Amazon, Author Tools & Resources, eBook Publishing, Self Publishing Your Book

Three Simple Ways to Boost Your Book on Amazon

Getting the most of your book via searchable keywords, tags and categories can make a huge difference in the profitability of your book. Think of it this way – even if you write the best book in the world, if no one can find it, no one will get to experience your talent.

Today, we’ll begin the first of a three-part series on how to get the most “searchability” for your book with proper use of keywords, tags and categories.

First up, keywords.

Amazon keywords are tags you enter at the title level in your KDP account. Most often mistaken by authors for tags, they are two separate and completely different things. They are never seen by readers and are never visible on your Amazon page – think of them as the hard-workers behind the scenes. They influence the search results on Amazon in a HUGE way.

Here’s how:

  • Amazon allows you 5-7 keywords. Use ‘em! They should be specific and shouldn’t mention the title of your book or your name since these will show up in the search results automatically.
  • A key “word” can actually be a phrase, so you should get into the mindset of a browser on Kindle.
  • Each word or phrase should be separated using a comma when entering them into a KDP.

I’ve seen plenty of authors who have overlooked this step and missing out on valuable search results. Though they require a bit of legwork to set up, keywords are vital to the sales potential of your book. Log into your KDP account, go to your bookshelf, check the title you want to change and click on ‘Edit book details’ under the actions tab:

Kindle keywords

 

changing Kindle keywords

Note:

Once you update your keywords, your book may go offline for 24 hours, so be mindful of when you do it.

Extra Tip:

Conduct a thorough analysis using the Google Keywords Tool to see what people search for on Google the most. While this doesn’t translate directly to Amazon, it does give us a good insight into the phrases people use when they conduct an online search.

We’ll talk about Amazon Categories and Tags next time. Have a great week, it’s super sunny in Seattle and the city is alive with smiles!