Baidu Certifications: Everything You Need to Know

Baidu certifications are trust services that show verified information about a business in Baidu search results. Since Baidu retired its V1 to V3 credit badges, they include Baidu Guarantee, the Enterprise Business Card, the Official Website Certification and the Trademark Information Display Service. In 2022, most of them were paid, and their main benefit is trust in your brand.

Understanding Baidu’s certification system is an important part of SEO in China. Knowing which certifications to apply for helps businesses make their digital marketing in China more effective and more visible, and choosing them is part of the advice our Baidu SEO agency gives.

Baidu certifications should not be confused with site verification, which proves to Baidu that you own a website: our guide explains how to submit and verify your website on Baidu.

The Old Baidu Credit Certification System

By the time this article was published, in December 2022, Baidu had overhauled its Baidu Credit Certification system and deprecated the V Certification, its old standard based on V1, V2 and V3 badges. In its place, Baidu introduced a new set of certifications.

With the V Certification system, websites could apply for a V mark displayed next to their URL in Baidu search results. By submitting the ICP filing number of their website and their business details, websites received a credibility rating from V1 to V3, the higher the better. A V1 rating meant the business had passed real-name authentication and could start accumulating credibility, and each level up represented more credibility built online. If users met phishing fraud on these websites while logged into their Baidu account, they could receive full repayment from Baidu.

The Four Baidu Credit Certifications

In place of the V Certification system, Baidu introduced:

• Baidu Guarantee (百度保障)
• Baidu Enterprise Business Card (企业名片)
• Official Website Certification (官网认证)
• Trademark Information Display Service (商标信息展示服务)

The prices below are those of December 2022, when this article was written: check them on Baidu’s pages before you apply.

Baidu Guarantee (百度保障)

Baidu Guarantee can be considered the successor of the deprecated V Certification system. With it, Baidu keeps the phishing fraud insurance of the V Certification, which assures users that the sites they reach from Baidu are not scams.

Baidu Guarantee is free, but website owners must describe their company profile in detail, clearly define the products and services of the website, upload the relevant legal documents, accept the terms and conditions, and agree to the Baidu Netizen Rights Protection Plan. As a free service aimed at protecting internet users, Baidu Guarantee does not help with search rankings on Baidu. Business owners can apply on the Baidu Guarantee application page.

Baidu Enterprise Business Card (企业名片)

The Baidu Enterprise Business Card lets businesses display their company information natively in Baidu searches and on other Baidu services. It is open to all enterprises, even those without a website. When people search for keywords related to the company on Baidu, its information appears in the form of a business card.

The Baidu Enterprise Business Card is a tiered service.

Standard Version

In December 2022, the standard version started at 3,600 RMB a year. It shows businesses as business cards in relevant Baidu searches, with the business logo, the full company name, the website address, the phone number, the address, and a link to the company’s Baidu landing page with full information about the company.

To apply, business owners must pass real-name verification and must not be on the list of dishonest persons of China’s Supreme People’s Court.

More information: standard Enterprise Business Card.

Intermediate Version

In December 2022, the intermediate version cost a fixed 13,888 RMB a year. It is only open to specific enterprises, with restrictions on industries such as finance and medical care.

The intermediate version helps businesses build an authoritative image on Baidu services. Its business cards occupy the top three results in searches, can include more than one photo, and can link to the business location on Baidu Maps. The card is optimized for desktop and mobile, and reaches internet users across the country. With this version, Baidu also adds more trigger keywords, so that the business appears in a wider range of searches.

At this tier, a third-party verification company runs a background check on the company to provide authoritative information to internet users, and the business gets an entry on Baidu Baike, China’s counterpart of Wikipedia.

To apply, besides staying out of the restricted industries and meeting the standards of the standard version, business owners must have a consistent ICP filing and pass third-party verification.

More information: intermediate Enterprise Business Card.

Advanced Version

The annual rate of the advanced version is negotiated with Baidu. As with the intermediate version, it is only open to specific enterprises.

On top of the benefits of the intermediate version, the advanced version gives companies a business card that takes even more space on the screen, and a Baidu golden badge. The business card and the landing page both display richer information, including videos.

The application requirements are the same as for the intermediate version.

More information: advanced Enterprise Business Card.

Official Website Certification (官网认证)

Baidu’s Official Website Certification gives business websites a blue badge showing that the site is the official website of the brand. It is most useful for larger brands whose website must stand out from reseller websites. Websites with this certification usually appear at the top of the search results, after the ads.

For example, BMW has many resellers across China, often with websites that contain “BMW” in their names, such as bmwshanghai.com. BMW’s own official website in China is bmw.com.cn. With the Official Website Certification, bmw.com.cn shows the blue badge in Baidu search results, which signals that it is the official brand website.

In December 2022, the standard service cost 3,000 RMB a year, and an advanced version with further protections had a floating price.

The application process includes a strict access review and a quality inspection of the website, and businesses must submit the relevant business documents.

More information: Official Website Certification.

Trademark Information Display Service (商标信息展示服务)

Once a brand registers for Baidu’s Trademark Information Display Service, Baidu displays the official logo the brand has submitted and a link to its official website when users search for the brand name with the keyword “trademark”. A blue ® is also displayed whenever the URL of the brand website appears in Baidu search results.

In December 2022, this service cost 2,000 RMB a year.

More information: Trademark Information Display Service.

Which Baidu Certification Should You Choose?

The certification your business should apply for depends on the scope of your operations and on your industry. As seen above, some certifications are not even available to businesses in certain industries.

For most businesses, the Baidu Enterprise Business Card is a good starting point. While the standard option will not help your SEO rankings, an Enterprise Business Card in Baidu search results strengthens the online reputation of a business.

For businesses with branded products, the Trademark Information Display Service is an important way to take control of your logo and protect the integrity of your brand online. We would only recommend the Official Website Certification to businesses that sell their branded products through resellers.

What Should You Do Next?

List the certifications your business is eligible for, check their current prices and requirements on Baidu’s pages, and prepare your business license, ICP filing and trademark documents. Then combine the certifications with the work that brings visitors: ranking your website on Baidu.

Which certification should you select? Consult QPSoftware: we are experienced in Chinese digital marketing and can help you process the Baidu certification for your business. Our Baidu SEO services then help your certified website rank on Baidu.

Frequently Asked Questions