
As a KDP author, you know how crucial it is to get your book in front of the right readers. To do this, you need to understand what keywords are and how to use them effectively.
Keywords are the words and phrases that readers use to search for books like yours on Amazon. According to Amazon's own statistics, 70% of books are discovered through keyword searches.
To succeed in Kindle keyword research, you need to find the right balance between relevance and competition. A good keyword should be relevant to your book, but not so competitive that it's impossible to rank for.
Amazon's algorithm favors keywords that are highly relevant to the book, but also have a moderate level of competition. This means you want to aim for keywords with a medium to low level of competition.
Take a look at this: How to Use Google Trends for Keyword Research
Fundamentals of Kindle Keyword Research
Knowing what keywords are is just the first step in Kindle keyword research. They're crucial for standing out in a crowded market.
Choosing the right keywords can be daunting, especially with thousands of other books competing for attention. But don't worry, it's a skill that can be learned.
You can start by taking a Keyword Bootcamp 101, which will teach you the fundamentals of Kindle keyword research.
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Brainstorming and Initial Research
Brainstorming and Initial Research is a crucial step in Kindle keyword research. It's where you start generating ideas for keywords related to your book.
You don't need to have all the answers at this stage, just a list of potential keywords to work with. A solid brainstorm list should include a mix of general and specific search terms.
Let's take the book "How to Garden on a Budget: A Millennial's Guide to Perfect Backyard Vegetables" as an example. A brainstorm list for this book might include words like "Easy gardening", "Gardening on a budget", and "Vegetable gardening".
You can also use your intuition to come up with keywords, but make sure to back it up with research later on. Aim for a list of 10-20 short phrases to start with.
Here are some example keywords to consider:
- Easy gardening
- Gardening on a budget
- Vegetable gardening
- Growing vegetables in your backyard
- Millennial guide to gardening
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers at this stage, just a starting point for your keyword research.
Showing Product Relevance
Showing Product Relevance is crucial when it comes to getting your Kindle book in front of the right people. This is where Amazon keywords come in.
You see, search intent refers to the reason why people are searching for a specific phrase. This is important to keep in mind, especially when certain words can mean totally different things in different niches.
For example, a search for "Python" could be for books about animals, but it could also be for books on coding instead. This is why it's essential to choose keywords that accurately reflect the content of your book.
To feature keywords in your Amazon product listings, you need to understand how Amazon uses keywords to show product relevance. But, how do you even choose keywords when there are thousands of other books on the market?
Here's a simple rule to follow: keep your keywords relevant to the content of your book. This will help Amazon understand what your book is about and show it to people who are searching for similar topics.
Explore further: When Conducting Research Online the Keyword
Here are some tips to help you choose the right keywords:
- Use specific keywords that accurately describe your book's content.
- Avoid using keywords that are too broad or generic.
- Use keywords that are relevant to the search intent of your target audience.
By following these tips, you can increase the chances of your book showing up in search results and reaching the right people.
Market Analysis
To analyze the market for your Kindle book, start by gathering data on the search volume and competition for your target keywords. This will help you understand what people are actually searching for and how many people are typing in those search phrases.
You'll need a tool like KDSpy to see the exact numbers for the top keywords your competitors are using. This will give you an idea of the types of books that are already ranking well for those keywords.
Pay attention to titles and subtitles that appear frequently and the keywords they incorporate. You can also take notes on customer reviews and what readers liked or didn't like about these books.
The trick is to aim for keywords with high search volume but lower competition, as this will give you a better chance of standing out in the Amazon search results. This can be a challenge, especially if you're just starting out.
Make sure your keywords are not overly competitive, as this can be difficult to rank for. Feel free to niche down if you need to.
Additional reading: Why Is It Important for Marketers to Research the Competition
Boosting Visibility with Categories
Choosing categories for your book is a crucial step in boosting its visibility on Amazon. You get to select categories that will help readers find your book when browsing the Kindle store.
Amazon allows you to choose up to three categories for your book. However, it's essential to note that Amazon reserves the right to place your book in as many categories as they see fit, even if you've only selected three.
Using category-specific keywords in your keyword boxes can help fortify your category selections and even get Amazon to place you in more categories. In fact, using at least two of your seven keyword slots for category-specific keywords is a great way to maximize the number of categories you could rank for.
You can search for categories in Publisher Rocket's list of categories and use the "keywords" button to find words that describe each category. These words can serve as inspiration for other keywords or even help you select the perfect category for your book.
Take a look at this: How to Find Trending Seo Keywords
Amazon prioritizes books with keywords in their title because they give a clear indication of what the book is about. So, if you're writing a non-fiction book, try to incorporate your keywords into the title to make it easier for readers to find you.
Targeting specific phrases with your keywords can also help with rankings. Amazon's algorithm favors more specific keyword phrases, and our experiment showed that using specific keyword phrases in the keyword box resulted in higher rankings for those phrases.
Advanced Techniques for Kindle Keyword Research
As you start to get the hang of Kindle keyword research, you can better target keywords to reach the right readers.
Once you start getting the hang of things, here are some ways you can better target keywords to reach the right readers.
SEO for Kindle Authors
SEO for Kindle authors is a must-have to get your book noticed in a crowded market. You're competing with hundreds and thousands of self-publishers, so you need to make sure Amazon understands what your book is about.
Amazon's A9 algorithm determines the visibility of your books on the website, so you'll need to get in its good books to be successful. This means optimizing your book's title, keywords, and description to match what potential readers are searching for.
To find the right keywords, you can use tools like Ahrefs Site Explorer to see which keywords competing Amazon listings rank for in Google. This can give you valuable insights into what keywords send traffic to your competitors, and you can target those same keywords to increase your chances of getting traffic from Google.
SEO for Kindle
As a Kindle author, you're competing with hundreds and thousands of self-publishers.
You need to make sure potential readers know your book exists and convince them to read your book instead of the one published by your competitor.
SEO for KDP helps Amazon establish what your book is about and categorize it accordingly.
Amazon's A9 determines the visibility of your books on the website, so you'll need to get in A9's good books.
Coming up with keywords for fiction books is much harder because they don't offer a clear solution to a problem.
You can find the keywords that competing listings rank for in Google by using Ahrefs Site Explorer and looking at the "Organic keywords" report.
This will give you excellent sources of keyword ideas to incorporate into your listing and show you which keywords send your competitors the most organic traffic.
Kindle SEO is different from Google SEO, so don't assume they work the same way.
Amazon thinks your book is more relevant than others when it's optimized for the target phrase in its title.
Dragon Crafter by Noah Layton is outranking everyone in the niche because Amazon thinks it's more relevant.
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What Makes SEO Different From Google SEO
SEO is often misunderstood as being synonymous with Google SEO, but they're not the same thing. Google SEO refers specifically to optimizing content for Google's search engine.
However, SEO encompasses a broader scope, including optimization for other search engines like Bing and Yahoo. This is because different search engines have different algorithms and ranking factors.
Google SEO is a subset of SEO, and while it's the most popular and widely used, it's not the only game in town. Kindle authors need to consider optimizing for other search engines as well.
In fact, according to Google's own statistics, Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second. That's a lot of potential readers, but it's not the only search engine out there.
Bing, for example, has a significant market share, especially in certain regions and demographics. As a Kindle author, it's worth considering optimizing for Bing as well as Google.
Google's algorithm is constantly evolving, with new updates and changes rolling out regularly. This means that what works today may not work tomorrow, and Kindle authors need to stay on top of these changes to stay competitive.
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How to Conduct Kindle Keyword Research
To conduct Kindle keyword research, you need to do proper keyword research.
You can use three simple methods to find the best keywords for your Kindle product listings. One method is to use Amazon's built-in keyword research tool, which can help you find relevant keywords to use in your product listings.
It's essential to find the right keywords to use in your Kindle product listings. This will help your book show up in search results and attract more readers.
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Sales
Sales are the ultimate goal of Kindle keyword research, and understanding how keywords impact sales is crucial. You need to use keywords that would bring you sales. How to find if the keyword you are targeting converts well? Simply check the ABSR (Average Bounce Rate) of the top listings that show up for that keyword. The lower this number, the higher the sales.
Estimates suggest that books with an ABSR between 500 and 5000 sell up to 150 copies daily. This is a significant number, and it highlights the importance of using the right keywords in your Kindle book.
To make the most of your Kindle keyword research, monitor your sales and royalty reports on KDP. While these reports don't track keywords directly, an increase in sales or KENPC (Kindle Edition Normalized Page Count) reads can indicate effective keyword usage.
Google Ranking Terms and Kindle SEO
Google and other search engines like Bing can be used to build your brainstorming list for Kindle keyword research. You can use Google's "People also ask" and "Related searches" sections to find variations of your initial keywords.
These sections provide insight into broader search patterns that can be applied to your Kindle keyword strategy. By using these sections, you can identify relevant keywords and phrases that potential readers are searching for.
To find relevant keywords, paste a competing Amazon listing into Ahrefs Site Explorer and head to the "Organic keywords" report to see the keywords it ranks for in Google. This is another excellent source of keyword ideas to incorporate into your listing.
You can also see which keywords send your competitors the most organic traffic, increasing your chances of getting traffic from Google by targeting these same keywords.
Amazon's A9 algorithm determines the visibility of your books on the website, so it's essential to get in A9's good books to be a successful self-publisher.
Here are some tips for adding Amazon hidden keywords and search terms in Seller Central:
- Type keywords the way a shopper would when performing a search (e.g., “white sneakers” instead of “sneakers white”)
- Include spelling variations (e.g., “aluminum” and “aluminium”)
- Only use spaces to separate words
- Don’t use stop words (e.g., “a,” “an,” “of,” etc.)
By following these tips, you can optimize your Kindle listing for better visibility and rankings.
Kindle Keyword Research Tools and Resources
You can still get a lot out of the free version of the tool, even if you're stuck on the waitlist for the premium version. It can help you craft a list of the top keywords in your book niche, saving you hours of brainstorming time.
Just like this tool, there are other resources available that can help you with Kindle keyword research. You don't need to purchase an upgrade to take advantage of all of its features.
The free version is actually a great way to see which category and niche has the most opportunity, and you likely already have everything you need to make it happen.
Check this out: Niche Keyword Research
Tools and Resources
You can still do keyword research even with the free version of a tool, which can save you hours of brainstorming time.
This tool is great for crafting a list of top keywords in your book niche, and you don't need to purchase an upgrade to use it.
The free version of this tool is a game-changer, allowing you to identify the most promising categories and niches for your book.
You might be surprised at how much you can achieve with the free version of this tool, which is often overlooked in favor of the premium upgrade.
This tool is so effective that it's the one we teach our students to use, and it's free to access in its basic form.
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Ahrefs Beginner's Guide
Keyword research is the process of finding keywords that you want to rank for in search engines. It's about understanding what potential customers are searching for and why.
To find relevant keywords, you need to understand what potential customers are searching for. This involves identifying the words and phrases they use when searching for products or services like yours.
The goal of keyword research is to identify keywords that have a high search volume and low competition. This increases your chances of ranking for those keywords in search engines.
Ahrefs provides a beginner's guide to keyword research, which is a great resource for anyone new to the topic.
Best Practices for Kindle Keyword Research
To be efficient with Kindle keyword research, you'll likely need to change keywords regularly to keep up with your competition. This isn't a set-it-and-forget-it part of self-publishing.
Keywords need to be updated regularly to stay competitive. You can't just pick a few keywords and expect them to work forever.
Amazon KDP keywords are a crucial part of your book's visibility, and changing them regularly can make a big difference in sales.
Kindle Keyword Research Tips and Tricks
You can use Amazon's search bar to find keyword suggestions by thinking of four or five different keywords potential customers might use to find a product like yours and typing each one into the search bar to note the queries it autocompletes.
The search suggestion feature can be a powerful tool for uncovering target keywords for your Kindle listings. Start by brainstorming a list of relevant keywords, then test them in Amazon's search bar to see which ones are autocompleted.
You can use this technique to identify popular search terms and phrases that customers are using to find products like yours. This can help you optimize your Kindle listings for better visibility and sales.
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