How To Generate a Search Keyword List

Keyword Search campaigns are a powerful way to reach new users who have declared themselves as potential prospects by searching for relevant keywords you define. This guide will walk you through creating an effective keyword list that attracts the right audience while avoiding common pitfalls.

Formatting Requirements

NOTE: Your keyword list must have NO HEADER ROW

The most common mistake we see is including a header like "keyword" or "search terms" in cell A1. This will cause your header to be treated as a search term, wasting budget on irrelevant searches. Your spreadsheet should start immediately with your first keyword in cell A1.

Keywords are not case sensitive.

Check out the rules and regulations for keywords:  Keyword list guidelines 

Correct format:

Incorrect format:

Understanding Successful vs. Poor Keywords

The quality of your keywords dramatically impacts campaign performance. Here's what separates effective from ineffective keywords:

Good Keywords (Specific & Intent-Driven)

• Tax-deductible gifts - Shows clear intent around charitable giving with tax benefits
• Fight climate change - Indicates active desire to take action on environmental issues
• Baking industry events - Targets professionals seeking industry-specific gatherings
• Digital marketing tools for events - Demonstrates specific need for event marketing solutions
• Low APR credit cards - Shows purchase intent with specific product requirements

Bad Keywords (Too Broad or Vague)

• Gifts - Could mean anything from birthday presents to corporate swag
• Climate change - Too broad; could be students researching or casual readers
• Baking events - Missing the "industry" qualifier; could capture hobbyists
• How to grow my event - Intent is too broad and unfocused

• Credit cards - Too general unless you're the only provider in a small market

   

Strategic Brainstorming

The best keyword lists start with thoughtful brainstorming. Rather than immediately jumping to research tools, begin by thinking like your target audience.

Brainstorming Framework

Start with these categories to generate initial ideas:

1. Industry-Specific Terms

• Your industry + conference/summit/expo/trade show
• Professional certifications or training in your field
• Industry publications and resources
• Specialized tools or software your audience uses

2. Competitor Events & Alternatives

• Names of competing events or organizations
• Alternative solutions to what you offer
• Related conferences attendees might also consider

3. Problem-Solving Searches

• Specific challenges your audience faces
• Solutions they're actively seeking
• Professional development needs
• Business pain points you address

4. Intent-Based Phrases

• Action words that indicate readiness (register, buy, join, attend)
• Qualification terms (certified, professional, enterprise, B2B)

• Timing indicators (2025, upcoming, next, annual)

   

Research & Refinement

While brainstorming provides your foundation, research tools can help validate and expand your list. However, be cautious about the suggestions they provide.

Research Tool Considerations

SEMrush and Similar Tools: These platforms can provide search volume data, but they often suggest broad, short-tail keywords that attract unqualified traffic. Use them primarily to:

• Validate that your specific phrases have search volume
• Find variations of your already-specific terms
• Identify seasonal trends in searches

Important: Higher search volume is NOT always better. A term with millions of searches likely includes many casual browsers, students, or hobbyists—not your target professional audience.

Alternative Research Approaches

Instead of relying heavily on automated tools, consider:

1. Customer Interviews: Ask existing customers what they searched for before finding you
2. Industry Forums: Note the specific language professionals use when discussing challenges
3. Competitor Analysis: Look at the specific terms competitors target in their content

4. Internal Site Search: Review what visitors search for on your own website

    

Audience & Context Considerations

The right keywords depend heavily on your specific situation. Consider these factors:

Organization Size & Market Position

Small/Local Organizations:

• Can sometimes succeed with broader terms due to limited competition
• Example: A local food bank might effectively use "food banks," especially when paired with geographic filters
• Geographic qualifiers within the search terms can help here too ("Dallas credit union rates")

Large/National Organizations:

• Must use more specific terms to reach qualified prospects
• Focus on differentiators, mission-related keywords, and/or specific product features

Campaign Goals

Donor/Member Generation:

• Focus on high-intent, specific phrases
• Target problem-specific searches

Awareness:

• Can include slightly broader terms
• Still avoid generic keywords that waste budget

• Focus on industry-relevant broader terms

   

Step 4: Formatting Your List for Upload

Once you've refined your keyword list, proper formatting is essential:

Technical Requirements

1. File Format: Save as .xlsx or UTF-8 encoded .csv
2. Structure: Single column with NO header row
3. Cell Format: Each complete phrase in its own cell
4. Phrase Matching: Keywords work as "phrase match"—the exact phrase must appear in the search, but can have words before/after

Examples of Phrase Matching

If your keyword is: "digital marketing for events"

Will match:

• "best digital marketing for events companies"
• "digital marketing for events 2025"
• "how to do digital marketing for events effectively"

Won't match:

• "digital events marketing" (wrong word order)

• "marketing digitally for events" (phrase broken up)

   

Quality Control Checklist

Before uploading your list, review against these criteria:

• No header row in the spreadsheet
• All keywords are specific enough to indicate professional/purchase intent
• Avoided single words unless highly specialized to your industry
• Included qualification terms (professional, enterprise, certified, B2B)
• Checked for relevance - would someone searching this term be a qualified prospect?
• Removed overly broad terms that could attract students or hobbyists

• Verified formatting - each phrase in its own cell

   

Important Notes About Data Collection

When using Search Keyword campaigns:

• Data Collection Timeline: It takes 2-4 days after upload to begin collecting audience data
• What We Track: Feathr captures the browsing behavior of users who search for your terms, not their search volume data
• Privacy & Sources: Data comes from partnerships with over 5,500 websites and mobile apps (Google search data is not included as it's only available directly through Google)
• Performance Tracking: Individual keyword performance is not disclosed, so create descriptive, well-researched lists

Best Practices Summary

1. Start with brainstorming, not tools - your knowledge of your audience is invaluable
2. Prioritize specificity over volume - 100 qualified prospects beat 10,000 unqualified visitors
3. Think like your buyer - use the language they use, not internal jargon
4. Test and iterate - run multiple campaigns with different keyword lists to compare performance
5. Budget appropriately - allocate at least $100/month for Search Keyword campaigns
6. Monitor regularly - check performance weekly and adjust as needed

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Including header rows in your upload file
• Using overly broad, single-word keywords
• Focusing on high search volume instead of relevance
• Neglecting to include intent qualifiers
• Using internal terminology instead of customer language
• Setting and forgetting campaigns without monitoring

Remember: The goal isn't to reach everyone searching—it's to reach the right people who are most likely to become valuable members of your audience. Quality over quantity will always deliver better ROI for your Search Keyword campaigns.