What It Does

Enter seed keywords and ILLIXIS discovers related terms using keyword research and search volume data. Each keyword includes search volume, competition score, and opportunity rating. AI filtering automatically hides keywords that don't match your brand.

Where to find it: Discover > Keyword Intelligence > Keyword Discovery

Discovery Sources

Source	What It Finds
Related Keywords	Semantically similar terms
Questions	"How to," "what is," "why" queries
Long-tail Variations	Specific, lower-competition phrases
Trending Queries	Keywords with rising search interest

Results combine into a single deduplicated, scored list.

Running a Discovery

Click "Discover New Keywords"
Enter seed keywords (one per line)
Click "Start Discovery"

Seed Tips:

Use your core head term
Add product/service category terms
Try question formats: "how to [topic]"

Discovery takes 2-5 minutes depending on seed count.

Understanding the Table

Column	Description
Keyword	The discovered search term
Search Volume	Monthly searches
Competition	Paid competition (0-1, lower = easier)
Opportunity Score	Combined score (0-100, higher = better)
Seed Keyword	Origin seed for this keyword

Opportunity Score

70-100: High opportunity, pursue immediately
40-69: Moderate opportunity, good for planning
0-39: Lower opportunity, evaluate strategic value

Negative Keywords

Negative keywords automatically hide terms containing unwanted phrases. Add negatives to filter out competitor brands, irrelevant categories, or off-brand topics.

Adding: Enter term in "Negative Keywords" input and click "Add"

Removing: Click X on any badge to restore hidden keywords

Competitor brands from Settings > General are automatically included as negatives.

AI Filtering

ILLIXIS uses AI to filter keywords that don't match your brand. AI-hidden keywords appear in the "Auto-Hidden" tab with explanations:

Reason	Explanation
Off-topic	Not relevant to your niche
Competitor-specific	References competitor products
Wrong intent	Intent doesn't match content goals

Restoring: Go to "Auto-Hidden" tab and click "Restore" on any incorrectly filtered keyword.

Hiding and Restoring

Manual Hide: Click "Hide" to remove keywords from your list. Use when you've covered the topic or it doesn't fit your strategy.

Restore: Go to "Hidden" tab and click "Unhide."

Converting to Briefs

Click "Generate Brief" on any keyword:

ILLIXIS checks for duplicate briefs
If no duplicate, generation starts
Redirects to brief detail page

If a brief exists, a modal offers options to view existing or create anyway.

Filtering Options

By Brief Status:

All Keywords
Without Brief (untapped opportunities)
With Brief

By Tab:

Discovered (active keywords)
Hidden (manually hidden)
Auto-Hidden (AI-filtered with reasons)

Best Practices

Start with Core Terms - Use main product/service category as first seed.
Run Monthly - Keyword trends shift. Monthly discovery catches new terms.
Configure Negatives First - Add competitor brands and off-topic terms before discovery.
Focus on Score 50+ - Prioritize higher opportunity keywords unless strategically important.
Convert Quickly - High-opportunity keywords go stale. Create briefs within 2-4 weeks.

Troubleshooting

"No keywords discovered" - Check keyword research settings in Settings > Integrations.

"All keywords hidden" - Negative keywords may be too aggressive. Remove broad terms.

"Discovery is slow" - Use 3-5 targeted seeds rather than 20+ broad terms.

Related Features

Keyword Briefs: Convert discoveries into content briefs
Competitive Gap Analysis: Find keywords competitors rank for
GSC Integration: Import GSC keywords as discovery seeds

Keyword Discovery Dashboard