Measuring and improving your click-through rate (CTR) in Baidu Ads can be the key to maximizing visibility, reducing ad costs, and reaching a wider audience via China’s leading search engine. In this guide, we’ll explain the importance of CTR in Baidu Ads, cover how to measure it effectively, and provide actionable strategies to boost your CTR.

So, how can you measure CTR in Baidu Ads?

TL;DR: To measure CTR in Baidu Ads, access your campaign metrics in Baidu Tuiguang, where you can view metrics including impressions, clicks and click-through rate for each ad. You can manually calculate CTR by dividing clicks by impressions and multiplying by 100. Tracking CTR helps gauge ad effectiveness, with higher CTRs improving ad ranking and reducing costs. For best results, refine your ad copy for Chinese audiences, use high-quality visuals, and optimize for mobile.

What is click-through rate (CTR) in Baidu Ads?

Click-through rate (CTR) is a performance metric in digital advertising, representing the percentage of users who click on an ad out of the total number who view it.

In Baidu Ads, CTR helps determine how effectively your ads capture the interest of the Chinese audience. The higher your CTR, the more engaging your ad, which in turn can boost your ad rankings and lower costs.

In Baidu Ads, CTR is calculated similarly to other ad platforms like Google Ads:

CTR (%) = (Number of Clicks / Number of Impressions) * 100

For example, if your ad is displayed 1,000 times and receives 50 clicks, your CTR would be 5%.

What is a good CTR in Baidu Ads?

Generally, a click-through rate between 0.4% and 0.8% is considered “normal”, but this will vary depending on your industry, product, ad creatives, ad copy and a whole host of other factors.

Why CTR matters in Baidu Ads

In Baidu Ads, a strong CTR not only increases your chances of reaching a broader audience but also improves your campaign's quality score, which can reduce cost-per-click (CPC) and increase ad visibility.

Higher CTRs in Baidu can signal relevance to the platform’s algorithm, potentially increasing your ad’s ranking while optimizing costs.

Here’s how Baidu uses CTR for ad rankings and cost efficiencies:

Ad ranking: Baidu’s algorithm takes CTR into account to rank ads, giving higher visibility to ads with higher CTRs.

Cost savings: A higher CTR typically leads to better quality scores, allowing your ad to achieve higher positions for less, reducing your CPC.

Audience insights: Monitoring CTR provides insight into how well your ad resonates with the target audience.

How to measure CTR in Baidu Ads

To measure CTR in Baidu Ads, you’ll need to access the Baidu PPC (pay-per-click) interface, also known as Baidu Tuiguang. Follow these steps:

Log in to Baidu Ads: Access your Baidu Ads account by logging in to your Tuiguang account.

Baidu Tuiguang

Select the Campaign or Ad Group: Within the account, navigate to the specific campaign or ad group you wish to analyze.

Access Performance Metrics: Go to the performance reports section where key metrics are displayed. Baidu provides data on impressions, clicks, and CTR for each ad.

Calculate CTR Manually (If Needed): If CTR is not displayed for a specific ad, you can calculate it by dividing the number of clicks by the number of impressions and multiplying by 100.

Key factors impacting CTR on Baidu

To maximize your CTR on Baidu, there are several unique factors specific to the Chinese market. These include cultural nuances, popular content trends, and the competitive landscape within Baidu’s ecosystem.

Ad content relevance: Ads in Simplified Chinese or localized content that appeals to cultural preferences will naturally gain more traction.

Creative quality: High-quality images, engaging text, and clear calls-to-action boost CTR. Baidu users often respond better to creative ads that fit within the Chinese content culture.

Placement & Targeting: Baidu’s ad platform offers placements across search results, Baidu-owned properties, and third-party networks. Experimenting with placements and refining targeting options can improve CTR.

Mobile Optimization: With most users accessing Baidu on mobile, ensure that your ads are optimized for smaller screens to encourage clicks.

How to improve CTR in Baidu Ads

Optimize ad copy for Chinese audiences: Use language that resonates with the audience, focusing on popular idioms or expressions.

Focus on quality images: High-quality visuals are a must for attracting attention, particularly in display ads.

Leverage Baidu’s advanced targeting options: Utilize Baidu’s demographic, behavioral, and geographic targeting to reach the right audience segments and improve CTR.

A/B test ads regularly: Experiment with variations of headlines, descriptions, images, and calls-to-action (CTAs) to identify which combinations yield the highest CTR.

Align ads with landing page content: Ensure that the content on the landing page reflects the ad’s promise. When the ad and landing page align, users are more likely to click through and stay on the site.

Include calls-to-action (CTAs): Clear and compelling CTAs, such as “Learn More” or “Sign Up Now,” can prompt users to engage with the ad, especially if they’re time-sensitive or offer value.

Best practices for tracking CTR over time

To make the most of your CTR data, follow these best practices for tracking and optimizing:

Set benchmark goals: Establish realistic CTR benchmarks based on industry averages and your specific market segment on Baidu.

Use comparative analysis: Track and compare CTRs across campaigns, keywords, and audience segments to see where performance excels or lags.

Monitor competitors: Analyze competitor ads to understand what’s working within your industry. Baidu’s insights tools like Baidu Tongji (百度统计) can help with this.

Optimize with Chinafy: Use Chinafy to ensure your landing pages load quickly and effectively for users in China. Fast-loading pages can support higher engagement and CTRs.

Measuring and optimizing CTR in Baidu Ads is essential for improving ad performance and achieving a strong ROI in the Chinese market. By understanding the CTR metric, using localized ad content, and continually refining your approach with data-driven decisions, you can enhance your ad campaigns on Baidu significantly.

For websites with global content, you can use Chinafy to optimize performance for the Chinese market and auto-push your URLs to Baidu for improved indexing. Fast-loading pages that maintain full functionality (and can be found) are key to supporting higher CTR and conversion rates for Baidu ad campaigns.