How to define your keywords on RedShip?
On RedShip, keywords decide whether a Reddit post or comment is ever analyzed or ignored. Every day, millions of pieces of content are collected. Before any AI analysis happens, RedShip checks if your keywords are present in the text. If there is no match, the content is discarded immediately.
That is why keyword definition is the most important part of your setup.
How keyword matching works on RedShip
The flow is simple and strict:
- Reddit posts and comments are collected
- RedShip checks if at least one of your keywords is present in the text
- If a match exists, the content is sent to the AI
- The AI compares the content with your product description
- A relevance score is assigned
- Only content above the relevance threshold is delivered to you
Keywords are the entry gate. If nothing matches, the AI never sees the content.
Two types of keywords on RedShip
RedShip uses two different keyword systems. They look similar, but they serve different purposes.
📝 Post keywords
Post keywords are used by SEO Search and Realtime Search to detect posts. A post keyword must appear explicitly in the post text, written by the Reddit user. Keyword matching always happens before AI analysis. If the keyword does not appear in the post, the AI is never triggered.
How to define good post keywords
Post keywords should reflect how people describe their problem on Reddit, not how you describe your product. Think about how someone would naturally phrase a question or complaint when they are looking for help. Short phrases work best because they fit naturally into real sentences.
Examples of effective post keywords:
- “email not sending”
- “looking for crm”
- “reddit lead generation”
- “best saas for freelancers”
If a keyword feels unnatural when read inside a Reddit sentence, it is unlikely to match in real usage.
💬 Comment keywords
Comment keywords are used only for comment monitoring. They work without AI scoring. RedShip looks for a direct text match inside the comment. If the keyword appears, the comment is delivered. If it does not, it is ignored.
Mention keywords capture explicit intent. People usually mention tools, brands, or competitors by name.
Examples of mention keywords:
- “Notion”
- “Zapier”
- “Apollo”
- “RedShip”
Mentions are more about interception than discovery.
How keyword matching behaves
Understanding matching rules helps avoid missed signals.
Single-word keywords
Single words are matched with word boundaries and plural forms.
| Keyword | Text | Match? |
|---|---|---|
| “grind" | "I grind daily” | ✅ |
| “grind" | "grind!” | ✅ |
| “grind" | "she grinds coffee” | ✅ |
| “grind" | "grinding beans” | ❌ |
| “grind" | "grinder” | ❌ |
| “box" | "the box is here” | ✅ |
| “box" | "two boxes arrived” | ✅ |
| “box" | "unboxing video” | ❌ |
| “tool" | "great tool” | ✅ |
| “tool" | "best tools ever” | ✅ |
| “tool" | "tooltips” | ❌ |
Multi-word keywords
Multi-word keywords are matched as exact substrings.
| Keyword | Text | Match? |
|---|---|---|
| “looking for" | "I’m looking for a tool” | ✅ |
| “looking for" | "looking for recommendations” | ✅ |
| “looking for" | "I was looking formerly” | ❌ |
| “best app" | "what’s the best app for this” | ✅ |
| “best app" | "the best application” | ❌ |
Best practices
Start with a small, focused set of keywords. Five to ten post keywords are usually enough to begin, combined with a handful of mention keywords. Let RedShip run for a few days, review what you receive, then refine. If your inbox is empty, the issue is almost always keyword definition, not AI quality.
PS
If you are unsure about a keyword, search it manually on Reddit first. If people do not write it, RedShip cannot find it.