Your company has a physical presence in China: an office, a store, a restaurant, or a hotel. Chinese customers search for businesses near them every day, and Baidu Maps is where they look. With over 700 million monthly users and deep integration into Baidu’s search results, your Baidu Maps listing is not optional, it is infrastructure. This guide explains how to create or verify your business listing, what documents you need, and why this matters for your local SEO in China.
What Is Baidu Maps and Why It Matters for Your Business
Baidu Maps (????) is China’s dominant navigation and local search app. It competes with Gaode (AutoNavi/Amap, owned by Alibaba), but Baidu Maps leads in market share for general navigation and remains the default map app on many Android devices in China. Monthly active users exceeded 700 million in 2025, with hundreds of millions of daily route queries and “near me” searches.
The critical point for your business: Baidu Maps listings appear directly inside Baidu search results. When a user searches “French restaurant Shanghai” or “luxury hotel Beijing near Sanlitun,” the search results page surfaces a map pack with business listings before the organic links. If your business is not listed or your information is incomplete, you are invisible in this prominent position.
Baidu Maps vs Google My Business: Same Logic, Different System
If you manage Google My Business for markets outside China, you already understand the concept. A verified business listing controls the information panel that appears in search results: name, address, phone, hours, photos, reviews, and a link to your website. Baidu Maps operates on the same principle.
The backend system for Baidu Maps business listings is called Baidu Places or ?????? (Baidu Merchant Center). This is where you claim, create, and manage your Point of Interest (POI) data. Unlike Google My Business, Baidu Merchant Center requires a Chinese phone number for verification, which means foreign managers typically need a local contact or a China-based team member to complete the process.
Check If Your Business Already Has a Listing
Many international brands with China operations already have a Baidu Maps entry, but it was created automatically from third-party data sources. These auto-generated entries often contain errors: wrong address, outdated phone number, incorrect category, or an old website URL. Before creating a new listing, search for your business name in Chinese on Baidu Maps to see what already exists.
If an auto-generated POI exists, you need to claim it rather than creating a duplicate. Duplicate listings cause confusion for users and can hurt your local SEO score. The claim process requires business documentation to prove you are the legitimate owner.
How to Create or Claim a Baidu Maps Business Listing
The process runs through Baidu Merchant Center (map.baidu.com, then the merchant section). Here are the steps.
Step 1: Access Baidu Merchant Center
You need a Baidu account to log in. If your team does not have one, see our guide on registering a Baidu account outside China. The Merchant Center interface is in Chinese. A local team member or agency handles this more efficiently than running it through translation tools.
Step 2: Search for Your Business
Enter your business name in Chinese (if you have a Chinese name) or in your registered legal name. If a listing exists, select “Claim this POI.” If no listing exists, select “Add a new business.”
Step 3: Submit Documentation
For businesses with a Chinese entity, required documents include:
- Business License (????) showing the physical address
- Unified Social Credit Code
- A photo of the physical storefront or office entrance
- Contact phone number (Chinese mobile preferred for SMS verification)
For foreign companies with a representative office (RO) in China, the RO registration certificate works in place of a full business license.
Step 4: Verification
Baidu verifies claims through a combination of document review and phone verification. The review process typically takes 3 to 7 business days. In some cases, Baidu sends a physical verification code to the registered business address, similar to Google’s postcard verification.
Step 5: Optimize Your Listing
Once verified, add photos, complete all category fields, set your business hours, and add your Chinese website URL or WeChat account. Listings with complete information and real photos rank higher in local search results and generate more clicks.
Why Customer Reviews on Baidu Maps Matter
Baidu Maps displays user reviews (??) directly on your business card. For hotels, restaurants, and retail stores, these reviews influence the ranking of your listing in local search results and in the Baidu search map pack. The review score feeds into Baidu’s local ranking algorithm alongside proximity and listing completeness.
Actively managing your reviews on Baidu Maps means responding to negative feedback, encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews, and keeping your information accurate. This is the same process as managing Google reviews, but for your China audience. Brands that ignore Baidu Maps reviews lose ground to competitors who engage with their listings.
Baidu Maps and Local SEO: The Connection
Searches containing location intent, like “?????” (coffee near me) or “?????????” (foreign law firm Shanghai), trigger Baidu’s local pack. This pack shows 3 to 5 businesses above the standard organic results, with a map and a link to the full listing. Being in this local pack generates high-quality traffic at zero cost per click.
The factors that drive local pack ranking on Baidu: distance from the searcher, listing completeness, review volume and score, and relevance of category tags to the search query. A well-managed Baidu Maps listing directly improves your performance in these local search results. For the broader organic strategy, read our guide on Baidu SEO.
Let GMA Handle Your Baidu Local Presence
GMA manages Baidu Maps listings, Baidu Merchant Center optimization, and local SEO for international brands operating in China. We speak the language, know the platform, and handle the documentation process from start to finish. Contact us for a free audit of your current Baidu local presence.
FAQ
Do I need a Chinese entity to create a Baidu Maps listing?
You need a physical address in China and documentation proving your presence there. A WFOE, JV, or Representative Office registration all work. If you have no entity but run pop-up events or temporary locations, a verified business listing is more difficult to obtain and may not be sustainable.
What if my business already has a Baidu Maps listing with wrong information?
Claim the existing listing through Baidu Merchant Center. Do not create a duplicate. Submit your business documents, and once Baidu approves the claim, you can edit all fields directly. Unclaimed listings with wrong information stay wrong indefinitely because no one has authority to edit them.
Is Baidu Maps or Gaode (Amap) more important for my business?
Both matter. Baidu Maps integrates with Baidu search results, which gives it a specific advantage for discovery through search. Gaode has strong integration with Alipay and Alibaba’s ecosystem. For most international brands with a China location, listing on both platforms is the standard practice, and the setup process is similar.
How long does Baidu Maps verification take?
Document review typically takes 3 to 7 business days. Physical address verification, if required, adds 1 to 2 weeks for the verification code to arrive by mail. Total time from submission to live verified listing: 1 to 3 weeks in most cases.
