Anyone who’s published on Amazon KDP knows that keywords can make or break the success of their listing. But as important as they are, it can be hard to find the best ones or keep up with changing trends.

Why Do Keywords Matter?

To put it simply, keywords matter because they help readers find books they want to buy and read. In other words, they help your book get discovered by the people you want to discover it. Keywords identify things like genre, tropes, themes, and story elements that help show your book is interesting to your target audience.

When a reader searches for a topic or genre, the Amazon algorithm scans titles, descriptions, and other data to return the best results. For that reason, you can think of your keywords as parts of a sentence your reader might use to find your book.

For example, your keywords might highlight story tropes that are popular within your genre, such as enemies to lovers for romance, the chosen one for fantasy, or rags to riches for your memoir or other story. 

Thematic keywords like redemption, survival, good versus evil, and identity also help hook your reader.

Conducting Keyword Research

To learn the right keywords for your book, research what’s working for successful authors in your genre and subgenre. Don’t hesitate to spend time reading through competitor listings—but don’t copy them fully either. The best keyword strategy is one that is customized to your specific book. 

Another way of finding keywords that work for you is by looking for search terms specific to your genre and subgenre. To start, you can use a search engine like Google or the search bar on Amazon to see what terms autofill when you start typing your genre. This can give you an idea of what readers are currently looking for and what will help your book rank higher.

Additionally, you can spend time in reader spaces (e.g., Reddit) focused on your genre or tropes. How are they talking about what they’re reading? Doing this can also provide valuable insights into popular keywords and phrases. 

We suggest focusing on short phrases that a reader might realistically use, such as paranormal romance or historical mystery.

But hold on, aren’t those two keywords together? You bet.

Combining Keywords

A successful keyword strategy often involves combining keywords to create more specific search phrases. This can be critical to differentiating yourself in a sea of genre fiction or nonfiction, as it helps narrow the search for the right readers.

For example, instead of romance, you might use historical romance, or contemporary romance suspense depending on your subgenre or themes. Niching down like this helps you access those specifically looking for what your book offers.

If you find yourself struggling to combine keywords effectively, go back to the research phase. It may take some time for you to lock in what you need.

Your Blurb Needs Keywords Too

KDP listings have special fields for your keywords, but you shouldn’t neglect to optimize your blurb either. Incorporate genre and theme keywords into your description to help boost your search results outside of Amazon. Just don’t go overboard—your blurb should still read like a blurb, not a hashtag section.

How to Add or Update Keywords

Now that you know how to choose the right keywords, let’s talk about getting them into your listing. Adding or updating keywords in your KDP listing is a straightforward process:

  • Log in to your Amazon KDP account.
  • Go to your Bookshelf and select the book you want to update.
  • Click on the “Edit eBook details” or “Edit paperback details” link.
  • Scroll down to the “Keywords” section and enter your chosen keywords.
  • Save and publish your changes.

Review and Update Keywords Regularly

Self-publishing is a dynamic world and keyword trends can change quickly. To keep your listing relevant and maintain your book’s visibility, regularly review and update your keywords. Not only does this maximize the lifetime sales of your book, but it also keeps you apprised of what’s happening in your market.

You don’t need to research every day, but it’s important to keep yourself aware of shifting interests and attitudes. Set a regular time to review your listing, whether that’s every month, quarter, or whatever works for you. When things feel out of date or sales start to slow, it may be time to revisit research mode.

No matter what genre or market you’re in, the prepared self-publisher will always come out ahead,so make sure you’re one of them!

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