This one's easy, I promise!
But just to ensure we're all on the same page - I've created some easy-to-understand examples below - on how to make the most of your advanced project settings.
Let's start with a super basic example; you've been tasked with finding everyone online talking about 'Apple.'
Step-by-step guide
Your project settings should look like this:
With this setup, we'll collect everyone talking about 'Apple', but that might also include people eating the delicious fruit 🍏
So we'll have to restrict the search a little - to make sure that we're focusing on what we actually want to see, which is people discussing the American IT company.
The easiest way to do this would be to include the required keyword 'mac' (e.g., Apple Mac - their flagship product).
With this in mind - the setup should look like this (the size of the letters doesn't matter):
But what about if you want to look at both Apple Macs and Apple iPhones in the same project?
To do this, you'll need to create a new line and add the required keyword like the one below:
Using the setup shown above ^, you will ask your Brand24 project to collect people mentioning the terms 'Apple & Mac' or 'Apple & iPhone'. Ensuring that you get everyone discussing these Apple products.
One additional thing to consider here is that by inputting these terms into the required keywords section, you're asking the tool to collect posts that include them anywhere in a single post. (e.g., ''I love Apple products, but I really don't like the latest Mac'' or ''I hate Apple products, especially the iPhone'')
You can limit your search even further by including these terms next to your main keyword, like below:
This will let your Brand24 project know that you only want to collect posts that include these terms when they appear next to each other (e.g., ''I the Apple Mac, it's great!'' or ''I hate the Apple iPhone, it sucks'')
Makes sense?
What to avoid
The setup above would mean that you are asking your Brand24 project to collect mentions of only posts that include all three keywords—meaning a post would have to include 'Apple & Mac & iPhone'.
But no worries, we will remind you of it:
With this in mind, the same logic applies to 'Excluded keywords' - the more keywords you include there, the more limited your results will be. This is great if you are running a very specific campaign or your business name is typically used alongside a set of keywords.
Overview of Excluded Keywords
Excluded keywords are terms or phrases that, when applied to a project, prevent specific mentions from being collected in your results. These exclusions take effect only for mentions collected after the keyword is added, ensuring seamless filtering for future data.
Best Practices for Adding Excluded Keywords
Simultaneous Setup with Main Keywords: Adding excluded keywords at the same time as your primary keywords when creating a new project is essential. This approach ensures that exclusions are correctly applied to all mentions from the start of the data collection process.
Include Variations: To optimize filtering, it's important to account for variations of a keyword. For example, if you wish to exclude a term like "example," consider adding its variations like "#example" or similar hashtags. Adding only one form may result in incomplete filtering.
Timing of Exclusion Effects
Immediate Effectiveness: Once applied, excluded keywords immediately influence mention filtering but only for new mentions collected post-application. Any mentions collected before setting up the excluded keyword will remain in the project.
Changes During Ongoing Projects: If an excluded keyword is added or modified after a project begins, mentions collected prior to these changes will not be affected. For consistent data accuracy, review and update exclusions early during project initialization.
Common Scenarios
Starting a New Project
Always set up both main and excluded keywords during the initial setup of a project to ensure exclusions are applied to all future mentions.
Handling Keyword Variations
Exclude multiple forms of a word or phrase (e.g., "brand" and "#brand") to guarantee comprehensive filtering. This practice avoids the risk of incomplete exclusions.
Updating Exclusions
Be aware that adding or modifying exclusions mid-project will not retroactively filter older mentions. Only mentions collected afterward are impacted. Plan exclusions carefully to minimize discrepancies.
Hopefully, that clarifies that for you! But if you have any other questions, feel free to contact our live Customer Success team. We will be more than happy to help you set up your project.
FAQs about Excluded Keywords
Q: Why do mentions with an excluded keyword appear after I updated my project? A: This happens because the excluded keyword was applied after the project started. Mentions collected before the update are not affected. Only mentions collected after the update are filtered.
Q: Do I need to add hashtags to excluded keywords?
A: Yes, including variations like hashtags (e.g., "#keyword") ensures complete exclusion of all relevant mentions.