Selling more books on Amazon in less time

Having your book released on Amazon is a dream come true for many. And those who succeed in achieving this dream, still lag behind and end up not getting the appreciation they deserved. Reason? It is a lack of experience and knowledge on how Amazon works and there are ways through which you can successfully take your book to the heights of success and popularity.

The mantra to get fame and success on Amazon lies in optimizing the Amazon algorithm. Do not feel intimidated by the term algorithm as it will become a cakewalk by the end of this blog. You can make most of the amazon algorithm simply by following five easy steps, explained in detail below. First, let’s try to gain a little perspective on what an algorithm is and how you can use it in your favor.

Cracking Amazon Algorithm!

The simplest way of describing algorithms is, by learning that their main purpose is to serve the customers and simplify their search for products they need. The algorithm works by narrowing down the recommendations pertaining to the product searched by the customer. The relevant recommendations are made by processing the data input. The data input is nothing but all the information related to a product, for example in the case of books it will be keywords, genres, reviews, sales rank, and browsing activity. The more the algorithm finds data related to a particular book or a product, the more likely it will include it in the recommendations of customers. Which indirectly impacts its chances of being purchased.

Hence, we can make algorithms work for us by giving them everything needed to make our book appear in as many recommendations as possible. Now let’s look into the details, of how you can optimize Amazon’s algorithm.

Do not take your book description lightly – The most comprehensive data input you are providing to Amazon’s algorithm is hidden in your book’s description. Your book description should be meticulously written, comprising all the major details regarding your book. All the major details imperative for ideal data input can be further divided into:

Laurels – If your book has been felicitated with any awards or is the new bestseller underdog. Do not shy away from mentioning it in the book description. You tag your book with all the other bestsellers available on Amazon and make it recurrent in recommendations.

Focus on the language – The book description is an introduction to your book and first impressions can be a deal breaker. Make sure you stay creative with the language and write in a way that compels readers to buy and read your work. Do not give away the plot of the story but frame it in a way that evokes curiosity and interest.

Be careful about the keywords – As important as they are, it is equally important to have your book associated with the right keywords. Especially, the genres as they help the algorithm filter books to a specific category. Avoid spoilers, and reveal information good enough to excite curiosity in the reader’s mind.

Be thorough about category and keywords – The category forms the base for your book by enlisting it in similar book searches. Usually, you have to pick two genres that resemble your book the most. Be very specific with choosing a genre as mentioning your sci-fi under the romantic genre would divert the right audience. You can also use a tool offered by Kindle named, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) set on your account.

Optimizing keywords can be made easy by swapping places with readers and thinking about what would attract you if you were in their place. There are basically two sets of keywords that make the algorithm work in your favor.

The first category is of the main kind, which is associated with the subject matter. The importance of main keywords can be emphasized by the fact that they appear in URL and link Google search results with the Amazon page of your Book. You also have the option of using free tools like KW Finder which shortlist all the best keywords specific to your book.

Another category of keywords is Amazon specific which is directly connected to Amazon’s algorithm. Limit your title to seven keywords and use five types of terms recommended by Amazon. The terms are setting, character types, character roles, plot theme, and story tone.

Power of reviews – There is no doubt that a product with good ratings and reviews quite easily gains our trust. Having an access to other people’s experiences with similar products fills customers with confidence. The same is true for book reviews. They act as an important data input for the algorithm as well. Contrary, to the norms good rating, is less beneficial than a number of reviews. Here the quantity outshines the quality.

To have a good amount of reviews on your book you can’t always wait for the readers to do the work. You can take the charge and increase your reviews with two simple methods.

The first method is to ask the reader which you can personally mail all your faithful readers to drop feedback on Amazon. Besides this, you can always leave a link to your book’s Amazon page in the eBook for easy access to all the readers.

Another, unpopular method of adding reviews is Advance reader copy. In this, you give away a copy of your book before its release among all your faithful readers and ask them to leave a review. This is an excellent way of building a strong foundation of trust among your new readers. You can add these reviews in the description on your Amazon page on the release of your book.

Prioritize, your author’s page – An Amazon page of the book without an author’s description can be off-putting. Update an author’s page, describing how long have you been writing and what inspires you to write. It will form a good impression among potential readers and also show how seriously you take your work.

A professional photo on your page is another good way of showing sincerity for work. Do mention all the books written by you, as some readers might not be aware of that. You can try book trailers when are currently in the trend. They are an excellent marketing gimmick and garner a lot of new readers. Ask readers to click follow button as it will automatically inform all the followers about any of your new releases or other updates. Link your social media accounts and website information on the page as it helps readers to stay connected.

Having your name in the URL can go a long way in garnering potential readers. The name in the URL makes your Amazon page linked with Google search results and directs readers to your page.

Keep a check on Sales and downloads of books – A crucial data input besides all the above-mentioned points is downloads and sales rank. How much customers interact with your page and how many among them buy your book has a direct impact on the algorithm.

Have an excellent marketing strategy to drive more and more readers to your page. You can give away free copies of your book and keep its downloading option available. More readers will buy or download your book, and more data input will be driven.

Through strategic marketing of your book, it will start appearing in also-

Bought section, which substantially increases its exposure. Your book will start showing up in the top charts in no time with consistent efforts. Amazon ranks books according to their popularity and that is what your aim should be.

Optimizing Amazon’s algorithm and making your book a hit takes patience and consistent efforts. Have patience and work smart to sell more books on Amazon in less time.