How to Optimize Your Book’s Search Results
Once you have a book published, it should be your primary goal to get as much exposure as you can. Particularly online, you should aim to get your book on the top charts to get as many eyes on it as possible. One of the best ways to do this is by optimizing your book for search, and that means incorporating the right keywords. Keywords are critical for achieving higher rankings in search engines and on Amazon. Keywords can be single words or entire phrases, depending on if you are interested in bringing in general or more targeted traffic. So how do you figure out what keywords will work for your book?
Finding the Right Keywords
Google Adwords is a great place to begin your research and find the best keywords for your book. Google offers a keyword tool that allows you to input words or phrases that you believe people would search for to find your book, and then offers suggestions based on your input. When you are using the keyword tool, make sure that you select the tab for “Keyword Ideas.” This will make sure that the suggestions provided will relate specifically to keyword searches on Google. Make sure that the keywords you use are specific and don’t forget to get creative!
When looking at the suggestions, you want to make sure that you choose keywords that are more specific but still have over 1,000 searches. This will place you somewhere on middle ground, where you’ll be likely to get more targeted traffic but still rank higher on general keyword searches.
Amazon.com is also a great resource for searching for keywords. Type in the keywords you got from Google and pay attention to the suggestions that Amazon offers as you are typing in these keywords, as these are suggestions for words/phrases other people typed in when they were searching for a book. Use the Amazon search feature alongside your top picks from the Google keyword tool to narrow down your list of keywords based on popularity and relevancy to your topic.
Using Your Keywords
After you’ve narrowed down your list of keywords, it’s time to incorporate them into your book. The title of your book in particular should contain at least a few keywords (or an entire phrase). This is the first thing people will see when they search for your book. Therefore, title testing using popular and relevant keywords is very important when it comes to optimizing your book’s search results. When customers type in your keywords, you want your book to come out on top and be the first thing they see.
Be sure to use your chosen keywords online wherever you are promoting your book. This will include your website as well as various social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. This will help create a larger, more encompassing, presence for your book online and make your book rank higher on search engines.
Categories and Tags
Besides utilizing keywords, categories and tags are also great for targeting traffic and optimizing your book’s search results. If you have a blog, you can use tags in the same way that you use keywords for search. Additionally, grouping your posts into particular categories will lead people who are interested in those topics to your site, where they will be able to learn more about your book.
Tags and categories are also important for ranking higher on Amazon. Choose a category that is the closest match for your book. The category you place your book in will determine its placement among all the other books in that genre, so make sure you are specific, which will mean you’ll have to deal will less competition. Tags are important as well because they are labels placed on your book that will help users find a book on Amazon within a certain category. Tags appear on your book’s detail page and help increase your overall exposure on Amazon.
Take some time to play around with the Google keyword tool and the suggestions that Amazon has to offer, and see what keywords can help optimize your book’s search results!
Click here if you need more help with keyword research and search optimization for your book.
By: Sabina Muslimovic