Categories & Keywords

Once you've created your Scanner, the next crucial step is configuring categories and keywords to ensure you find the most relevant opportunities. This guide will walk you through each component to help you optimize your search strategy.

In this guide:

Categories serve as your primary filter when searching for jobs on Upwork. Think of them as the broad industry sectors that define your agency's core services. When you select Job Categories, you're essentially telling the system which market segment to focus on.

Categories function as the top-level filter in your search hierarchy. All other filters you apply afterward will work within the boundaries of your selected categories, helping you narrow down results to find the most suitable opportunities.

Keywords are the foundation of effective job searching. They represent the specific skills, technologies, and services your agency offers, acting as a bridge between your capabilities and client needs.

The Include Keywords field is where you'll list the specific skills your agency excels at. For example, if your agency specializes in software development, you might include terms like "Python," "JavaScript," "React," or "Ruby on Rails."

To maximize your search effectiveness, be as specific as possible with your keyword selection. Generic terms often return too many irrelevant results, while specific technical terms help you target the exact opportunities you're qualified for.

Switch from Tag mode to List mode when you need to add or edit multiple keywords efficiently. This interface change makes bulk keyword management much more straightforward.

💡 For keyword research, consider using professional tools like Ubersuggest or Semrush to discover relevant terms in your industry. Additionally, reviewing your past Upwork contracts can reveal commonly used keywords in job titles and descriptions that you might have overlooked.

ℹ️ Keep in mind that you can include up to 600 keywords per Scanner, giving you plenty of room to cover all relevant skills and services.

By default, Scanner examines your keywords across three areas: Skills, Title, and Description fields. However, you have the flexibility to expand or narrow this search scope through the Advanced tab, allowing you to fine-tune where the system looks for your keywords.

The way keywords interact with each other significantly impacts your search results. Understanding these operators helps you create more precise searches.

The system uses the OR operator by default, which shows jobs containing any of your specified keywords. For instance, if you search for "React, Node.js, MongoDB," you'll see jobs that mention any one of these technologies, even if they don't require all three.

When you need jobs that require multiple specific skills, use the AND operator. Searching for "React AND Node.js AND MongoDB" will only return jobs that mention all three technologies, ensuring you see opportunities that truly match your full skill set.

Use an asterisk (*) to capture word variations and related terms. While an exact match for "dev" only finds jobs containing that specific word, "dev*" expands your search to include "developer," "development," "devs," and other variations. This technique helps you avoid missing opportunities due to different terminology.
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Parentheses () allow you to combine multiple search conditions for more sophisticated queries. For example:

Start with simple keyword combinations and gradually add complexity as you become more comfortable with these operators.

The Exclude Keywords field is equally important for refining your search. Enter terms you want to avoid to filter out jobs that aren't relevant to your agency's services.

For example, if you want to avoid jobs related to social media marketing or cryptocurrency, you could exclude terms like "Facebook" or "crypto." The system will then filter out any jobs containing these terms.

The exclusion system works in two ways:

ℹ️ You can exclude up to 600 keywords per Scanner, giving you substantial control over filtering unwanted results.

When crafting your keyword strategy, remember that quotation marks and other special symbols commonly used in Google search are not supported in this system and may actually disrupt your results. Stick to the operators and techniques outlined above for best performance.

If you need assistance or have questions about optimizing your categories and keywords, don't hesitate to contact our support team at [email protected]. We're here to help!