Twitter Keyword Targeting

Twitter Keyword Targeting

Keyword targeting allows you to reach Twitter users based on keywords in their search queries, recent Tweets, and Tweets they recently engaged with.

When should I use keyword targeting?

With Keyword Targeting in Timelines, you target people based on the words in their recent Tweets and the Tweets that they recently engaged with, allowing you to reach users who have demonstrated interest around topics relevant to your business.  Keyword Targeting is Timelines is great to:

• Drive direct response actions - Drive direct user action by reaching them when your keywords are top of mind
• Shift in point of sale - Catch users in the right moment when they are asking for specific content
• Increase brand awareness - By detecting signals, you can reach users with authentic, engaging messages in the moment and in the right context
• Use a very specific message - Target based on key phrases or other related elements of your existing marketing campaigns

Keyword Targeting in Search is best used to join in conversations as they happen on Twitter.  Keyword Targeting in Search is best used to:

• Leverage the conversation around an event, TV show, or conference as it happens
• Put you content in front of users as they search for keywords or hashtags
• Own the conversation around your own brand terms and hashtags

Types of Matching 

For each keyword you can choose the type of matching to be utilized. By default, we will target searches and Tweets that include words you enter, no matter what order they appear and no matter what other words are included in the user’s search or Tweet. However, you can specify different types of keyword matching to suit your campaign needs.

Match in any order (default):  roast beef 

• All words must be present
• Words can be in any order
• Other words can be present
• Not sensitive to capitalization, plurals, tense or hashtags
• Extra spaces are removed

Phrase match:  “roast beef”

• All words must be present
• Words must be in the order written
• Other words can be included before or after the phrase

Exact match:  [roast beef]

• Must exactly match the keywords as written
• No other words can be present
• Only available for campaigns targeting search results

Negative match:  -roast beef

• Avoids Tweets and searches that include all of these keywords, regardless of the order in which they are written, even if other words are present

Negative phrase:  -“roast beef”

• Avoids Tweets and searches that include the indicated words in the order you write them, even if other words are present before or after it

Negative exact:  -[roast beef]

• Avoids searches that exactly match these keywords and contain no other words
• Only available for campaigns targeting search results

All types of targeting are also explained and can be manually selected as you type in your keywords.

Adjusting Keyword Targeting Type

Brands can easily adjust the type of match after choosing keywords by clicking the drop down arrow next to each term.

Negative Sentiment Filtering

This feature is only available to keyword targeted campaigns displaying in users’ timelines. Once your campaign is live, our technology will continually look for recent Tweets that contain your keywords. When enabled, our sentiment monitoring technology will filter out English language Tweets with negative sentiment so your messages are only shown to the most receptive users. To enable sentiment filtering, make sure the box underneath your selected keywords is checked.

Keyword Recommendations

Based on the keywords you input, we will recommend additional keywords we believe could be relevant to your audience. The tool uses your keywords to make its recommendations, so it will not be available until you begin entering keywords. Once you enter keywords, you'll see our recommendations begin to populate underneath your selections.

Clicking "Expand your reach" will lead you to the full list of recommended keywords. From that menu, you'll be able to choose the keywords you'd like to add.

Automatically Match to Trending Searches

The “Automatically match to trending searches” option allows you to serve your Promoted Tweets on high volume search queries such as currently trending search topics.  The feature is only enabled for keyword targeted campaigns displaying in search results.

When opting into this matching feature, your Promoted Tweets will be matched to similar trending topics. For example, a Tweet promoting a new movie might serve under “Oscars” on the night of the awards show. Enabling this feature by selecting the check box under your keyword list is an excellent way to increase your campaign’s potential reach while maintaining its relevance to users. It also saves you from needing to constantly update the keywords on your campaign to mirror trending search queries.

Keyword Volume Estimates

For keyword targeted campaigns displaying in users’ timelines, we provide an estimate of how many Tweets contain each of your targeted keywords. These estimates represent daily global volume for each keyword. Volume estimates are not currently available for negatively matched keywords.

Protip: Targeting highly specific keywords can drive higher engagement rates, but it also limits your campaign’s potential audience. In order to drive higher volume with your campaign while maintaining a strong engagement rate, target a mixture of broad and specific keywords.

Import Multiple Keywords

To save time when entering longer lists of keywords, we recommend using the “Import multiple keywords” tool. The feature allows you to enter keywords in bulk, separated by commas or lines. You can also cut-and-paste keywords from spreadsheets and/or other tools directly into search campaigns.  This will make it easier for you to leverage your existing investments on Twitter.

Have questions or feedback about something on this page?  Click Here to contact us.