Socialseal Tracking Group Design

SocialSeal Tracking Group Design

Overview

A SocialSeal tracking group is not a folder for random keywords. It is a measurement surface: one platform, one market/language context, and one coherent search intent. Downstream SOV, discoverability, and creator/content insights only work if the group structure is clean.

The deliverable depends on access:

• With SocialSeal CLI/MCP access: tracking groups are created, populated, and checked for completeness.
• Without access: a tracking-group specification is produced for someone else to implement.

What SocialSeal Needs

SocialSeal measures what surfaces for tracked social-search keywords. A useful setup separates:

• branded search: the brand/name itself
• category search: generic demand the brand wants to appear for
• competitor search: named competitor/entity terms
• planning/help search: practical questions and comparisons
• campaign/topic search: temporary or seasonal themes

Do not combine these just because they belong to the same brand.

Inputs

Required:

• workspace ID or workspace name
• platform(s), using SocialSeal platform values such as tiktok, instagram, youtube, ig_reels, yt_shorts, douyin, xhs, google_ai
• market/region code and language
• group objective: branded, category, competitor, planning/help, campaign, or Google AI questions
• seed keywords or topics

Good to have:

• owned handles and competitor handles
• audience segments/personas
• previous keyword exports or search journey results
• reporting cadence and expected output

Tooling

Prefer MCP when available (socialseal_get_tool_schema then socialseal_call_tool with function: "group-management"); the CLI tools call mirrors it. See references/mcp-and-cli-usage.md.

CLI Workflow

First inspect the live surface:

npx -y @socialseal/cli tools schema --function group-management
npx -y @socialseal/cli data export-options

Create each group:

npx -y @socialseal/cli tools call \
  --function group-management \
  --workspace-id <workspace-id> \
  --body '{"action":"create","name":"TikTok / US / category searches","platform":"tiktok","description":"Category search tracking for US TikTok"}' \
  --pretty

Add keyword tracking items:

npx -y @socialseal/cli tools call \
  --function group-management \
  --workspace-id <workspace-id> \
  --body '{"action":"add_items","group_id":<group-id>,"items":[{"name":"<keyword>","type":"keyword","value":"<keyword>","region":"US"}]}' \
  --pretty

Check completeness:

npx -y @socialseal/cli tools call \
  --function group-management \
  --workspace-id <workspace-id> \
  --body '{"action":"completeness","group_id":<group-id>,"expected_items":[{"track_type":"search","track_value":"<keyword>","region":"US"}],"include_refresh_status":true}' \
  --pretty

For MCP, use the same sequence through the live MCP tools: schema/help → create group → add items → completeness. Do not guess MCP tool names.

Keyword Design Rules

• Use 2-5 word phrases people would type into social search.
• Use local-language terms for non-English markets.
• Include practical intent: how to, where to, best, vs, first time, itinerary, cost, near, what to expect, category-specific equivalents.
• Keep brand names out of category groups.
• Keep competitor names out of category groups unless the group is explicitly competitor-search tracking.
• Avoid one-word generic keywords unless the category is narrow enough to make them meaningful.

Recommended Group Naming

Use a consistent naming pattern:

<Platform> / <Market> / <Type> / <Optional topic>

Examples with placeholders:

• TikTok / US / category / family travel
• Instagram / GB / branded
• YouTube / JP / planning-help
• Google AI / SG / category questions

Output

If implementing:

• created tracking groups
• added tracking items
• completeness check result for each group
• exported setup manifest with workspace ID, group IDs, group names, platform, market, type, keyword count

If specifying only:

• tracking-group architecture
• keyword list by group
• group naming convention
• implementation checklist

Do / Don't

Do:

• create one group first and validate before bulk work
• use numeric tracking group IDs in export commands
• record keyword source: user-provided, search journey, manual research, or translated/localized
• separate stable evergreen groups from temporary campaign groups

Don't:

• mix TikTok/Instagram/YouTube in one group
• put branded and non-branded keywords in one group
• add keywords that are too broad to classify later
• change group membership in the middle of a reporting period without noting the break

Troubleshooting

• If add_items fails, inspect schema and try one item object before bulk payloads.
• If completeness is missing expected items, compare track_value, region, and platform inheritance.
• If exports are empty, confirm the group has items and has had time or a run to produce results.
• If the user gave a long keyword dump, cluster first, then create groups. Do not create one giant group.

Verification Checklist

• Every group has one platform, one market/language context, and one tracking type.
• Group names encode platform, market, and type.
• Branded/category/competitor/campaign terms are separated.
• Keywords are local-language where relevant.
• Completeness confirms expected tracking items.
• Setup manifest is saved for downstream analysis.