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Choosing The Right Keywords

Your keywords are the foundation of every Signal you create in ThreadSignals.
They determine what kind of posts are collected, how relevant your results are, and how efficiently your credits are used.
Choosing the right mix of keywords helps ensure you’re capturing real opportunities—not just noise.

1. How Keyword Matching Works

When you create a Signal, each keyword “chip” you add functions as an OR statement in the backend.

Example: If your keywords are SEO and backlinks, ThreadSignals searches for posts containing SEO OR backlinks.

If an exact match is found, that post will appear in your results. If no exact match is available, ThreadSignals automatically looks for partial matches (within post titles or body text).

And if neither exact nor partial matches exist, our smart matching system analyzes context to find posts that still align closely with your Signal’s goal.

This ensures your Signals always retrieve relevant content—even when phrasing varies.

2. Balancing Broad and Niche Keywords

Not all keywords perform equally. Here’s how to choose the right mix:

Broad keywords (e.g., “marketing help”) bring in higher volume but may include less qualified leads.
Niche keywords (e.g., “SEO audit for small business”) deliver fewer results but higher intent and relevance.
Long-tail keywords (phrases with 3+ words) reduce your chances of exact matches but often attract more specific, actionable leads.

If you’re just starting out, begin with a few broad terms and gradually layer in niche or long-tail variations once you understand what type of posts your audience creates.

3. Keyword Strategy in ThreadSignals

Think about the problem your audience is trying to solve—not just the service you provide.
For example:

A marketing agency might use keywords like:
- “need marketing help”
- “running Facebook ads”
- “low website traffic”

A software developer might track:
- “app developer needed”
- “fix my code”
- “custom dashboard build”

These kinds of phrases capture genuine buying intent and surface posts where users are asking for help directly.

4. Testing and Refining Over Time

Keyword performance improves with iteration.
After a few runs:

Remove terms that bring irrelevant results.
Add related phrases that appear often in posts you like.
Use your Run History to see which Signals consistently find posts and which might need adjustment.

Remember, refining your keywords over time is key to building a steady flow of high-quality leads.