Ep 138: How to Choose Best Kindle Keywords for Your Book (Guide for Indie Authors) (2025)

Write the Damn Book Already

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!

There are more than 42 million books on Amazon right now. So how in the world do you help your book stand out? One word: keywords.

Think of keywords as Amazon’s GPS. They tell the algorithm exactly where your book belongs and who should see it. However, Amazon only gives you seven keyword boxes to work with. Seven! Which means every slot has to pull its weight.

In this episode, I walk you through how to make those keywords work harder for you. We cover:

• Why those “optional” keyword boxes are actually non-negotiable if you want readers to find you.
• The difference between broad, hopelessly crowded terms (like romance or personal growth) and the kind of long-tail keywords that actually connect you to the right readers.
• Simple (and sometimes free) ways to research what your audience is really typing into Amazon.
• Paid (but not ghastly expensive) tools that can save you time if you want to dig deeper.
• How to maximize all 50 characters in each slot.
• The big no-nos: other authors’ names, book titles, quotation marks (all off-limits).

🎉 NOW OPEN - AMAZON ADS FOR INDIE AUTHORS!

Access the first 6 modules of my newest course FOR FREE and see if the full course is right for you right here:

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/freetrial

Get the first draft of your nonfiction or memoir written in 33 days!
...even if you don't have a cabin in the wilderness, 4 uninterrupted hours a day to write, or confidence that you're a "real" writer. No overwhelm, no confusion. Just simple, actionable steps.

👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook
Support the show

Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry.
Available wherever podcasts are available:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube

Let's Connect!
Instagram
Website

Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] com
The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.
To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

فصول

1. Introduction to Book Keywords (00:00:00)

2. Why Keywords Matter for Discovery (00:04:30)

3. How to Research Effective Keywords (00:08:19)

4. Common Keyword Mistakes to Avoid (00:14:19)

5. Aligning Keywords Across Platforms (00:20:54)

6. Free Resources and Next Steps (00:29:25)