Baidu Analytics, also called Baidu Tongji (百度统计), is Baidu’s analytics platform for websites, apps and mini programs in China. It shows how many people visit, where they come from, which Baidu search terms and ads brought them, and whether they convert. Foreign brands use Baidu Tongji to measure their Chinese audience, with a free version and paid versions.
Why foreign brands use Baidu Analytics in China
Google Analytics depends on Google servers, which are not reliably reachable from mainland China, so it can miss part of your Chinese visitors. Baidu Tongji is built for the Chinese internet and comes from Baidu, the leading search engine in China. It shows the Baidu search terms and Baidu ads that bring visitors to your site, data that no Western tool provides.
It plays a similar role to Google Analytics, but it is not a copy of it: it is tied to the Baidu ecosystem, its interface is in Chinese, and its account rules are Chinese. For a brand that invests in Baidu SEO services or Baidu ads, Baidu Tongji is where the results of that work show up.
Traffic and sources: who visits, and from where
The basic reports cover page views (PV), unique visitors (UV), IP addresses, bounce rate and average visit duration. You can view them by hour, day or week, and filter them by source, device (computer or mobile), new or returning visitors, and region.
- Sources. Organic search, paid search, external links and direct visits, with the search terms behind each visit from Baidu.
- Real-time data. A live view of current visitors, useful to check a campaign launch or an unusual spike.
Visitor attributes: who your Chinese audience is
Baidu Tongji draws on Baidu’s own data to describe your visitors, for example their age group and the region they browse from. It helps a foreign brand check that its site reaches the cities and the age groups it targets in China.
Conversions and events: what visitors do
Conversion analysis is where Baidu Tongji earns its place in a marketing team. You define goals, such as a registration, a quote request or an order, and follow the number of conversions and the conversion rate by source and device.
- Events. A JavaScript call records clicks, form submissions, video plays or downloads, and the report shows the total of events and the number of unique visitors behind them.
- Funnels and attribution. The paid versions add advanced analyses such as funnels, behavior flows, retention and attribution of conversions to channels.
A/B tests and dashboards
Growth experiments compare a control group with variants of a page, on page views, visit duration or order value. Dashboards bring the key charts together, and reports can be downloaded to share with the team.
What to know before you set up Baidu Tongji
- The account. A Baidu account is registered with a mainland China mobile number. Overseas advertisers without one can call Baidu to learn how to open an account.
- The language. The interface and the help center are in Chinese: someone on your side needs to read it.
- The code. The tracking code goes before the
</head>tag of every page, and data appears after about twenty minutes. Our step-by-step guide to setting up Baidu Tongji shows each step. - Other channels. For a WeChat mini program, the official tool is WeData; for in-depth behavior analysis across apps and websites, some companies add a platform such as Sensors Data.
How QPSoftware can help
Our team in Shanghai installs Baidu Tongji, sets up the goals and events that matter to your business, and reads the reports with you. As a Baidu SEO agency, we use them to rank your website on Baidu with our SEO team and to show which pages bring Chinese visitors and leads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a foreign company open a Baidu Analytics account?
Yes, but the Baidu account behind it is registered with a mainland China mobile number. A foreign company with a Chinese entity or a local partner usually opens it through them. Overseas advertisers without a Chinese number can contact Baidu to learn how to open an account. Once the account exists, adding a website and installing the tracking code is the same for every company.
Is Baidu Analytics available in English?
No. The Baidu Tongji interface, its reports and its help center are in Chinese only. Browser translation helps to find your way, but the menu names and the definitions of metrics are best read by someone who reads Chinese. Many foreign brands rely on their agency or their Chinese team to set up the account and to report the figures in English.
How does Baidu Analytics differ from Google Analytics?
Both measure traffic, sources, conversions and events. Baidu Tongji loads reliably in mainland China and shows the Baidu search terms and Baidu ads behind each visit, which Google Analytics does not. Google Analytics works in many languages and fits better outside China. Brands with an audience in China and abroad often run both on the same website.