How a Chinese Dictionary Site Wins Both Baidu and Google: 5 SEO Tactics You Can Copy

Most website builders assume you must choose between optimizing for Google or optimizing for Baidu. The two engines use different ranking signals, different crawling patterns, and different user behaviors. But one Chinese dictionary site, qianp.com, has managed to rank on the first page of both simultaneously. It pulls in roughly 1.4 to 1.7 million monthly visits, with 89 percent of that traffic coming from organic search. Baidu indexes 1.93 million of its pages, while Google indexes 4.84 million. For the broad keyword “chengyu” (idiom), it ranks number four on Google. For “chengyu daquan” (idiom dictionary), it ranks number one. And on Baidu, it takes the top spot for several high-volume phrase queries.

Here are the five tactics that make this work, rewritten so you can apply them to your own overseas website project.

Tactic 1: Split Your Content Into Subdomains, Not Subdirectories

The site runs three separate sections as subdomains: zidian.qianp.com for single-character dictionary entries, cidian.qianp.com for word definitions, and chengyu.qianp.com for idiom phrases. Each subdomain is treated by search engines as an independent site with its own authority, its own crawl budget, and its own backlink profile.

Why does this matter? When you put everything under one domain with subdirectories, the authority of your strongest pages gets diluted across hundreds of thousands of URLs. Search engines have to decide which pages deserve ranking power. With subdomains, each section competes on its own merits. The idiom section can rank for idiom keywords without being dragged down by the dictionary section’s weaker pages.

Practical step: if you run a content-heavy site with multiple distinct content types, consider moving each type to its own subdomain. For example, a recipe site could use recipes.example.com for dishes, tips.example.com for cooking techniques, and glossary.example.com for ingredient definitions. You lose some link equity that would normally flow between sections, but you gain clarity in ranking signals. If your site has fewer than a few thousand pages, subdomains can be overkill — but for large content libraries, they can be a game-changer.

Tactic 2: Win Core Keywords by Organizing Category Words, Not Stuffing Long-Tails

The idiom section of qianp.com does not stuff the keyword “chengyu” into every page title. Instead, it builds a massive category system around the core topic. The site organizes idioms into groups like zodiac signs, four seasons, numbers, animals, plants, colors, and directions. It also categorizes idioms by structural patterns, such as AABB-style, ABAB-style, and ABAC-style. Then it adds grammatical classifications: coordinate structures, subject-predicate structures, and complex-sentence types.

None of these category words contain the core keyword “chengyu.” But they are all semantically related. When a user searches for “idioms about horses” or “idioms with the number three,” the category pages match the intent. And when a user searches for the broad term “chengyu,” Google sees a site that covers the topic from every angle, not just one thin page.

You can copy this by building a hub-and-spoke model. Instead of writing 50 thin pages that each target a different long-tail keyword, create one strong core page for your main topic then build 20 to 30 category pages that cover every angle of that topic. For a fitness site, that means categories for bodyweight exercises, dumbbell routines, kettlebell moves, cardio intervals, and stretching protocols. Each category page should be a comprehensive guide, not a list of five bullet points. The core page links to all categories, and each category links back to the core. This structure tells search engines that you are the authority on the topic, not just a page spammer.

Tactic 3: Discount Third-Party Traffic Estimates Heavily

The site reportedly gets 150,000 to 390,000 daily visits from Baidu, according to third-party tools like aizhan.com. But the actual number is closer to 30,000 per day. Why the huge gap? Baidu’s “box computing” feature intercepts a large portion of search traffic. When a user searches for a common word definition, Baidu displays a direct answer card at the top of the results page, so the user never clicks through to the site.

This is a critical lesson for anyone using third-party traffic estimators. Tools like SimilarWeb, aizhan, or SEMrush often overestimate traffic by 3 to 10 times, especially for sites that rank for informational queries. Baidu’s direct answer cards, Google’s featured snippets, and Bing’s instant answers all eat into click-through rates.

When you plan your monetization strategy, do not base your revenue projections on raw traffic estimates. Instead, apply a discount factor. For informational content, assume only 10 to 30 percent of the estimated traffic actually reaches your site. For transactional content, the discount is smaller, maybe 50 to 70 percent. Build your ad revenue, affiliate income, or subscription model around the discounted number, not the raw number.

Tactic 4: Mass Indexing Plus High Search Share Is the Playbook for Content Sites

The site has 89 percent of its traffic coming from search engines. That is not a typo. Almost nine out of ten visits come from organic search. This is the result of mass indexing: the site has nearly two million pages indexed by Baidu and nearly five million by Google. Every page is a dictionary entry, a word definition, or an idiom explanation. None of them are landing pages designed for conversion. None of them have fancy visuals. They are pure content.

The lesson here is simple: if you run a content or aggregation site, your job is to maximize indexation. Every page you publish is a potential entry point for a search user. The more pages you have indexed, the more traffic you can capture. This does not mean publishing garbage. It means publishing systematically structured content that covers every possible query variation.

For an overseas website builder, this translates to building out long-tail content at scale. If you run a travel site, do not just write a page for “best hotels in Paris.” Write separate pages for “best budget hotels in Paris,” “best luxury hotels in Paris,” “best boutique hotels in Paris,” “best hotels in Paris for families,” and “best hotels in Paris for couples.” Each page targets a slightly different intent. Over time, this adds up to thousands of indexed pages and a steady stream of search traffic.

Tactic 5: Late Entry with an Old Domain Can Still Win

The domain qianp.com was registered in 2008, but the site was only built in May 2020. That means the domain sat unused for over a decade. When the owner finally built the site, it took just over three years to reach millions of monthly visits. This proves two things. First, an old domain can carry residual authority, even if it was never used. Search engines may have historical data on the domain, including backlinks or mentions, that give it a head start. Second, it is never too late to enter a competitive niche. The dictionary space is crowded, but this site found a way in by focusing on structure, category depth, and subdomain organization.

For your own project, do not be discouraged if your niche seems saturated. Look for gaps in content coverage. The dictionary site did not invent new idioms. It simply organized existing idioms in a more comprehensive way than anyone else. Find a topic that is poorly organized, and build a better structure around it. Use a domain that is a few years old if you can find one, but do not wait for the perfect domain. Start building now, and let the content compound over time.

How to Apply These Tactics to Your Own Site

Start by auditing your current site structure. If you have more than 10,000 pages, consider splitting them into subdomains. If you have fewer, keep everything on one domain but focus on category depth. Build a category page for every angle of your core topic, and link them all back to a single hub page. Check your third-party traffic estimates and apply a 70 to 90 percent discount before planning your monetization. Then focus on mass indexation: publish systematically structured content that covers every possible query variation. Finally, do not wait for the perfect domain or the perfect time. Start today, and let the content accumulate.

The dictionary site’s success is not a fluke. It is the result of deliberate structural choices that align with how both Baidu and Google rank content. You can copy those choices, even if you are building for a completely different niche. The principles are universal: organize your content, split it into logical units, cover every angle, and be patient. The traffic will follow.

(Figures and case details in this article are as reported in the source material and have not been independently verified.)

Series: Overseas Website Building