7 KINDLE KEYWORDS: USE ALL 50 CHARACTERS OR NOT?
( A thread) 🧵🧵
Most self-publishers know that when it comes to showing up for certain searches, the keywords you choose play an important role. But after that, things start to get complicated.
( A thread) 🧵🧵
Most self-publishers know that when it comes to showing up for certain searches, the keywords you choose play an important role. But after that, things start to get complicated.
Amazon presents us with seven boxes in which we can enter our desired target kindle keywords. In each box, we can use up to 50 characters, which allows us to either put in a particular target phrase we want to rank for, or fill up the box to include as many phrases as possible.
Some book marketing gurus argue that you should use up as many of the available characters as possible, while others believe you should only enter in a target phrase. This conflicting advice has left lots of authors scratching their heads,
wondering how to actually approach their kindle keywords.
Before we go further, it might be useful to know the difference between indexing for a keyword and ranking for a keyword.
INDEXING FOR A KEYWORD: For the purposes of book marketing, indexing for a keyword is when
Before we go further, it might be useful to know the difference between indexing for a keyword and ranking for a keyword.
INDEXING FOR A KEYWORD: For the purposes of book marketing, indexing for a keyword is when
you convince Amazon to list your book for that keyword phrase.
It doesn't necessarily mean you show up on the first page of the Amazon search results, it just means Amazon acknowledges your book should be listed for that search phrase and you will therefore show up somewhere..
It doesn't necessarily mean you show up on the first page of the Amazon search results, it just means Amazon acknowledges your book should be listed for that search phrase and you will therefore show up somewhere..
in the search results for that keyword.
If Amazon has listed 11,041 books for that search result, and you are now ‘indexed' for that keyword, then there will be 11,042 books listed in total for that search result.
If Amazon has listed 11,041 books for that search result, and you are now ‘indexed' for that keyword, then there will be 11,042 books listed in total for that search result.
RANKING FOR A KEYWORD: The ranking for a phrase or keyword a customer types is the number at which the product shows up. So, say for example someone types in “War book” and ur book is the 7th book shown on the search results, then you have a ranking of 7 for that keyword phrase
If you rank #100 however, that means the shopper would need to go through many search results pages in order to see your book as the 100th book listed for that keyword.
Rankings are important because the book that ranks #1 for a keyword gets the most clicks by a huge margin.
Rankings are important because the book that ranks #1 for a keyword gets the most clicks by a huge margin.
Now that we know the difference between indexing for a keyword and ranking for a keyword. Let's answer some questions.
1. Does Filling In All 50 Characters Index Your Book For More Keywords?
The answer is clearly yes.
The more words or phrases you entered in the Kindle box,
1. Does Filling In All 50 Characters Index Your Book For More Keywords?
The answer is clearly yes.
The more words or phrases you entered in the Kindle box,
so as to fill in as much of the 50 characters as possible, the more your book will be indexed for. This leads to to another question …
2. Does Amazon Rearrange the Words and Index for them or just use the exact phrase you type in?
Amazon does use all variations of the words..
2. Does Amazon Rearrange the Words and Index for them or just use the exact phrase you type in?
Amazon does use all variations of the words..
you enter.
Therefore, if you typed in “Dragon War Mage” into one of the 7 keyword boxes, you would also be indexed for War Dragon Mage, Mage Dragon, War Mage, Mage, and all other versions of the phrase.
Therefore, if you typed in “Dragon War Mage” into one of the 7 keyword boxes, you would also be indexed for War Dragon Mage, Mage Dragon, War Mage, Mage, and all other versions of the phrase.
This makes a lot of sense since Amazon specifically tells people to not put quotation marks around your phrase, or else you will only show up for that exact phrase and nothing else.
In boolean search criteria, if u want to only be shown an exact phrase, put quotations around it.
In boolean search criteria, if u want to only be shown an exact phrase, put quotations around it.
You can do this on Google the next time you only want to see results based on exactly what you type, and no subsets of it. Looks like Amazon's search engine (and thus their indexing) works the same way.
However, it is important to note that Amazon only indexed the books for...
However, it is important to note that Amazon only indexed the books for...
terms they deemed legitimate — terms that would actually produce results if you typed into Amazon.
So, if one of the combinations of the phrase is something that
Amazon doesn't acknowledge or show books for,they won't rank you for it either just because you had it listed.
So, if one of the combinations of the phrase is something that
Amazon doesn't acknowledge or show books for,they won't rank you for it either just because you had it listed.
Apparently they are smarter than that.
Also of important note, Amazon includes pluralizations of the word automatically.
3. If I have the Same Keyword More than Once, Does that Help or Hurt?
Amazon makes it clear that you should avoid reusing the same keyword that shows up...
Also of important note, Amazon includes pluralizations of the word automatically.
3. If I have the Same Keyword More than Once, Does that Help or Hurt?
Amazon makes it clear that you should avoid reusing the same keyword that shows up...
elsewhere in your book's metadata (title, contributor, etc). If you were to click the link above your 7 kindle boxes that says “how do I choose keywords” you'll see that there.
So, does it hurt us if we do repeat words? Will this be something Amazon penalizes us for?
So, does it hurt us if we do repeat words? Will this be something Amazon penalizes us for?
The answer to both is no. Authors don't get penalized for reusing a keyword that is in the title, subtitle or elsewhere. They also don't get penalized if they had the same keyword in different boxes.
But it doesn't help either.
Having the same keyword in the title and in....
But it doesn't help either.
Having the same keyword in the title and in....
different boxes don't mean you get better rankings.
But again 😂 don't avoid using the same keyword in another box if it fits in a specific phrase you have. Say for example you have two phrases that you want to target for your book.
One is War Mage, and the other is Fantasy Mage
But again 😂 don't avoid using the same keyword in another box if it fits in a specific phrase you have. Say for example you have two phrases that you want to target for your book.
One is War Mage, and the other is Fantasy Mage
Don't remove the word “Mage” from one of them just because you used it already in your title or in another keyword box.
If you're confused about this, read it again and make sure you follow the thread to the end.
If you're confused about this, read it again and make sure you follow the thread to the end.
4. Does Targeting a Specific Phrase Help With Rankings?
Amazon specifically says that "THE DEGREE OF TEXT MATCH plays a major part in rankings."
This is the first indication that the more specific you are in the 7 keyword boxes, the more likely you are to rank for those....
Amazon specifically says that "THE DEGREE OF TEXT MATCH plays a major part in rankings."
This is the first indication that the more specific you are in the 7 keyword boxes, the more likely you are to rank for those....
target phrases.
So, while Amazon does rearrange the words and index them for you, the way you put them into the box has a stronger affect than a random combination of them.
So, while Amazon does rearrange the words and index them for you, the way you put them into the box has a stronger affect than a random combination of them.
5. Is it Better to Put My Keyword in the Title and Subtitle, or the Keyword Box?
The short answer is yes, it is better to put your keyword in the title or subtitle.
Research shows an increase of 37% in rankings when someone had the phrase in the title or subtitle, compared to
The short answer is yes, it is better to put your keyword in the title or subtitle.
Research shows an increase of 37% in rankings when someone had the phrase in the title or subtitle, compared to
if it was just one of the phrases in a keyword box.
This makes sense considering what is in the title or subtitle is a better indication of what the book focuses on.
However, this is NOT a recommendation to keyword stuff. It only shows that those two spots have a larger...
This makes sense considering what is in the title or subtitle is a better indication of what the book focuses on.
However, this is NOT a recommendation to keyword stuff. It only shows that those two spots have a larger...
effect on rankings than your 7 keyword boxes.
In summary, the more words you put into the boxes, the more you will index for on Amazon. But, at the same time, you’ll weaken your overall rankings for those terms since their power will be diluted.
In summary, the more words you put into the boxes, the more you will index for on Amazon. But, at the same time, you’ll weaken your overall rankings for those terms since their power will be diluted.
Authors should use a combination of the two tactics where they target specific words or phrases that best fit their book, but also reserve certain keyword boxes for including the other terms and phrases not included.
This will give you the most optimal rankings and indexing...
This will give you the most optimal rankings and indexing...
so you can get your book found by readers.
This two steps can help.
Step 1: Find 1-3 keyword specific phrases.
These 1-3 keyword phrases need to be:
■ Very relevant to your book:
Think of them as the perfect descriptive phrase your target reader would type into Amazon when
This two steps can help.
Step 1: Find 1-3 keyword specific phrases.
These 1-3 keyword phrases need to be:
■ Very relevant to your book:
Think of them as the perfect descriptive phrase your target reader would type into Amazon when
searching for your book.
Examples: How to lose weight fast, Evernote for authors, military scifi space marines. They read like real terms, and truly fit your book.
■ Have shoppers looking for them:
Since we’ll be burning a couple of our seven boxes for these phrases, they
Examples: How to lose weight fast, Evernote for authors, military scifi space marines. They read like real terms, and truly fit your book.
■ Have shoppers looking for them:
Since we’ll be burning a couple of our seven boxes for these phrases, they
NEED to actually have people searching for them.
■ Not overly competitive:
In essence, if you’re using one keyword box for that term or phrase, you might want to ensure you can actually rank for it and thus benefit from it.
■ Not overly competitive:
In essence, if you’re using one keyword box for that term or phrase, you might want to ensure you can actually rank for it and thus benefit from it.
Step 2: For the rest, fill in with niche specific terms and phrases.
For the rest of your boxes, it would be best to fill in as much of the 50 characters as possible with words or phrases that fit your type of book.
These would be broad terms that fit your niche or genre but
For the rest of your boxes, it would be best to fill in as much of the 50 characters as possible with words or phrases that fit your type of book.
These would be broad terms that fit your niche or genre but
aren’t as important because the chances that someone would type them into Amazon and you’d be the exact type of book they are looking for would be small.
Here are some things to help you figure out how to generate those words.
Here are some things to help you figure out how to generate those words.
For Fiction create a list of words that Describe:
• Your character or their role
• The Setting and Time of the story
• The Catalyst that kickstarts your story
• Your genre or the flavor of your genre (steamy romance vs wholesome love vs erotica etc)
• Synonyms of above.
• Your character or their role
• The Setting and Time of the story
• The Catalyst that kickstarts your story
• Your genre or the flavor of your genre (steamy romance vs wholesome love vs erotica etc)
• Synonyms of above.
For Nonfiction create a list of words that Describe:
• The pain points of your target reader
• The success your reader hopes to gain from your book
• The type of reader or their demographic
• Descriptive words
• Synonyms of the above
• The pain points of your target reader
• The success your reader hopes to gain from your book
• The type of reader or their demographic
• Descriptive words
• Synonyms of the above
Thanks for reading.
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If you found this educative
Follow @atachineminence for more on publishing.
Retweet so others can learn.
Connect with me by clicking the link on my bio.
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