When people go to Amazon and look for a new book, the words they type into the search bar are called keywords. Choosing the right keywords is one of the most pivotal parts of the whole Amazon self-publishing process.
Good keywords can lead to free traffic and more book sales, whereas the wrong keywords can bury your book in obscurity.
That’s where Publisher Rocket comes into play. This software can help you choose the smartest keywords in a quick and efficient manner.
But how do you know what the right keywords are for your book? How can you tell what’s a hit or miss? Here’s how the process works — and how Publisher Rocket can speed it up.
Choosing Keywords People Actually Search For
It’s one thing to choose a keyword, it’s another to choose one people actually search. So how can we decide which is which?
Let’s start off with the old manual way of doing things. One of the best ways to determine what people are searching for is to let Amazon tell you. And that can be accomplished via their search bar autofill feature.
However, this is where things get tedious. You need to start typing, letter by letter, topics or phrases that are relevant to your book. Then, you take the autofill suggestions and start compiling a list.
While this method can work, there are some glaring disadvantages. First, let’s talk about the time needed to perform this process. It can be a monumental undertaking. This method can take days, even weeks, to thoroughly complete. And maybe even longer if writing isn’t your full time focus.
Next, it’s hard to hit every possible keyword. There are so many different combinations of words and phrases you can use to describe your book. You’re bound to miss some. Probably some good ones too. It’s inevitable. But…Rocket can make this whole task so much easier.
In order to make Rocket work for you, simply type your keyword into the Keyword Search function and an entire list will be populated for you in seconds. Afterwords, just export the list and type in another relevant topic. You can easily build a viable keyword list in just minutes!
Choosing Keywords that Actually Pay
So now that Publisher Rocket has given you a great list of keywords… It’s time to choose the ones that will actually bring you paying customers.
You are going to have to do a little analysis by monitoring trends. You need to choose keywords that are actually producing sales for the authors currently using them.
Before we get into how Publisher Rocket can do this for you, let’s do it the old-fashioned way.
Head over to Amazon with your list of potential keywords and search for one. Once the results arrive, you need to examine the ABSR of the top three results. The ABSR (Amazon Bestseller Rank) is where a particular book stands within the rankings of all of Amazon’s books.
After you get the ABSR, you need to head over to an ABSR calculator and input the rank you received. This particular ABSR calculator gives you the estimated average daily sales for that ABSR. Jot this value down, then rinse and repeat for each keyword.
Like the previous process of locating keywords, this is another long task. But here’s how Publisher Rocket can make things easier for you.
When you do your initial keyword search, you have the option to analyze each individual keyword. And that will provide you with a slew of pertinent info including:
- The number of competitors for that keyword
- The average monthly earnings of that keyword
- Estimated Google Searches per Month
- Estimated Amazon Searches per Month
- The Competitive Score (how hard it is to rank for that keyword)
With Publisher Rocket on your side, you can turn a daunting task into a relatively quick and easy process.
But what about AMS Ad Keywords?
You may not realize this, but AMS keywords are a whole different animal than standard Amazon keywords. For example, unless J.K Rowling is reading this (If so, I’m honored!), your book will never rank organically for the keyword “Harry Potter.” At least nowhere near the top. But you can run an ad targeted at that keyword and get in front of the people who search for it.
Ad keywords can include author names, book titles, and other specialized search terms. But finding the best AMS keywords can be tricky.
Thankfully, Publisher Rocket helps to streamline AMS keyword selection. Just enter your parent topic into the search function, and you will be rewarded with a list of awesome AMS keyword suggestions.
For instance, if you’re marketing a Sci Fi book, a cool keyword you could target is “Books like Ready, Player One.”
Or, to explain it from a very different angle, if you’re a food writer selling an Instant Pot cookbook, Rocket could help you identify less obvious keywords such as:
- Instant Pot Cookbook for beginners
- instant Pot cookbook with pictures
- Instant Pot cookbook for two
As a heads-up though… The Art of AMS Keywords is one easily learned, but difficult to master. So if you’re looking for a crash course in the basics of AMS (or a nice refresher) check out this FREE AMS ADS COURSE. It’s taught by Dave Chesson, the creator of Publisher Rocket.
Choosing the Right Keywords with Publisher Rocket
The importance of choosing the right keywords for your Amazon publishing cannot be understated. That’s why it pays to have a reliable tool to help you make efficient and sound keyword decisions.
And Publisher Rocket allows you to do just that.
Honestly, Rocket is a great option for all authors using Amazon as a publishing platform–especially for those with limited time or those new to self-publishing.
(For those new to self-publishing, these courses may provide some extra guidance.)
Just remember, the ever-growing book market is a competitive one. Using tools such as Publisher Rocket can help to give you that razor sharp edge you need to compete.