How to Find Keywords for Your Kindle Book?

When launching a Kindle book on Amazon, it's essential to ensure that your target audience can easily discover it, and one effective way to achieve this is by optimising your listing with relevant keywords. Just as SEO is vital for websites, the right keywords are critical for your book's visibility on Amazon's vast platform. But how do you do it right? In this article, we're going to explore a number of ways to find the best keywords for your Kindle book, so you can maximise visibility, views and sales. Let’s dive in!

What Are Amazon Keywords for Books?

At its core, Amazon is a search engine for products, including books - this means that when readers look for a new book to dive into, they'll often use specific phrases or terms to search. These terms are referred to as 'keywords', and understanding how they function can give your book an edge. In short, by optimising your book's title, subtitle, and description with the right keywords, you increase its chances of appearing in relevant search results, thereby boosting potential sales.

The Role of Keywords in Book Categories

As you likely already know if you’ve ever browsed on the platform, Amazon's vast book collection is segmented into various categories and sub-categories; these help readers navigate to their desired genre or topic more easily, whether it be romance, fiction, or nonfiction. Keywords therefore play a significant role in ensuring your book is placed in the right category: for instance, if you've written a fantasy romance novel set in a historical period, using keywords related to 'fantasy', 'romance', and 'historical' can ensure your book is discoverable to readers interested in any or all of these themes. If it sounds simple, that’s because it is - mostly!

Tools and Resources for Kindle Keyword Research

Just like Amazon offers several tools and resources for general sellers on the platform, there are also a number of tools that can be used for keyword research for those selling Kindle books. Using these effectively can make the difference between a book that languishes in obscurity and one that finds its way to its intended readers, so here’s what we recommend:

Amazon Kindle Store

One of the easiest ways to begin your research is by exploring the Kindle Store itself: look at top-performing books in your genre or category - what keywords do they use in their titles, subtitles, and descriptions? Analyse successful books and glean insights into what keywords resonate with readers.

Exploring Amazon's Autocomplete

Amazon's search bar offers an autocomplete feature, which provides another “keyword cheat sheet” for sellers: you can find keyword suggestions based on what users frequently search for by simply typing a relevant term related to your book, and observe the suggestions that drop down. Doing this can provide you with a vast amount of potential keywords, as they reflect what real users are actively searching for - however, do note that competition for more general keywords is likely to be quite high.

Kindle Keyword Research Tools

There are numerous tools available, both free and paid, designed to help authors find the best keywords for their books on Amazon. These tools can provide data on search volume, competitiveness, and even potential profitability, with some popular options include Publisher Rocket, KWFinder, and AMZTracker. Additionally, if you're looking for a comprehensive approach to Amazon marketing, considering an Amazon advertising agency can be beneficial.

Brainstorming Relevant Keywords

The process of finding the perfect keywords often begins with a brainstorming session: start by listing down terms that you feel are integral to your book's content, theme, genre, and appeal. Think from a reader's perspective: what terms might they enter when looking for a book like yours? Additionally, consider synonyms and related phrases: if your book is a psychological thriller, for example, terms like "mystery", "suspense", and "crime fiction" might also be relevant.

Analysing and Selecting Keywords

Once you've got an extensive list, it's time to refine it. Here's where keyword research tools come into play - use these tools to do the following:

Determine Search Volume

‘Search volume’ will tell you how often users search for each keyword, so aim for a mix of high-volume terms (which are more competitive) and long-tail keywords (more specific phrases with lower search volume but potentially higher relevance).

Assess Competitiveness

Some keywords might be saturated, meaning numerous books are already optimised for them. In such cases, unless your book has a significant marketing push behind it, it might be challenging to rank for that term.

Check Relevance

Ensure the keywords you're considering are genuinely relevant to your book; misleading potential readers might result in poor reviews or increased return rates, which can damage your store in the long run.

Incorporating Keywords into Your Kindle Book

After selecting your keywords, it's time to incorporate them naturally. Here’s how to follow traditional SEO practices when adding keywords to your Kindle book listing:

Title and Subtitle

If possible, include a primary keyword in your book's title or subtitle. However, ensure it doesn't feel forced; it should fit organically. This may be more difficult for fiction titles, so don’t get hung up on this if you’re selling a fiction book.

Description

Your book's description offers more room for keyword inclusion, so sprinkle them throughout, making sure the description remains engaging and informative. Again, no keyword stuffing - you want to ensure your description is engaging and readable for customers.

Keyword Fields

Amazon allows you to enter specific keywords or phrases when listing your book, so use this space wisely by including terms you haven't managed to fit elsewhere.

Backend Keywords

Backend keywords are keywords that you can input in the backend of your Amazon KDP account; they aren't visible to readers but are used by Amazon's algorithm to understand more about your book. Use this space to add keywords that will help the platform rank your book in the right genre and category.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, optimising your Kindle book with the right keywords is actually a pretty simple task - but it’s also a crucial process when it comes to ensuring that your book reaches its intended audience. While Kindle is a competitive platform, implementing traditional SEO strategies, using the right tools, and partnering with an Amazon advertising agency can amplify your success in the competitive world of online publishing.