Yext integrates Chinese apps Baidu Map, Fliggy, CK Map and PIRT

Traditional Google Adwords campaigns fail to reach this group with Google still ostracised by the Chinese government behind a ‘Great Firewall’, demanding alternative approaches for those wishing to promote restaurants, shops and hotels.

Howard Lerman, founder and CEO of Yext, commented: “The Chinese digital landscape is made up of an entirely different set of services from those in the West. When Chinese travelers who use services like Baidu and Fliggy at home travel overseas, they use these same services to find businesses in the cities they are visiting. If a business’s information isn’t in these services, it is invisible to these potential customers. We’re integrating with some of the largest Chinese services so businesses using Yext can provide perfect answers to Chinese travelers.”

Yext has also introduced a Google Q&A facility in which businesses can monitor what questions are being asked of them in its search results. It has also launched AI-ready pages which enable businesses to build smart landing pages in a couple of clicks.

According to Yext Chinese tourists spent a combined $261bn in 2016, a figure which is expected to grow further over the coming years.

Yext CMO Jeffrey Rohrs shared his thoughts with The Drum on the firms approach to digital knowledge and everywhere brands.