How to Qualify Leads Automatically Using Keywords

To qualify leads using keywords, you let the viewer tell you how serious they are by which word they comment. "GUIDE" means they want to learn, "PRICE" means they are comparing, "BOOK" means they are ready. Each word gets a different DM, and the Viralyze app tags each contact with where it came from, so your contacts list sorts itself without a form.

Here is how to design the keyword ladder, what each DM should say, and how to read the results.

Why does the keyword itself qualify the lead?

Because the viewer chooses it. A person who types "BOOK" has done more mental work than a person who types "GUIDE", and the DM they receive should respect that difference. One reply for all of them either oversells to browsers or undersells to buyers.

Viralyze allows multiple keywords per automation, each with its own reply, and the matching is not case-sensitive and copes with typos and Hinglish spellings.

A three-rung keyword ladder

Take a Hyderabad astrologer who does paid birth chart readings.

1. Rung one, "CHART": the DM sends a free one-page PDF on reading a birth chart, through a lead magnet page that collects an email. This is the browser. 2. Rung two, "PRICE": the DM states the fee plainly, "A 45-minute reading is ₹1,500 on Google Meet, recorded for you," and links the booking page. This is the comparer. 3. Rung three, "BOOK": the DM goes straight to the booking page with a one-line welcome. This is the buyer.

All three keywords sit in one automation on the same reel. The close of the reel says: "Comment CHART for the free guide, PRICE for fees, or BOOK to pick a slot."

What should each DM say?

Match the length to the intent. Browsers get warmth and the freebie; comparers get the price and one reason it is worth it; buyers get the link and nothing in the way.

Sample for the "PRICE" rung: "Hi! A 45-minute reading is ₹1,500, on Google Meet, and you get the recording. I look at career, relationships and the next twelve months. Here is the booking page if you would like a slot." AI variations rephrase it per person, and the reply follows the commenter's language, English, Hindi or Hinglish.

For "BOOK", the booking page takes payment upfront by UPI or card and sends WhatsApp reminders, so a ready lead becomes a confirmed, paid session without a conversation.

How do I read the funnel by keyword?

Compare the per-automation funnel, comments, matched, delivered, clicked, signed up, across the three keywords. The counts tell you where your audience sits.

If "CHART" dwarfs the others, your reels attract learners; sell them a low-priced course before a reading. If "PRICE" is large but "BOOK" is small, the fee is the hurdle; try stating it in the reel so the comparers self-select earlier. If "BOOK" is healthy, your content is already doing the qualifying.

Every contact carries its keyword source, so an export to CSV gives you three lists: learners, comparers and buyers.

Can I qualify further after the DM?

Yes, by hand, in the Inbox. Replies to any of the three DMs arrive with the original comment attached, inside Instagram's 24-hour window. A "PRICE" commenter who replies "do you do couples readings?" has just moved up a rung, and a short personal answer with the booking link usually closes it.

Keep the automated part to sorting and delivery. The human part is the five-minute reply that converts the comparers.

Frequently asked questions

**Can one person trigger two keywords?** Yes, if they comment both. Each comment gets one reply within Instagram's rules, so they would receive both the free guide and the price.

**Should I use different keywords on every reel?** Keep the ladder the same across reels so your audience learns it. "CHART, PRICE, BOOK" becomes a habit for returning viewers.

**Does the follow-gate work with multiple keywords?** The gate applies to the automation, so use it on a reel aimed at new audiences and skip it where "BOOK" commenters are the priority.

Start the 7-day free trial of Viralyze, no card needed, and add a second keyword to your next reel so the comments sort themselves.