Why am I seeing irrelevant results? Refining your terms
Tips for improving InstantMarkets search results when you're seeing too many irrelevant opportunities — keywords, filters, and NAICS codes.
Why am I seeing irrelevant results? Refining your terms
If your search results include a lot of opportunities that don't match what you sell, there are a few quick ways to improve relevance.
1. Your keyword is too broad
Single-word searches almost always produce noisy results. "Consulting", "services", "supplies", and "equipment" each match tens of thousands of listings.
Fix: Use 2-4 word phrases that describe exactly what you offer.
Instead of… | Try… |
|---|---|
"consulting" | "environmental consulting" |
"equipment" | "playground equipment" |
"services" | "pest control services" |
"supplies" | "medical supplies" |
2. Your keyword matches multiple industries
Some terms are used across unrelated categories. "Inspection services" returns building inspections, food inspections, vehicle inspections, and more.
Fix: Add a qualifier to pin it to your industry. "Building inspection services" or "elevator inspection" narrows significantly.
3. You're not using filters
Keywords alone search across all agencies, states, and opportunity types. If you only serve certain states, or only respond to RFPs (not RFQs), filtering will cut irrelevant noise.
Fix: Apply the Geography, Agency type, and Opportunity type filters that match your business. See Using advanced search filters.
4. Synonyms are working against you
Procurement language isn't standardized. Buyers use different terms for the same thing across different agencies. If you're seeing too many results for one synonym but missing opportunities described with a different term, consider creating separate saved searches for each variation.
Example: "security services" vs. "guard services" vs. "protective services" — all describe the same thing but may appear on different bids.
5. Your NAICS code isn't set
NAICS-filtered results tend to be more precise because they reflect how the agency has categorized the bid. If you haven't added your NAICS code(s) to your profile or to the search filter, you may be seeing unfiltered results.
Fix: Add your NAICS code to the search filter, or add it to your profile under Profile Settings.
Still not finding the right opportunities?
- Check Where InstantMarkets data comes from to confirm we cover the agencies you're targeting.
- Contact support if you believe opportunities from a specific agency are missing.
Was this helpful?
Your feedback shapes what we write next.