By refining your keywords, you can reduce irrelevant results and improve the overall efficiency of your monitoring.
Important: This article assumes you have a subscription package that includes the option to create a Monitoring profile and that you have added various keywords to target tender matches.
If you have an Advanced profile, you may need to contact Mercell Support to update your keywords.
Too many irrelevant matches
Monitoring profiles work by matching tenders to the criteria you’ve set up, and one of them is Keywords. If your keywords are too broad, too specific, or not precise enough, they may generate results that don’t fully match your needs. Here's why:
Words with multiple meanings may apply to different industries and result in matches outside your intended scope.
Words with unclear or generic meanings may lead to results that don’t align with your focus.
Keywords that are too niche may reduce the number of matches or cause you to miss relevant opportunities.
How to Identify Inexact Keywords
If you are receiving irrelevant matches, follow these steps:
Review the notifications you've received and open the monitoring result on Mercell .
Check the Matching Information section in the bottom-right corner of the opportunity overview page.
Note any opportunities unrelated to your intended focus and compare their Matching Information with your keywords.
Identify the keywords that are likely triggering these matches.
Is the keyword too generic or vague?
Does the keyword align with your industry and target needs?
Could the keyword have multiple meanings (e.g., ‘consulting’ could mean management, IT, or other types)?
Steps to Optimise Keywords
Log in to your account.
Click on your name in the top-right corner and select Monitoring profiles from the dropdown menu.
To change the Keywords, go to the monitoring profile in question.
Cross-reference the list with irrelevant matches identified earlier. If you notice that the same keyword appears repeatedly in irrelevant matches, it might indicate that the keyword is too broad.
Edit or Delete any keywords identified as problematic and replace them with more specific terms.
Add alternative terms or phrases that better describe your needs.
If the keyword is generating too many matches, you might want to add more keywords by pressing + Add keyword.
For this, an And operator is needed, as we want to combine the second keyword with the first one. This ensures you only receive results where both ‘Keyword A’ and ‘Keyword B’ appear in the publication.
If this still results in too many matches, you can further refine the search by changing the Match within setting to Title instead of Select all to narrow down the results.
For more precise keyword configuration, click Show advanced options, where you can refine your setup using: Match types, Matching operators, Linked keywords and CPV codes, plus other advanced filters. For detailed guidance, please take a look at Get more out of your Monitoring Profile .
Missing relevant opportunities
Missing relevant tenders often results from relying on a single, overly narrow search area. To maximise coverage, use the following techniques:
1. Understand and Use the Hierarchy of Delivery Regions Precisely
Select Multiple Levels: For your primary area of operations, select the specific, local delivery regions (such as counties or districts) where you are physically located and/or can easily serve.
Widen the Net Strategically: For potential growth or larger projects, also select the broader delivery regions (such as wider regional or state-level areas) that encompass and surround your primary local delivery areas.
Remember Non-Inclusion: Selecting a highly specific local delivery region does not automatically capture tenders that are published for its broader parent region. Ensure you separately select both the specific local delivery regions you serve and any relevant higher-level, broader delivery regions if you are willing to cover that larger area.
2. Create Multiple Monitoring Profiles
Don't use one giant profile. Instead, create separate, focused profiles based on different strategic goals:
Core Market Profile: Specific local delivery regions + your main CPV codes + typical contract value ranges. (High Relevance)
Growth Market Profile: Broader delivery regions + secondary or wider CPV codes + higher contract value ranges. (High Coverage)
Proximity Profile: Local delivery regions just across administrative borders (even if they sit within a different broader delivery region) where you can still realistically deliver your goods or services.
Tips on Balancing Relevance and Coverage
The key is to create filters that generate a manageable number of highly relevant alerts, allowing your team to focus their bid efforts.
Strategy | Goal | How to Implement |
Prioritize "Deliverable" Regions | Relevance | Only select delivery regions where you can realistically, profitably, and competitively deliver the contract. Avoid "wish list" regions that are too far away. |
Use Exclusion Filters | Relevance | If you select a broader delivery region for coverage but know you cannot serve one of its specific local delivery areas (e.g., a remote island), use a NOT IN exclusion filter for that specific local delivery region. |
Filter by Contract Value | Relevance | Use filters to eliminate tenders that are too small (not worth the bid effort) or too large (exceeding your company's financial or operational capacity). |
Create a "Buffer Zone" | Coverage | Include local delivery regions that directly border your core service area. These are often easy-to-reach locations that buyers sometimes mistakenly tag with the wrong regional code. |
Regularly Review and Optimize | Balance | Dedicate time every 3–6 months to review your filter results. If you are receiving too many irrelevant matches, your coverage is too wide. If you know competitors are winning tenders nearby that you aren't seeing, your filters are too narrow. Adjust your delivery regions and CPV codes accordingly. |
After making changes, you can also preview the type of matches your monitoring profile will generate based on your selected keywords. This allows you to instantly see whether a newly added keyword or combination of keywords produces relevant results from the available tender list. For detailed instructions, please check the article Preview Matches from your Monitoring Profile
If you continue to receive irrelevant results, repeat the process and further refine your keywords. You may also consider:
Adding broader terms to increase visibility
Checking that keywords are spelt correctly
Ensuring they are properly configured
Regularly reviewing and updating your keywords will help ensure that the matches you receive remain accurate, relevant, and aligned with your goals.
Article Ref: 060120260922