Setting up keywords for monitoring
The keywords you choose for AI monitoring determine what you measure. Get them right, and your SOM score reflects reality. Get them wrong, and you're tracking noise.
What makes a good monitoring keyword
Not all keywords belong in your Sonar. The best monitoring keywords share three traits:
1. buying intent
You want keywords that represent someone actively looking for a solution: the kind of query where an AI recommendation leads to a purchase or signup.
Good: "best CRM for small agencies," "music licensing services for indie artists" Bad: "what is a CRM," "history of music licensing"
The first set reflects someone ready to buy. The second is informational: even if AI mentions your brand, it's unlikely to convert.
2. category-level terms
Monitor keywords should represent your category, not just your brand name. You already know AI models mention you when someone asks about you by name. The question is: do they mention you when someone asks about the category?
Good: "best project management tools," "affordable web hosting" Bad: "Asana features," "GoDaddy pricing"
3. competitor comparison queries
These are gold for monitoring because they're exactly the context where AI models decide between brands:
Good: "Notion vs Asana," "alternatives to Mailchimp," "HubSpot competitors"
How Outrigger generates prompt variations
Here's something most people miss: AI models respond differently to different phrasings of the same question. Ask ChatGPT "best email marketing tools" and you might get a different brand list than "what email marketing platform should I use?"
Outrigger solves this by generating 5 prompt variations per keyword, each with a different phrasing style:
- Direct question:
What are the best {keyword}? - Recommendation request:
Can you recommend a good {keyword}? - Comparison format:
Compare the top {keyword} options - Problem-solution:
I need help with {keyword} — what are my options? - Alternative seeking:
What are some alternatives for {keyword}?
This means 10 keywords generate 50 unique prompts, tested across multiple AI models. That's a statistically meaningful sample for your SOM calculation.
Adding keywords
To add keywords to Sonar:
- Navigate to Sonar > Keywords
- Click Add Keyword
- Enter the keyword phrase
- Outrigger auto-generates 5 prompt variations: review and edit if needed
- Choose which AI models to test against (default: all)
- Save
You can also bulk-import keywords from a CSV or pull from your existing keyword list on the client's profile.
Recommended keyword categories
For most businesses, build your keyword list across these categories:
| Category | Examples | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Core category terms | best {category} tools | The broadest measure of visibility |
| Use-case specific | best {tool} for {use case} | Tests visibility in specific contexts |
| Competitor alternatives | alternatives to {competitor} | Where brand switching happens |
| Problem-oriented | how to solve {problem} | Buying-intent from pain points |
| Industry-specific | {category} for {industry} | Tests niche visibility |
When to add or remove keywords
Add keywords when:
- You launch a new product or service line
- You discover a new competitor appearing in AI results
- Client feedback reveals new buying-intent phrases their customers use
Remove keywords when:
- A keyword consistently returns irrelevant results (AI models interpret it differently than intended)
- You've stopped offering a service that keyword relates to
- The keyword is too broad to produce actionable data
In Outrigger
The keyword management interface is built into the Sonar module. You can add, edit, review prompt variations, and see per-keyword SOM performance all in one place.