AI SEO and AEO in China (mainland): how customers find businesses
By the SEOCells team, OmCells R&D Labs LLP · Updated
In mainland China, Google is blocked and the major Western AI assistants are not officially available. Businesses are found through Baidu and other local engines, Chinese AI assistants such as Ernie Bot, Doubao, Kimi and Qwen, and platforms like Dianping and WeChat. That needs simplified-Chinese content, ideally hosted in China.
China (mainland) at a glance
- Languages
- Standard Chinese (Mandarin), written in simplified characters
- Country domain
- .cn
- Currency for prices
- Chinese yuan (CNY)
- hreflang for English pages
en-CN
Which search engines do people in China (mainland) use?
Baidu is the leading engine; Sogou, 360 Search and Bing also have users. Search inside WeChat and Douyin is significant.
Which AI assistants answer their questions?
Chinese assistants dominate, among them Baidu's Ernie Bot, ByteDance's Doubao, Moonshot's Kimi and Alibaba's Qwen. ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are not officially available.
What is different about search in China (mainland)?
Reaching Chinese users generally requires a separate, China-hosted site with an ICP filing, fast access from within China and content in simplified Chinese. SEOCells' website checks read public pages; Baidu-specific ranking factors and Chinese assistants are outside what the SEO and AEO Reports measure today.
Which listings and review sites should be accurate?
Keep your business name, address, phone, hours and description identical on each of these, and on your website and its structured data:
- Baidu Maps
- Amap (Gaode)
- Dianping (Meituan)
- WeChat official accounts
- Tmall and JD.com (online sellers)
What do people search for?
Examples of the searches and questions that local pages should answer directly (illustrations, not measured volumes):
- “北京 牙科 推荐”
- “网站优化 公司”
- “AI搜索优化”
- “上海 会计师事务所”
Which privacy law governs analytics in China (mainland)?
The Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL, 2021) governs personal information and cross-border transfers. Measuring visits from AI assistants (see our analytics guide) must respect it. This is general information, not legal advice.
How does SEOCells work for businesses in China (mainland)?
Start with the free SEO Score and AEO Score for any page. When you run an SEO Report, choose China (mainland) (CN) in “Market options”, with the language your customers search in, and SEOCells compares your page with the pages that rank in that market. Prices are in credits (1 credit = US$0.01) and shown before each run. If you would rather have the work done, a SEOCells consultant can take it on.
Questions answered
How do I get my business found on Google and in AI answers in China (mainland)?
In mainland China, Google is blocked and the major Western AI assistants are not officially available. Businesses are found through Baidu and other local engines, Chinese AI assistants such as Ernie Bot, Doubao, Kimi and Qwen, and platforms like Dianping and WeChat. That needs simplified-Chinese content, ideally hosted in China.
Which AI assistants do people in China (mainland) use?
Chinese assistants dominate, among them Baidu's Ernie Bot, ByteDance's Doubao, Moonshot's Kimi and Alibaba's Qwen. ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are not officially available.
Which privacy law applies to website analytics and contact forms in China (mainland)?
The Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL, 2021) governs personal information and cross-border transfers. This is general information, not legal advice.
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