How do keyword filters work in SMB Sales Boost?

Positive keywords include leads containing those terms in their business data. Negative keywords exclude leads with those terms. Wildcards (*) allow partial matching for flexible searches.

What's the difference between positive and negative keywords?

Positive keywords find businesses matching specific terms (e.g., 'plumbing' finds plumbing companies). Negative keywords exclude businesses with certain terms (e.g., 'franchise' removes franchise locations).

Can I use wildcards in keyword filters?

Yes, use an asterisk (*) for wildcard matching. For example, 'construct*' matches construction, constructing, and constructor.

Leads

How to Use Keyword Filters

By SMB Sales Boost Team.

✓ Quick Answer

Keyword filters let you include or exclude leads based on specific terms in their business description. Add positive keywords to find relevant businesses and negative keywords to exclude unwanted results. Wildcards (*) are supported for flexible matching.

How to Use Keyword Filters in SMB Sales Boost

Keyword filters are the most powerful way to refine your lead search results. Use positive keywords to find specific business types and negative keywords to filter out irrelevant leads.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Go to your Dashboard and open the Filter Panel
Select a keyword list from your saved keyword lists, or create a new one
Add positive keywords — terms that MUST appear in matching leads (e.g., "plumbing," "residential," "licensed")
Add negative keywords — terms that should EXCLUDE leads from results (e.g., "wholesale," "franchise," "closed")
Use wildcards — add an asterisk () for partial matching (e.g., "construct" matches "construction," "constructing," "constructor")
Apply filters — the leads table updates to show only businesses matching your keyword criteria

Positive vs. Negative Keywords

Positive keywords narrow results to businesses you want:

"dental" finds dental offices, dental labs, dental supply companies
"landscap*" finds landscaping, landscape design, landscape maintenance

Negative keywords exclude businesses you don't want:

"franchise" removes franchise locations if you only want independent businesses
"wholesale" excludes wholesale-only companies
"closed" removes businesses marked as closed

Creating Keyword Lists

Navigate to Account Settings > Keywords
Click Create New List
Choose Positive or Negative type
Add your keywords one per line or comma-separated
Save your list with a descriptive name
Your keyword list is now available in the Dashboard filter panel

AI-Powered Keywords

During onboarding, SMB Sales Boost can automatically generate keyword lists based on your company description, target categories, and ideal customer profile. These AI-generated lists include both positive and negative keywords optimized for your specific use case.

Tips for Effective Keyword Filtering

Start broad and narrow down — begin with general industry terms, then add specifics
Use negative keywords aggressively to reduce noise in your results
Combine keywords with location filters for hyper-targeted prospecting
Review and refine your keyword lists regularly as you learn what works

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