Baidu Tongji/Analytics VS. Google Analytics

Baidu Tongji launched in 2010, like its name indicates, (Tongji meaning counting or statistics), was considered a tool for monitoring visits instead of analytics tool, which is more complex and supports advanced functions. However because it’s a part of Baidu, it is frequently compared with Google Analytics. So I am going to introduce some comparisons between these two.

Things Baidu Tongji and Google Analytics have in common

After 4 years since its launch, Baidu Tongji has evolved from a tool purely recording visitors’ behavior to a traffic analytics, which not only tracking the number of traffic like other China based web statistics tools, CNZZ and 51La do, but also analyze the quality of traffic by focus on Visit rather than Page View.

2. Integration with PPC platform

Like Google Analytics integrating with Google Adwords, Baidu Tongji integrates PPC data with Baidu Phoenix Nest seamlessly. Traffic and clicks from Baidu PPC’s keywords, ad copy, ad group and campaign are consolidated into one datahub in Baidu Tongji. Marketers can monitor, measure and optimize much easier on one platform.

Advantages that Baidu Tongji has over Google Analytics

1. No limit for free version on the number of PV

Google Analytics’s free version supports up to 5 million page view, for any websites with larger page view need to upgrade; while Baidu Tongji has no limit on this.

2. Event analysis

Google Analytics provide Java Script function interface, through which marketers can track much customized events, but the implementation requires programming capability. Baidu Tongji on the contrary offers backend, through which marketers without programing skills can easily set the tracking on events.

3. Directory analysis

Google Analytics provide powerful filters for marketers to segment data, however it doesn’t support more than 2 dimensions filters. In the case that websites with multiple directories, it’s difficult to view the filtered results of different directories. Baidu Tongji has an easy-to-use filter setting, whose rules are simply Contain and Exclude, enabling marketers to segment data across different directories.

4. System evenironment

Baidu Tongji has more accurate and comprehensive IP address, so it offers more accurate visitors geo-location, browsers and ISP information.

5. Integrate with other Baidu features

Baidu Tongji integrate Baidu Index in its keywords report module, so as marketers can keep a close eye on the popular terms on Baidu, and can make quick decision in adding new target keywords into SEO and PPC so as to maximize traffic improvement; while Google does have similar tools like Google Zeitgeist, but it’s not integrated with GA.

Disadvantages that Baidu Tongji  has compared to Google Analytics

In a nutshell, compared to GA, Baidu Tongji does offer a lot of China local features that GA cannot offer, plus its seamless integration with Baidu PPC data. Any internet marketers want to measure its online performance in China shouldn’t neglect Baidu Tongji.