XHS SEO: How to Get Your Singapore Business Found in Xiaohongshu Search
Updated: 3 hours ago
Short answer: XHS SEO means writing Xiaohongshu (小红书) notes that match what people type into the app's search bar, so your business shows up when Chinese-speaking customers in Singapore look for a place to eat, shop or book. It comes down to four things: the right keywords, clear titles and covers, real experiences that earn saves and comments, and posting steadily for 2–3 months.
Key takeaways • Xiaohongshu is a search engine for many users: it reported more than 400 million monthly users and 800 million searches a day in May 2026. • Pick one search keyword per note and put it in the title, the first lines and the tags. • Saves and comments are strong signs that a note is useful, so write notes people want to keep. • Store visits (探店) by local creators add more notes for the same keywords. • Fake reviews and copied notes go against Xiaohongshu's community rules, so keep every note real.
Updated October 2026. Search features change often, so test your keywords in the app before you plan a month of notes.
What Is XHS SEO?
XHS SEO is search optimisation inside the Xiaohongshu app, not on Google. When someone types "新加坡美食推荐" (Singapore food recommendations) into Xiaohongshu, the app picks which notes to show. XHS SEO is the work of making your notes one of them.
It matters because people use the app to search, not just to scroll. In May 2026, Xiaohongshu's head of community operations said the app had passed 400 million monthly active users and more than 800 million searches a day. That is a lot of people asking questions before they decide where to go.
For a Singapore café, clinic or shop, this is good news. Customers who search are already looking for what you sell. You do not need to interrupt them with ads; you need to be the answer.
How Does Xiaohongshu Search Decide What to Show?
The app shows notes that match the search words and that other users found useful. Xiaohongshu does not publish its ranking rules, so nobody outside the company knows the full formula. But the signals below are what we watch every week.
Match: Does the title, text and tags use the words people actually search?
Usefulness: Do readers save the note, comment on it or follow the account?
Freshness: Is the account still posting, and are the details up to date?
Trust: Does the note read like a real experience, or like an advert?
If your notes get views but no saves, read our guide on why XHS marketing fails for Singapore businesses. Most of the fixes start with search.
How Do You Find the Right XHS Keywords?
Start with the words your customers already type, not the words you use inside your business. A restaurant may call itself "modern Sichuan"; customers search "新加坡川菜" (Singapore Sichuan food) or "牛车水好吃的" (good food in Chinatown).
Here is a simple way to build a keyword list in one afternoon:
Type your main service into the search bar and write down the suggestions that drop down.
Search each suggestion and note which results are 1–3 months old. Fresh results mean people still search it.
Add your area: Tampines, Orchard, Chinatown, Jurong East and so on.
Add a reason to visit: date night, family dinner, weekday lunch, new opening.
Group the words, then give each note one main keyword.
Business type | Example search keywords (Chinese) | What the keyword means | Note idea |
Restaurant | 新加坡美食推荐、牛车水好吃的 | Singapore food picks; good food in Chinatown | "5 dishes to order at our Chinatown shop" |
Café | 新加坡咖啡店、新加坡探店 | Singapore cafés; Singapore store visits | "A quiet café for working near Tanjong Pagar" |
Beauty salon | 新加坡美甲、新加坡美睫 | Singapore nails; Singapore lashes | "What a gel manicure costs in Singapore" |
Tuition centre | 新加坡补习、新加坡华文补习 | Singapore tuition; Chinese tuition | "How to prepare for PSLE Chinese oral" |
Property agent | 新加坡租房、新加坡租房攻略 | Renting in Singapore; rental guide | "Checklist before you sign a lease" |
These are example keywords, not search volume data. Always test them in the app first.
How Do You Write a Note That Ranks?
Put the keyword where both the app and the reader see it first: the title, the cover and the first two lines. Then answer the search properly in the body, with prices, locations and details a real customer would want.
Use this checklist for every note:
Title: Lead with the keyword and a reason to click, such as "新加坡探店｜Tampines new hotpot, SGD 25 per person".
Cover: Show the real thing: the dish, the room, the result. Add 3–6 words of text on the cover.
First lines: Repeat the keyword naturally and give the answer straight away.
Body: Add facts people save: price, address, opening hours, what to order, how to book.
Tags: Add 3–5 topic tags that match your keyword group, not 20 random ones.
Location: Tag the place so people searching nearby can find it.
Never paste the same keyword ten times. Xiaohongshu's updated community rules, Community Convention 2.0 launched on 19 January 2026, oppose fake word of mouth and accounts that pretend to be ordinary users. It also asks creators to label content made with AI tools.
Do Store Visits and Reviews Help XHS SEO?
Yes, because every creator note adds another result for the same search. One note from your own account is one chance to be found. Ten notes from local creators who visited you are ten more chances, written in the words real customers use.
This is why store visits (探店) and SEO work together. A good brief gives each creator a keyword to include, while letting them write their honest experience.
Two rules keep this safe:
Disclose: In Singapore, the ASAS guidelines on social media say a paid or gifted relationship must be made clear to readers.
Keep it real: Do not ask creators to fake a visit or copy one script. Similar notes look like a campaign, and the app's rules oppose fake reviews.
Our step-by-step guide explains what happens during an XHS KOC store visit, from brief to report.
How Long Does XHS SEO Take to Work?
Expect about 2–3 months of steady posting before your notes appear reliably in search. Some notes rank in days; most accounts need time to build a track record.
A realistic first month looks like this:
Week | What to do | What to check |
Week 1 | Set up or tidy the business account; build the keyword list | Name, bio and location are complete |
Week 2 | Post 2–3 notes, each on one keyword | Do the notes show up when you search? |
Week 3 | Invite a few local creators for a store visit | Are creators using the keywords naturally? |
Week 4 | Review saves, comments and messages per note | Which keywords bring enquiries? Do more of those |
A verified business account also helps customers trust what they find. See our guide to Xiaohongshu Blue V verification for Singapore businesses.
From Our Experience Start Media's founder, Dawn, has worked on Xiaohongshu for 8 years and trained more than 1,000 students. When we plan an account, the first thing we do is search the app the way a customer would: we read the drop-down suggestions and the latest notes before we write anything. We give every note one main keyword, and we check every month which keywords bring saves and messages, then write more notes for those.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is XHS SEO the same as Google SEO?
No. Google ranks web pages; Xiaohongshu ranks notes inside its app. The idea is similar, matching what people search, but the keywords are usually in Chinese and the signals include saves and comments.
Do I need to write notes in Chinese?
For Chinese-speaking customers, yes. Most searches on Xiaohongshu are in Chinese, so your titles and keywords should be too. You can add English names for dishes or places.
How many notes should a Singapore business post?
Consistency matters more than volume. Our XHS account management clients usually post 6–15 notes a month, depending on budget and how many products or services they have.
Can I pay to rank higher in XHS search?
Xiaohongshu has paid ad tools, but organic notes and creator visits are the foundation. In our experience, ads work best behind notes that already earn saves.
How much does XHS SEO cost if I hire an agency?
At Start Media, XHS account management, including keyword planning and notes, is about SGD 1,600–2,500 a month for 6–15 notes. KOC store visits usually start from SGD 2,000 and use our network of 100+ local creators with 1K–50K followers.
Want Your Business to Show Up in Xiaohongshu Search?
We can check your keywords and notes and tell you what to fix first. See our XHS marketing services and KOC store visits, or contact Start Media for a free review of your account.
Our service: Xiaohongshu (XHS) account management in Singapore
Want to know what would work for your business?
Send us your business name or Xiaohongshu account and Dawn's team will reply within 1 working day with a free Xiaohongshu account review. Free, no obligation.
WhatsApp Dawn on +65 8377 7718 or use our contact form · See all prices on our pricing page.
Comments