Chinese search engine Baidu.com has started to offer its version of brand advertising to attract bigger advertisers and gain market share.

The new service, which allows advertisers to appear at the top of search results with more than one link in a separate section of the page, is Baidu's latest move to consolidate its leading position in the market and fend off competition from rivals like Google and newcomer Alibaba.com Corp.

Shen Haoyu, vice president of commercial operations, said yesterday there had already been inquiries from "a number of advertisers who showed great interest."

"The significance of setting up the branding section is that search engines are not only a product promotion platform but can also serve as an important way for companies to build up their branding image," he said.

The new service has attracted companies like Gome Electrical Appliance Holdings Ltd, China's largest electronics retailer.

Their company logos can also be displayed in the search results, as well as a brief introduction and links to corporate news and promotions.

(Shanghai Daily November 28, 2007)