Finding Your Amazon Keywords

Author Shelley Hitz talks about book marketing and how to find your Amazon keywords.

We asked Shelley Hitz, author coach, business strategist, and Christian entrepreneur, for her thoughts on book marketing and how to find your Amazon keywords. Shelley prefaced this month’s chat with a guest post on the same subject titled “Choosing The Best Categories For Your Book Sales on Amazon.”

How did you get started working as an author coach?

I call it the “twists and turns of life.” I worked as a Physical Therapist for 12 years. I self-published my first book in 2008 and people kept asking me how I did it. Because I had been in online marketing since 2004, I decided to start a website to help authors publish and market their books.

Why is it important to add search keywords to your book?

Your book’s keywords will help people find your book during searches on Amazon. They can increase your exposure and visibility on Amazon. It’s something free that every author can do for his or her books!

What’s the best way to determine the best keywords for your book?

One FREE way to determine the best keywords for your book is to use the Google Keyword Planner. Definitely spend a little time on it doing some research. It’s free and doesn’t take much time to do.

What level of search volume should you aim for when picking a keyword? Does competition matter?

If possible, choose keywords with a combined search volume on the Google Keyword Planner between 10,000 – 100,000. Choose the most relevant and highest-ranking keywords from the results you find.

How do you determine how relevant a keyword is for your book?

It should fit closely with the topic of your book and be the right fit for those who are searching for that keyword on Amazon. It should fit closely with the topic of your book and be the right fit for those who are searching for that keyword on Amazon.

What are the prospects for your book showing high up on the list of search results for a particular keyword?

Amazon’s algorithms are based on many things. I’ve noticed that the better my book is selling, the higher it will rank for a keyword.

How likely is it that people using that keyword will be interested in your book?

If you’ve chosen keywords that are closely related to your topic, it should be a good fit. Your cover and title is what will typically draw people in the most when searching on Amazon.

How much does picking your keywords relate to choosing the best categories for your book?

Keywords and categories are actually two completely different things. I recommend spending time researching both. Choose a category small enough to rank well in so that you’ll get more reviews leading to more book sales.

What are some other things to consider when defining your book for readers on Amazon?

For nonfiction authors, what is your audience’s pain point? What problems can you solve? For fiction authors, what genre do you enjoy writing and is it already selling well on Amazon? I recommend spending time defining and narrowing your target audience. Most authors I work with haven’t gotten specific enough.

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Choosing The Best Categories For Your Book Sales On Amazon
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