Baidu continued to gain market share in China at the expense of Google in the second quarter, with the US search giant’s share falling 6.7% to 24.2% in the three months to June. At the same time, Baidu’s share increased 6% to 70% of the local search market.
Baidu’s gains come after Google sparked a row with the Chinese government by refusing to comply with its censorship regulations, also redirecting the mainland Google page to its Hong Kong site.
Google recently reached an agreement with the Chinese government and has had its business license renewed, allowing it to continue operating google.cn, a move which – according to analysts – will see Baidu’s growth slow significantly.
Baidu has rejected this view, claiming that its growth is due to the increasing number of internet users in China. Official figures state that the number of people using the internet in China has grown by an estimated 36 million since the end of 2009 to reach 420 million, making it the largest online population in the world.
Before Google’s row with China, the search giant was gaining on Baidu with a share of 32.8% compared with Baidu’s 64.8%.
The ongoing struggle between Google and Baidu highlights the need for international SEO for companies that trade in markets where there is greater competition among search providers.
