The core Baidu SEO tools worth knowing are Baidu Search Resource Platform, Baidu Tongji, Baidu Index, Baidu Keyword Planner, Dragon Metrics, 5118, Aizhan, and Chinaz. The first four are Baidu’s own free platforms. The rest are third-party tools that add keyword data, rank tracking, and site audits. Which ones you need depends on whether you have a Chinese-hosted site, an ICP license, and a team that reads Chinese.
If you’re an international brand entering China, Baidu is the search engine that matters. Its flagship Baidu App reached 724 million monthly active users in March 2025, and Baidu handles roughly three-quarters of mobile search on the mainland — though on desktop it leads by a much narrower margin, where Bing is a genuine competitor. Its ranking signals differ enough from Google that your existing SEO stack won’t fully translate. Here are eight Baidu SEO tools, what each does, and who should reach for it first.
The 8 Baidu SEO tools worth using
1. Baidu Search Resource Platform (百度搜索资源平台)
This is Baidu’s official webmaster platform, the closest equivalent to Google Search Console. You submit your sitemap, request indexing of new URLs, monitor crawl status, and see which queries surface your pages. It’s free but requires site verification, and the interface is entirely in Chinese. If you run a China-hosted site and do nothing else on this list, start here. It’s the only way to actively push URLs into Baidu’s index and diagnose crawl problems at the source.
2. Baidu Tongji (百度统计)
This is Baidu’s free web analytics product, comparable to Google Analytics. It tracks traffic sources, on-site behavior, conversion funnels, and which keywords drove visits. Because it’s Baidu’s own product, it integrates cleanly with Baidu’s ad and search ecosystem and reports search-referral data that Google Analytics often can’t see inside China. It suits teams that want behavioral data tied directly to Baidu organic and paid traffic.
3. Baidu Index (百度指数)
Baidu Index is a keyword trend tool, roughly analogous to Google Trends. It shows relative search interest over time, demographic and regional breakdowns, and related rising queries for a given term. It reports index values rather than absolute search volume, so treat it as a directional signal for demand and seasonality rather than a hard volume figure. It’s most useful for early market research, letting you check whether Chinese users are actually searching for your category before you invest.
4. Baidu Keyword Planner (via Baidu Tuiguang 百度推广)
Baidu’s Keyword Planner lives inside its paid-advertising platform, Baidu Tuiguang. It surfaces keyword suggestions and search-volume estimates meant for ad campaigns, but SEO teams use the same data to size organic opportunity. Access generally requires a Baidu advertising account, which for overseas companies means going through Baidu’s international ad process. It fits brands already planning paid search who want volume estimates the free tools don’t provide.
5. Dragon Metrics
Dragon Metrics is a commercial international SEO platform with genuine Baidu support and an English interface, which is a real advantage for teams that don’t read Chinese. It handles Baidu rank tracking, site audits, keyword research, and competitor analysis in one dashboard. This is the tool most often recommended to Western marketers because it bridges the language gap while covering Baidu-specific ranking factors. It works best for international teams managing Baidu SEO without a native Chinese speaker on staff.
6. 5118 (5118.com)
5118 is a widely used Chinese SEO data platform. It offers keyword mining, long-tail keyword discovery, rank tracking, and traffic estimates at a scale the free tools don’t match. Its keyword database is deep, which makes it a favorite among domestic SEO practitioners. The interface is Chinese-only and the richer features sit behind paid tiers. It suits teams with Chinese-language capability who need large-scale keyword and competitor data.
7. Aizhan (爱站 / aizhan.com)
Aizhan is a Chinese webmaster toolset focused on site diagnostics: estimated Baidu traffic (“Baidu weight”), backlink checks, keyword rankings, and indexing status. It’s popular for quick competitive snapshots. Enter a competitor’s domain to estimate their Baidu visibility. Keep in mind that “Baidu weight” is a third-party estimate, not an official Baidu metric, so use it for comparison rather than as ground truth. Good for fast competitor and site health checks.
8. Chinaz (站长之家 / tool.chinaz.com)
Chinaz is a long-standing Chinese webmaster portal with a broad free toolset: keyword ranking checks, site speed tests, indexing lookups, and domain data. It overlaps heavily with Aizhan, and many practitioners use both to cross-check estimates. The interface is Chinese-only. Use it as a free, general-purpose second opinion alongside Aizhan.
How these Baidu SEO tools compare
| Tool | Primary use | Cost | English interface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baidu Search Resource Platform | Indexing & crawl control | Free | No |
| Baidu Tongji | Web analytics | Free | No |
| Baidu Index | Search-trend research | Free | No |
| Baidu Keyword Planner | Keyword volume estimates | Free (ad account required) | No |
| Dragon Metrics | All-in-one Baidu SEO | Paid | Yes |
| 5118 | Keyword mining at scale | Freemium | No |
| Aizhan | Site & competitor diagnostics | Freemium | No |
| Chinaz | General webmaster utilities | Freemium | No |
How to choose the right tools for your situation
Match the tools to where you are, not to a “best of” ranking. A few practical guidelines:
- If you’re validating demand before committing: start with Baidu Index to gauge whether Chinese users search your category, and add Baidu Keyword Planner if you can access an ad account.
- If you have a live, China-hosted site: Baidu Search Resource Platform and Baidu Tongji are non-negotiable. They control indexing and give you first-party performance data at no cost.
- If your team doesn’t read Chinese: Dragon Metrics is the most realistic all-in-one, since the free Baidu-native tools assume Chinese fluency.
- If you have in-house Chinese capability and want depth: add 5118 for keyword scale and Aizhan or Chinaz for quick competitor and diagnostic checks.
One structural caveat sits behind all of this. Baidu tends to favor sites hosted on the mainland with a valid ICP license and fast local load times. The best toolset won’t overcome infrastructure Baidu is reluctant to rank, so treat hosting and licensing as prerequisites, not afterthoughts. Requirements vary by province and business type, so confirm with legal counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Are Baidu SEO tools free?
Baidu’s own tools, Search Resource Platform, Tongji, and Index, are free, though they require Chinese-language navigation and, in some cases, site or account verification. Third-party platforms like Dragon Metrics are paid, while 5118, Aizhan, and Chinaz offer limited free tiers with paid upgrades.
Can I use Google SEO tools for Baidu?
Only partially. General tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush give you some international keyword context, but they don’t track Baidu rankings or reflect Baidu-specific signals reliably. For accurate Baidu data, you need Baidu-native tools or a platform built for Baidu, such as Dragon Metrics.
Do I need a Chinese-hosted website to do Baidu SEO?
It’s not strictly required, but Baidu generally favors mainland-hosted sites with an ICP license and fast local performance. Sites hosted abroad can rank, but they often face slower crawl rates and weaker visibility, which limits what any tool can achieve.
What’s the single most important Baidu SEO tool to start with?
Baidu Search Resource Platform, if you already have a site. It’s the only way to submit URLs directly to Baidu’s index and diagnose crawl issues. If you’re still in the research phase, begin with Baidu Index to confirm real search demand for your category.
Next step
Choosing the right Baidu SEO stack is easier when it maps to your actual China entry plan: your hosting setup, licensing status, and your team’s language capability. If you’d like help narrowing this list down or setting up the tools that fit your situation, up2china’s market entry and digital marketing teams work with international brands to build Baidu visibility from the ground up. Reach out to talk through where your brand stands today.