Baiduʻs Black List: What Baidu Won’t Allow to Advertise

Baiduʻs Black List: Before you decide to advertise on China’s No. 1 search engine, better read this article first.

Running ads on Baidu requires professionals and specialists to make the most of your budget and marketing campaigns. That said, if you plan to run advertisements and would like to get started with a paid marketing approach, then this article will walk you through the products and services that aren’t allowed to be advertised, including helpful tips on writing ad copies. 

Baiduʻs Black List: Avoid political content and sensitive issues

Any political content and sensitive issues about the government, policies, and regulations, including history and heroes or public figures that can damage China’s national interests, are highly prohibited. Suppose you’re a consultancy company for business, economics, laws, and foreign trades. In that case, you want to make sure that the content is also reviewed by a native professional who ensures that the content is safe for publishing and promotion. 

Avoid sexual content, pornography, and improper date matching

These are self-explanatory, and if you are running dating sites targeting Chinese consumers, you should make sure that you comply with the best practices on your site and campaigns. Any adult content, including videos, live streaming, and adult dating sites that are suspected vulgar and improper, is banned. 

No tobacco, narcotic drugs, and radioactive drugs 

If your company sells products and services in these sectors, you cannot advertise them on Baidu. These are strictly prohibited. Thus any content of any form is banned. 

Watch out for highly regulated industries like pharmaceutical, healthcare, and food supplements

If you are in these industries, the content and ads you publish are highly regulated. These are not banned, but you must make sure that when you promote the products and services, they don’t promote the following concepts:

• Guarantees that it is safe and effective to use
• Suggests preventive measures and treatment for a disease
• Claims that the products and services are suitable for consumers’ health 
• Uses endorsements or certifications to promote the efficacy

Keep in mind, if you’re going to promote a product or service, make sure you add a disclaimer that it can’t replace a drug or treatment. 

Same rules apply to highly regulated industries like real estate and financial investments

The real estate industry is highly lucrative in the Chinese market. Thus, even marketers are also aggressive in capitalizing on the sector’s growth, including advertisements. That said, the ad copy must not contain guarantees of return of investment. The same rule applies to financial assets. There should never be a guarantee of safe investment or guarantee a high yield of return of investment. 

Avoid superlative words like best, most, and #1

While the words “best” and “most” are often used in promotional campaigns in English, these are not allowed according to China internet laws. For example, the superlative character ‘最’ in Chinese equivalent to the English suffix ‘est’ is banned not just on Baidu but also on WeChat and other channels. 

If you use this, Baidu will automatically disapprove it, so it’s best to work with Chinese copywriters who know their way on the right words and keywords to use on ads. Your company must know the exact words and phrases that are not allowed in the advertising space. 

How to get started with Baidu ad copy and PPC ads?

Contact the LIMPID team and let’s discuss the best practices in your industry for your Baidu ad campaigns, content, and other ways to generate quality traffic from Chinese websites.