Are backlinks still useful in the Chinese market? How do you build backlinks safely?
Chapter 2: Search Fundamentals · Question 26
Backlinks (also called inbound links) were once the "hard currency" of SEO. But in the 2024 Chinese market, both the value and the playbook for backlinks have changed significantly. Short answer:Yes, they're useful—but the method has to be right.
The current state of backlinks in the Chinese market
Still useful, but with reduced weight
Before 2015, Baidu rankings could almost be "bought" with backlinks. But after multiple algorithm updates (especiallyBaidu Jing Lei algorithmandLü Luo algorithm), the weight of backlinks has dropped from a former 40%+ to roughly 15-20% (weight estimates are industry approximations based on algorithm evolution; Baidu has never published exact coefficients).
The formula now looks more like:Quality content × good experience × moderate backlinks = good rankings。
But it's still a "vote of trust"
Every link from an external website is essentially that site saying: “this page is worth recommending.“ To Baidu, this is still an important authority signal—it just cares more aboutqualitythan quantity now.
Safe and effective backlink building methods
1. Industry directories and business information platforms
- Qichacha, Tianyancha: Make sure your company information page includes a link to your official website
- Baidu Enterprise Baike: Create or improve your company's Baike entry
- Industry association websites: Join industry associations and get a link in the member directory
- Yellow pages platforms: Company pages on B2B platforms such as Hc360 and China Suppliers
2. Press release distribution
Publish company news on authoritative news platforms to get coverage with links:
- Sina, Sohu, NetEase News
- 36Kr, Huxiu (tech industry)
- Local news websites
Note: pure advertorials have limited effect; content with genuine news value (funding, product launches, industry reports) works best.
3. Partner and customer reciprocal links
- Recommend each other on "Partners" pages with suppliers and distributors
- Write case studies for customers, and have customers link to you from their official websites
- Sponsor industry events and obtain sponsor links on the event's official website
4. Earn links naturally with high-quality content
This is the most sustainable approach:
- Publishoriginal industry reports/white papers(others will link to you when citing them)
- Buildpractical tools or calculators(such as "loan calculator" “ BMI calculator ”)
- Releaseoriginal data and research findings(journalists and bloggers love citing data)
5. Academic and open-source channels
- Naturally link to relevant product pages in GitHub open-source projects
- Publish high-quality technical articles on tech communities such as CSDN and Juejin
- Collaborate with universities on research and obtain .edu domain links on academic pages
Dangerous methods: absolutely avoid
| Black-hat tactics | Risk | Corresponding Baidu algorithm |
|---|---|---|
| PBN (Private Blog Network) | Once identified, the entire site's ranking is demoted | Lü Luo algorithm |
| Mass forum signatures/comments | Almost ineffective, and may be judged as spam links | Lü Luo algorithm |
| Buying links (with openly stated prices) | Both buyer and seller may be penalized | Green Algae Algorithm 2.0 |
| Link farms / cross-linking site networks | Severe ranking demotion or even de-indexing | Thunder Algorithm |
| Bulk submission to directory sites | Low-quality directories are already ignored by Baidu | — |
Remember: Baidu's algorithm team has specifically optimized for link cheating behavior in the Chinese market. Many gray-hat methods that "still work" in English SEO have long been ineffective on Baidu.
Backlink quality evaluation criteria
Not all backlinks are the same. To evaluate the value of a backlink:
| Dimension | High quality | Low quality |
|---|---|---|
| Source domain authority | Well-known websites, aged domains | Newly registered small sites |
| Relevance | Directly relevant to your industry | Completely unrelated websites |
| Link placement | Naturally appearing in body content | Bulk links in footers and sidebars |
| Whether it brings traffic | People actually visit through that link | Dead pages with no visitors |
| Editorial nature | Actively added by editors | Self-submitted / paid placement |
One relevant link in the body content of an industry authority website > 100 spammy directory links.
Practical recommendations
- First build a solid "foundational backlink layer”": Complete all the foundational directory links such as Qichacha, Tianyancha, Baidu Enterprise Encyclopedia, and industry associations — this is zero-risk, one-time work that ensures Baidu can confirm your company information from multiple trusted sources
- Publish one original content asset every quarter: This can be a small industry report, research data, or practical templates — such content will continue to be cited and linked, serving as the engine for long-term backlink growth
- Use 5118 or Ahrefs to monitor competitors' backlink sources: See where the competitors ranking ahead of you are getting their links — those channels are likely accessible to you as well
