Note: This case study is based on composite patterns from BPP's work with multiple B2B manufacturing clients. Company names and specific figures have been anonymized. The strategies, metrics, and outcomes reflect real campaign performance.
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A mid-sized European manufacturer of industrial automation components wanted to enter the Chinese market. They had no Chinese website, no local sales team, and no experience with Baidu. Their Google Ads campaigns in Europe were generating strong results — but China was a blank slate.
Twelve months later, their Baidu campaigns were producing 400+ qualified leads per month at a cost per lead of ¥85 (approximately $12 USD). Here is exactly how that happened.
📍 The Starting Point: What They Had (and Didn't Have)
What they had:
- A well-established brand in European industrial automation
- A product catalog with 200+ SKUs for CNC components, servo motors, and linear guides
- Strong Google Ads performance in Germany, France, and Italy
- English-language website with decent domain authority
What they didn't have:
- Chinese website or landing pages
- Baidu advertising account
- Understanding of Chinese search behavior for industrial products
- Any presence on Chinese digital platforms
Their initial assumption was that they could simply translate their Google Ads campaigns and run them on Baidu. That assumption was wrong — and fixing it became the foundation of their success.
📆 Phase 1: Account Setup and Market Research (Weeks 1–3)
Account Opening Through BPP
The first step was opening a Baidu PPC account. Since the company had no Chinese business license, BPP opened the account under our authorized partner entity. The process took 7 business days:
- Day 1–2: Document collection (business registration, authorization letter, advertiser form)
- Day 3–5: Baidu compliance review and V-verification
- Day 6–7: Account activation and initial ¥20,000 deposit (~$2,760 USD)
Chinese Keyword Research
Before writing a single ad, we conducted keyword research specific to their industry. This is where most international brands make their first mistake — they assume Chinese buyers search the same way European buyers do.
What we found:
| European Search Pattern | Chinese Search Pattern | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Brand name + product | Generic product + specification | Chinese buyers search by spec, not brand |
| English technical terms | Chinese technical terms | Direct translation misses 40–60% of search volume |
| Single product searches | Solution-based queries | "伺服电机选型" (servo motor selection) gets 3x more volume than brand terms |
The keyword research identified 847 relevant keywords across 12 product categories. We organized them into three intent tiers:
- High intent (ready to buy): "伺服电机报价" (servo motor price quote) — 2,400 monthly searches
- Medium intent (researching): "伺服电机选型" (servo motor selection guide) — 8,100 monthly searches
- Low intent (awareness): "伺服电机工作原理" (how servo motors work) — 12,600 monthly searches
📲 Phase 2: Landing Page and Campaign Build (Weeks 3–6)
Chinese Landing Pages
We created 8 product-specific landing pages in Chinese. Each page included:
- Product specifications in Chinese units and terminology
- Downloadable product catalogs (PDF, Chinese version)
- Lead capture form with WeChat integration
- Trust signals: CE certifications, ISO standards, European headquarters photos
- Chat widget for real-time inquiries
Critical decision: We did not use the client's European website with Chinese translation. We built dedicated landing pages hosted on a China-accessible server. Page load time dropped from 4.2 seconds (their European site from China) to 1.1 seconds.
Campaign Structure
We organized campaigns by product category and intent level:
| Campaign | Focus | Match Type | Daily Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Defense | Company name + brand terms | Exact | ¥100 (~$14) |
| High Intent — Servo | Servo motor purchase terms | Phrase + Exact | ¥500 (~$69) |
| High Intent — CNC | CNC component purchase terms | Phrase + Exact | ¥500 (~$69) |
| Research Stage | How-to and selection guides | Broad + Phrase | ¥300 (~$41) |
| Competitor | Competitor brand names | Exact | ¥200 (~$28) |
Total daily budget: ¥1,600 (~$221 USD) | Monthly: ¥48,000 (~$6,620 USD)
🚀 Phase 3: Launch and Optimization (Months 1–3)
Month 1 Results
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Impressions | 45,200 |
| Clicks | 1,840 |
| CTR | 4.1% |
| Leads | 67 |
| Cost per lead | ¥716 (~$99) |
| Total spend | ¥48,000 |
The first month was expensive. ¥716 per lead was not sustainable. But we expected this — the first month is about data collection, not efficiency.
Key Optimizations Applied
1. Negative keyword expansion
After analyzing search terms, we added 340 negative keywords in the first month alone. Examples:
- "伺服电机维修" (servo motor repair) — not a buyer
- "伺服电机原理" (servo motor principle) — students, not buyers
- "二手" (second-hand) — wrong market segment
2. Bid adjustments by time of day
Industrial B2B searches in China peak between 9:00–11:00 AM and 2:00–4:00 PM (China time). We increased bids by 30% during these windows and reduced by 20% after 6:00 PM.
3. Landing page A/B testing
We tested two versions of the servo motor landing page:
- Version A: Technical specs above the fold
- Version B: Application scenarios above the fold
Version B won with a 23% higher conversion rate. Chinese B2B buyers want to see the product in use before they read specifications.
Month 3 Results
| Metric | Month 1 | Month 3 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impressions | 45,200 | 62,400 | +38% |
| Clicks | 1,840 | 2,560 | +39% |
| CTR | 4.1% | 4.1% | Stable |
| Leads | 67 | 186 | +178% |
| Cost per lead | ¥716 (~$99) | ¥258 (~$36) | -64% |
| Total spend | ¥48,000 | ¥48,000 | Same |
Same budget, 2.8x more leads. Cost per lead dropped 64%.
📈 Phase 4: Scaling (Months 4–12)
With a proven campaign structure and optimized cost per lead, we scaled in three directions:
1. Product Line Expansion
We added campaigns for linear guides and CNC accessories — product lines that were not in the original launch. Each new product line followed the same framework: keyword research → dedicated landing page → targeted campaigns → optimization.
2. Feed Ads Layer
After 4 months of search data, we launched Baidu Feed Ads targeting users who had shown interest in industrial automation topics. Feed ads extended reach beyond active searchers to passive researchers — people browsing industry news and technical forums.
3. oCPC Implementation
Once the account accumulated 200+ conversions, we switched high-volume campaigns to oCPC (AI-optimized bidding). Baidu's algorithm began predicting which clicks were most likely to convert and adjusted bids in real time.
oCPC impact:
| Metric | Before oCPC | After oCPC | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per lead | ¥195 | ¥85 | -56% |
| Lead quality score | 6.2/10 | 7.8/10 | +26% |
| Monthly leads | 280 | 420 | +50% |
🏆 12-Month Results Summary
| Metric | Month 1 | Month 6 | Month 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly leads | 67 | 280 | 420 |
| Cost per lead | ¥716 (~$99) | ¥145 (~$20) | ¥85 (~$12) |
| Monthly spend | ¥48,000 (~$6,620) | ¥48,000 (~$6,620) | ¥35,700 (~$4,920) |
| Lead quality (sales-qualified) | 22% | 38% | 45% |
| Cost per qualified lead | ¥3,255 (~$449) | ¥382 (~$53) | ¥189 (~$26) |
The client went from zero China presence to 400+ monthly leads at $12 per lead. Their Chinese sales team (hired in month 6) now handles all inbound inquiries. The Baidu channel generates more qualified leads than their European Google Ads campaigns — at one-fifth the cost per lead.
💡 What Made This Work: 5 Lessons
1. Do not translate your Google Ads campaigns.
Chinese search behavior is fundamentally different from Western search behavior. Keyword research must start from scratch, using Chinese search data.
2. Build dedicated Chinese landing pages.
Hosting matters. A European website loading from a Chinese server adds 3–5 seconds of latency. Every second of load time costs approximately 7% conversion rate.
3. Start with search, expand to feed.
Search ads capture existing demand. Feed ads create new demand. You need search data before feed ads can target effectively.
4. Budget for a learning period.
The first 1–2 months will be expensive. That is normal. The data collected during this period is what makes months 3–12 efficient.
5. Work with a partner who knows Baidu.
The optimizations described above — negative keyword management, time-of-day bidding, landing page testing, oCPC migration — require hands-on Baidu experience. Generic PPC skills from Google Ads do not transfer directly.
🤝 Your Company Could Be Next
The pattern described here — European manufacturer, zero China presence, Baidu PPC as the entry channel — is not unique. BPP has worked with dozens of B2B companies following a similar path. The specifics change (product category, budget level, target audience), but the framework is consistent.
If you are considering Baidu advertising for your manufacturing or B2B business, the first step is understanding what is realistic for your industry and budget.
Want to see what Baidu PPC could look like for your company?
Talk to the BPP team. We will analyze your industry, estimate realistic CPCs and lead volumes, and give you an honest assessment — no pressure, no fluff.