Are you using Amazon keywords correctly when you list your book?
When you upload your ebook or print book to Amazon, you have the option to use Amazon Keywords, but are you investing enough time and research into your keywords? We’ve written and self-published several books now on Amazon, and keywords were always part of that process, but recently we’ve been putting a lot more emphasis on our books, and one area that we’re focussing on is the keyword function.
Amazon actually has a whole section on how to get the most out of your book’s keywords. You can read their full article on Kindle keywords here. In the following article, we’ll break down some of Amazon’s recommendations when it comes to what they believe is the best way to get the most out of your keywords.
Amazon KDP Keyword Best Practices!
- Start off by combining your keywords in the most logical order. For example, a potential customer would most likely search for ‘books about hockey,’ not ‘hockey books about.’ Make sure those keywords are written how someone would most likely write them when they search on Amazon.
- You can use up to seven keywords or short keyword phrases. Ensure that you keep an eye on your character limit.
- Test your keywords by searching on Amazon first. Then, type in your keyword, and if you get a lot of results that aren’t relevant to your book, then consider changing them. Also, pay attention to the search suggestions, which drop down when you’re typing, as they can be useful.
- Think like a reader would think. For example, if you were a potential customer looking for your book, what would be the easiest way to find it?
Different Types of Keywords You Can Use For Your Book!
- The Book Setting (such as Colonial America or Africa)
- Character Types (such as veteran, mother, father, son)
- Character Roles (strong female lead, strong male lead)
- Plot Themes (forgiveness, understanding, confrontation)
- Story Tone (feel-good, dystopian)
Some Amazon Keywords You Should Avoid!
- Any information you covered elsewhere, such as your book’s title, contributors, sub-title, etc.
- Subjective claims about the overall quality of your book
- Any time-sensitive statements like on sale, new, available now
- Spelling errors
- Different variations utilizing spacing, capitalization, or pluralization
- Anything misrepresentative such as the names of other authors or books
- Rather than typing “complex, suspenseful mystery” as one key phrase, use the words singularly because someone would need to type all three words rather than just one to see your book.
- Any Amazon program names such as Kindle, KDP, or Kindle Unlimited.
Bonus Amazon Title and Keyword Tips!
- Avoid Long Titles – Customers are more likely to move past any title that’s over 60 characters long.
- Accurate Book Description – Ensure that your book description focuses on the book’s content.
- Keywords – Use your keywords to accurately capture information that isn’t already in your book title, description, and sub-title, such as setting, plot, theme, etc.
- Consistency – If your book is available in different formats, ensure that you keep your keywords and descriptions consistent across all formats.
- Use Amazon Menu – When you’re on Amazon, you can use the menus to brainstorm potential keyword ideas. For example, if you look at the romance section, you can use the sub-categories available as potential keywords.
Using Amazon Keywords Correctly In Your Book! – Conclusion
There you go! Everything you wanted to know about Amazon Keywords and what Amazon believes is the most effective way to get the best out of your keywords and make your book more discoverable to readers and buyers on the Amazon platform. If you have any questions about self-publishing a book on Amazon, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
If you have been waiting to hit that publish button on an ebook, why wait? What’s holding you back, and what do you need help with? At Indie Publishing Group, we’re proud to offer various self-publishing services, including premium ebook formatting, editing, proofing, illustrations, ghostwriting, and so much more.
Do you have any additional ebook formatting questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out and contact us directly! One of our friendly and professional team members will get back to you ASAP!
