Brand monitoring keywords: how to choose them
Ten keyword types, a short exclusion list and a two-minute test. Worksheet included.
- Checked
- Free CSV worksheet
Brand monitoring keywords should cover every way people write about you: your exact name, spacing and spelling variants, products, key people, your domain and handles, plus a short exclusion list. Start with five to ten keywords. Test each against a week of real results and keep only those that return relevant mentions.
On this page 7 sections
Illustrative example — invented brand and numbers.
Brand monitoring keyword types
Most small brands need four or five of these. The examples use an invented software company, Larkpath.
| Keyword type | What it catches | Example for "Larkpath" (invented) | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact brand name | Direct mentions | "Larkpath" | Common words inside your name |
| Name variants | Spacing, capitals, abbreviations | "Lark Path", "LarkPath", "LP app" | Short abbreviations are noisy |
| Misspellings | Typos and phonetic spellings | "Larkpth", "Larkpaht", "Larkpat" | Keep only typos you actually see |
| Domain and handles | Links and tags | "larkpath.io", "@larkpath" | Some tools strip the @ sign |
| Products and features | Mentions that skip the company name | "Larkpath Boards", "Lark Boards" | Generic feature names |
| People | Founders and spokespeople | "Dana Reyes" Larkpath | Common personal names need a second word |
| Campaigns and slogans | Launches, hashtags, events | "#ShipWithLark" | Retire them after the campaign |
| Competitors | Comparisons and switching talk | "Tasklane" | Volume can exceed your own |
| Category and problem phrases | People looking for a tool like yours | "project tracker for agencies" | Very noisy without filters |
| Exclusions | Removes known noise | -bird, -birdwatching, -"lark rise" | Too many can hide real mentions |
Tips
A keyword list you stop reading catches nothing. Start narrow and widen on evidence.
Tip 1
Name first
The exact name in quotes has the best signal-to-noise ratio for most brands.
Tip 2
Only real typos
Search your name and note the spellings people really use. Do not guess.
Tip 3
Competitors apart
Keep competitor and category keywords in a separate project, so they never bury your own mentions.
Exclusions and noise in brand monitoring
Noise is the main reason people stop checking. A good exclusion list is short and specific.
Other meanings
An animal, a place, a team or a song that shares your name.
Same-name companies
Exclude them by their industry word, such as -plumbing or -hotel.
Your own posts
Filter by author or domain, not by a word exclusion.
Job ads
Add -hiring or -job only if they flood your results.
Brand monitoring keywords to avoid
- Generic single words such as "software" or "coffee".
- Full URLs and email addresses: the bare domain catches more.
- Sentences over five or six words, unless people quote that tagline.
- Very short abbreviations like "LP" without a context word.
Brand names that are common words
If your brand is an ordinary word, the name alone floods you with noise. Combine these:
- Require context:
"Larkpath" AND (app OR software OR tasks). - Track unique compounds: product names, your domain and your handle.
- Narrow by source: a few subreddits may work where the open web does not.
Boolean search for brand monitoring
Most paid tools accept Boolean queries; check your tool's help page for the exact syntax. Google Alerts takes quotes, OR, a minus sign and site:.
| Operator | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Quotes | Exact phrase | "Lark Path" |
| OR | Either term | "Larkpath" OR "Lark Path" |
| AND | Both terms | "Larkpath" AND pricing |
| NOT or minus | Exclude a term | "Larkpath" NOT bird |
| Parentheses | Group terms | "Larkpath" AND (review OR alternative) |
Brand monitoring keyword worksheet
One row per keyword type, with the same four columns as the table, plus empty columns for your keywords, exclusions, sources, test date, result and decision.
Download the keyword worksheet (CSV)
Next, see which tools watch the right places in the source coverage map, or compare prices and keyword limits in the brand monitoring tools comparison. To practise first, try the beginner listening exercise.
FAQ
How many brand monitoring keywords should I start with?
Five to ten: the name, one or two variants, your domain, a product or two and a founder if relevant. Add more after a few weeks of results.
Should I monitor my competitors' names?
Yes, if you will act on what you find, such as switching discussions. Keep them separate from your own brand keywords.
What is a negative keyword in brand monitoring?
A word that removes a result when it appears, written with NOT or a minus sign. Keep the list short, because broad negatives also hide real mentions.
Do hashtags work as brand monitoring keywords?
For campaigns and events, yes. Most people mention brands without one, so track the hashtag next to your name and drop it after the campaign.