Baidu Waffles on Switchover to Phoenix Nest
Marbridge Consulting, 12/24/09
Searching recently for several popular keywords on Chinese search engine Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU), Marbridge found that left-side keyword-based advertisements had reappeared, with no noticeable change from the format in place prior to Baidu's full switchover from the "Baidu Classic" system on December 1. Immediately after the switchover, when Marbridge had searched for the Chinese words for "computer" and "mobile phone", popular keywords which previously always yielded at least some ads mixed in with the left-side natural search results, no such ads appeared. Searching again this week, Marbridge found that searches for "computer" and "mobile phone" each yielded 5 left-side ads, and a search for the Chinese word for "automobile" yielded 8 such left-side ads. In all three cases, there was no gray-colored background to differentiate the ads from the natural search results, as there normally has been for Phoenix Nest ads appearing in the top three slots on the left-hand side. Identical searches conducted today at 8:30pm, Beijing time, yielded only 4, 1, and 4 such results, respectively, for "computer", "mobile phone", and "automobile".
One industry source said that the only significant change he had noted was that now, in order to have their ad qualify to appear on the left-hand side, advertisers needed to refine the quality of their ad text.
Several industry sources told Marbridge that since the December 1 switchover, Baidu had twice changed its policy regarding where and how ads placed via the Phoenix Nest platform would display. The same sources added that many major advertisers and resellers were reporting being unclear as to how to optimize campaigns placed via the Phoenix Nest platform.
Keywords: Internet Phoenix Nest Baidu BIDU online search
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