people search your business, you not only want it to show up high on the SERPs, but also want to be sure that the information they’re finding represents your brand as the smashing success it is.  If people can’t find any background info about your business, they’ll find someone else.  Plain and simple.

3) Reputation Management

Having good visibility organically not only helps establish your company’s credibility, but also allows any potentially negative feedback about your company to be pushed further down the page, where less people will be influenced by it.  While we obviously don’t encourage companies with subpar products or services to try to sweep their dirt off the first page, anyone that’s been on Yelp knows that any business that’s vulnerable to customer reviews is going to take a few on the chin.

China has its own review sites for almost any product or service you can think, and if you don’t have a wiki page for your business, the very first thing Chinese people may see is a customer review.  Take Papa John’s, for example.  You’ll notice how its wiki page is much further up the page than dianping, the Chinese equivalent of Yelp and bane of many a restaurant owner’s existence:

Fortunately Papa John’s makes a wicked pizza, but how would you sleep at night knowing a dianping rating was the only thing people saw when searching your company online.  Better hope the review Gods are on your side.

4) Easily Shareable on Social Media  

Chinese wiki pages are easily shareable on some of China’s most popular social media platforms.  For example, Coca Cola’s wiki page on Baidu Baike can be easily shared on some fifty plus Chinese social media platforms, giving the page great reach beyond Baidu’s platform.

Red box shows part of the list of social media platforms that a Baidu Baike page can be shared on, which includes Weibo, QQ, and more

5) Cost 

A Chinese wiki page offers great bang for your buck.  While by no means a replacement for SEO, PPC, or social media marketing, creating a wiki page is the quickest way to get your brand exposure on Chinese search engines without having to pay for clicks. For a reasonable one-time setup fee, your business will get premium organic exposure on SERPs for branded keyword searches.  And the page can be maintained for a low monthly cost to ensure it’s up to date and protected against negative edits.

Take Away

There’s no reason your business can’t get more exposure on Chinese search engines.  Whether you’re a small business starting from scratch or have already been in China for several years, Chinese wiki pages will get your brand the recognition it deserves, leading to greater consumer confidence and ultimately more sales.

If you need some help getting your wiki pages setup, we offer a Chinese Wiki Creation service that includes everything you need.

Will you setup a Chinese wiki page for your brand?  Why?  I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments.

Start With a Free Consultation

Contact us for a free initial consultation. Whether it’s through email, chat, or a scheduled video meeting, we’re here to help.

We’ll identify the potential obstacles hindering your expansion in China, and we’ll recommend the best course of action based on your individual needs.

If you think we’re a good fit, you’ll receive a proposal within a week.