How to fine-tune the layout of Xiaohongshu keywords

In the decentralized Xiaohongshu space, search is the only aggregation field, so merchants should attach importance to keyword search as a basic skill and defensive battle. This article deeply analyzes the search characteristics of the Xiaohongshu platform and how brands can use keywords for refined search promotion for your reference.

Planting grass is the most distinctive label of Xiaohongshu, but there is more to it than just planting grass.

The "perspectives of experienced people and experiences of ordinary people" of the Xiaohongshu community make it more valuable to users while also having extremely considerable commercial value.

Behind the endless debate about consumption upgrading and downgrading today, one thing is beyond doubt: consumers have become more rational in making decisions. Rationality means that they will do their homework, compare, and consider things over and over again. Search is the last and most critical link in their decision-making. Whoever can influence consumer decisions has commercial value that cannot be ignored.

The value of traffic and traffic is different. Traffic close to consumer decisions naturally has an irreplaceable leverage effect. In this sense, Xiaohongshu's search traffic is an underestimated business gold mine.

1. Xiaohongshu’s search field is still a blue ocean

Xiaohongshu’s strongest feature at the moment is actually “search”.

In the past, Chinese users’ mindset for search was Baidu. Just search it on Baidu and you will know.

But starting from the generation born after the 1990s, Baidu was too old-fashioned and its content was too inaccurate, so people’s mindset towards searching gradually shifted to Xiaohongshu, their life guide.

Xiaohongshu has reaped the benefits of window switching in the Internet era, and to a certain extent has inherited some population scenarios of life platforms such as Baidu, Meituan, Dianping, Ctrip, and Mafengwo.

Xiaohongshu has a structural advantage in search, and other platforms are powerless to compete with it in this regard. Only on Xiaohongshu can you see the "real experiences" posted by "living people."

Although its scale is not as large as platforms such as Baidu and Meituan, users who have been hurt, exploited, received a bad experience, and left for various reasons will never come back, just like the users who moved from portal to Toutiao in the past, who will never come back.

Xiaohongshu is a dimensional blow to them.

Therefore, I have always emphasized that search-based, real reputation management is the basic skill for merchants on Xiaohongshu and the most important defensive battle!

Many businesses do not pay enough attention to search, not knowing that Xiaohongshu’s search field is still a blue ocean.

2. Xiaohongshu Anti-Funnel Search

The search method of Xiaohongshu users is more like a "funnel". They will first use general search and then specific search to gradually narrow the scope of the search and obtain accurate search results.

For example, when those who stay up late want to learn about skin care products, they will first search for "staying up late to work overtime to protect their skin" in general. After gaining a preliminary understanding of the situation, they will further search for specific brands or products (such as a certain brand of essence) to supplement the information.

If different search stages correspond to different user groups, then we can roughly divide them into three types of user groups:

1) The first category is our " brand core users ", most of whom are also "specialized search users".

Generally, they search for brands and related products directly on Xiaohongshu. Many of these users are "returning customers" who have already purchased and used brand products, and many are new customers attracted by the brand effect. This type of users has a strong stickiness to the brand and does not need ordinary seeding. Therefore, brands can accurately match them by promoting brand words and product words.

For example, users who search for target luxury brands on Xiaohongshu are customers who already know the brand and have strong demand, and they choose to buy products of the target brand by searching. This type of precise search user is the direct target user that brands need to capture when doing keyword promotion on the Xiaohongshu search page.

2) The second category is the brand’s “ high potential users ”, most of whom already have relevant needs.

Users who have been successfully attracted by brand-related promotions have even searched for brands and categories, but have not yet successfully converted to consumption. Some of these users are struggling among competing products, while others are hesitant about prices. Therefore, when planning search promotions, we can use keywords such as "category words, scene words, and component words" to strengthen promotion for these users in combination with scenarios and functions.

For example, for mother and baby users who have a problem with "babies wearing diapers have stuffy butts", brands can optimize keywords by combining category words, scene words, and component words. For users who are struggling with competing products, we can combine keywords such as "red butts" and "pull-up pants" to push usage scenarios where babies may have red butts when wearing diapers to users, showing the product's refreshing and breathable selling point. For users who are hesitant about the price, we can also use keywords such as "pull-up pants are affordable" and "save money" to attract users.

3) The third category is the “ interested general users ” on Xiaohongshu who have potential consumption intentions for the brand

The key thing that brands need to do to attract and convert these users is to combine the recommendation tools provided by the Juguan platform to expand the keywords of potential intention words and upstream and downstream recommended words, so as to tap into more incremental value of the original keywords.

Through potential intention and upstream and downstream keyword optimization, users who originally did not have direct demand scenarios can be captured. For example, users want to see outfits, but have no requirements for skirts or pants, and brands can directly push the product "yoga clothes" combined with outfits to this group of people through spotlighting. The original search path required "outfit-sports style-yoga clothes", the brand directly displays the consumption scenario and the product's outfit effect to users through upstream keywords, which reduces the user's original search path and improves the brand's conversion path.

For example: For general users who have the consumption demand scenario of "What should I wear when playing badminton?" for sportswear and footwear brands, we can use keywords such as "yoga clothes", "badminton", etc. to introduce brand products to users in combination with demand scenarios, and then focus on expanding upstream keywords such as "spring outfit" and "sports outfit" to position the search, successfully retaining users who are interested in yoga clothes in outfits, injecting the brand word "BYYOURSIDE around", and directly introducing the traffic of these users to promote the brand.

In summary, if a brand wants to do a good job of focusing on search placement, the most important thing is to combine the "crowd anti-funnel model" to carry out the process from "locking core users with brand words", to "extending usage scenarios and effects to expand new traffic of the crowd", and then to "expanding intention words and upstream and downstream interception" to guide brand traffic. As long as you grasp the search mechanism of Xiaohongshu and make reasonable use of the combination of keyword matrix, no matter what the order is, you can win the battle of search promotion.

3. Final Thoughts

In the decentralized Xiaohongshu space, search is the only aggregation field.

Xiaohongshu search is an important part of product promotion. Without search, there will be no conversion. Xiaohongshu search is the basic skill and defense of merchants. Merchant friends must pay attention to keyword search!

The above are suggestions on how brands at different stages can efficiently plan their search promotion on Xiaohongshu. If you want to learn and communicate further, you are welcome to join our membership community to discuss.

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