The name Baidu was derived from the title of a poem written 800 years ago. It means "search for the ideal." (Photo : Reuters)
It seems that more Chinese are discovering the power of the Internet through their mobile phones, thanks to Baidu, a search engine firm based in Beijing. Baidu has recently reported a surge in users of their firm's mobile site.
In December alone, the company, which captures 80 percent of the country's mobile search market, was recorded to have 136 million active users of their mobile site, said Analysys International.
Most of the searches were for local businesses and lifestyle services such as restaurants and coffee shops within the user's location. Meanwhile, users' exploring for education and training are also among the highest queries on the website.
Inquiries for online education and training have increased by 191 percent in 2014, while an increase of 142 percent were made for local business and services. In the business sector, queries for movie tickets have risen to 194 percent.
The results, released on Wednesday, were reported in the China Mobile Website Trend by Baidu.
According to Pang Yiming from Analysys International, Baidu's wide range of search services have addressed Internet users' desire for quick information.
"The burgeoning demand for local information is likely to mean continued appetite for Baidu's search app," said the firm.
Because Baidu is not limited to searches on restaurants and cafes, but includes real-time news and other information, users are more drawn to use their application as opposed to those with limited scope.
Pang added that "though there are other apps offering people easy access to find the perfect restaurants or services based on their location, not every mobile Internet user likes to unload and install various apps in their smartphone."
He stressed that Baidu's advantage lies in the application's ability to search for whatever they want to look for.
With more people opting to access the Internet via smartphone because of its mobility advantages, searches in Baidu are expected to further increase this 2015.
