Will We See Baidu Browser in 2011?

Although I don’t have the detailed figures on Chrome’s market share in China, as a SEO, I can sense the momentum behind the little icon of Chrome on my desktop. My designer friends are using it, my programmer friends are enjoying it, my marketers friends are loving it, and one point to note: after hearing my suggestion, my mom evolved from an “IE6 Ape Woman” directly to a “Chrome Cool Mom”, and told me she likes it because “it loads websites faster and looks a lot more beautiful.”

Yes, I know IE6 still dominates the browser market here with a nearly 70% market share, but hey, the cool Chinese people love Chrome.

That is also why I am expecting a Baidu browser in 2011.

China is one of the five countries where Google isn’t the No.1 search engine. But it doesn’t mean Google never has a chance. We all know the only reason why IE dominates the browser market is that IE is the default browser for Windows system. Now Google is the default search engine on Chrome, so once Google decides to capture a larger market share, the Chrome browser can be a weapon of mass destruction that Baidu so far doesn’t have a similar product to use for defence.

What’s more, some of Baidu’s potential search competitors have already reached their hands to the browser market – Tencent’s TT browser, Souhu’s Sogou browser and Qihu’s 360 Security browser. This also urges Baidu as the leading Chinese search engine to reply with launching its own browser.

Obviously Baidu itself realizes it. In Baidu’s recruitment channel, we can see Baidu is currently hiring a browser development manager who will closely work with Baidu’s UE, RD and QA departments to plan, design and improve a web browsing product.

Let’s wait and see what Baidu will bring us in 2011.

baidu seo guide

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