An explanation and behind-the-scenes look at creating keywords and categories for a book.
Imagine this: You’ve finished your book, your cover is ready, and your manuscript has been polished. But now Amazon asks for something you didn’t expect: keywords and categories.
Most authors don’t realize that keywords and categories are important choices when publishing their book. Keywords and categories determine who finds your book, how often it appears in searches, and whether it gets placed beside other titles readers already love. That’s where your keywords and categories expert comes in. In this post, we will take a peek behind the curtain into the process of one of our keywords and categories experts. But first, let’s define what keywords and categories mean.
What Are Keywords and Categories?
Keywords are specific words or phrases readers use to search for books. Let’s say you wrote a devotional book targeted toward Christian women. Think of words and phrases like “Christian women’s devotional,” “inspirational Bible studies,” and “faith and anxiety.” Categories are broader genres or topics that classify a book on specific platforms, such as Amazon Books. For the devotional, this could look like “Christian Living > Spiritual Growth > Devotional.”
When chosen intentionally, these elements tell online shoppers exactly where your book belongs and who it’s meant for. Without accurate keywords and categories, your beautifully written book can remain hidden from your target audience. Let’s meet one of the marketing specialists at Christian Editing & Design to understand more about the process of choosing the perfect keywords and categories.
Q&A With the Specialist
Question 1: What’s the biggest misconception authors have about keywords and categories?
“Most beginner authors who haven’t learned about keywords and categories assume they can come up with a few words that fit the theme of their book and call it a day. What they may not understand is that there is data to back up which keywords are highly searched and which aren’t. They’ll want to avoid words and phrases that are not highly searched; otherwise, their book might not get found.”
Question 2: How do you find the right keywords and categories for a book?
“There are a few ways one can research keywords and categories. For me, I’ve found it easier to use a software tool designed for self-published authors to help them research keywords, find profitable niches, and identify the best categories for their books. This tool specifically works for those who self-publish through Amazon.
“Before I can research keywords and categories, my first step is to read through the client’s book to understand the theme and important topics. Then I use my software tool to research different words and phrases. For keywords, the goal is to find words with a high search volume and low competition, and the software will give me statistics on my searches to ensure I’m picking the right ones for my clients. From there, I can pick categories in which those keywords fall. I also check those categories on Amazon to see what other types of books are available to ensure the client’s book fits in well.”
Question 3: Can you share an example of how changing keywords or categories made a noticeable difference for a book?
“I do a lot of keywords for Christian inspirational books. Let’s say the theme is keeping faith through grief and loss. A client might think a good key phrase would be ‘overcoming loss with faith.’ While this seems good in theory, I would first research this phrase to check the estimated monthly searches. I may find that this phrase doesn’t have enough searches. But a little rewording can go a long way. I find that the phrase ‘keeping faith during loss’ has a reasonable monthly search volume and is low competition. This is an example of how wording will make a noticeable difference for a book while keeping the author’s suggestions in mind.”
Question #4: What advice would you give authors who want to choose their own keywords?
“I would encourage authors to develop a strategy that works best for them. Don’t just pick random words that sound good, but do your own keyword research to see if those phrases are searched by others. You’d be surprised what you find! There are many ways you can go about keyword research. Examples include looking into downloadable software tools, finding ‘searches related to’ terms on Google, or even typing in broad keywords on Wikipedia related to your niche.”
Question #5: How does CED’s process make this easier for authors?
“Finding the right keywords and categories is a strategy that takes time, insight, and a trained eye. For authors who don’t have the time in their schedule, the marketing experts at Christian Editing & Design can take that weight off their shoulders. They study the book’s message, audience, and heart to select keywords and categories that give it maximum visibility and impact. You can trust that every detail is handled with the same excellence and intentionality that went into writing your book.”
Conclusion
After looking at the process, it’s clear that keywords and categories aren’t just technical publishing details. They are a bridge between your message and your readers. The right combination helps your title appear in relevant searches and reach your target audience. At the end of the day, the most beautifully written book can’t make an impact if readers can’t find it. The strategic selection of keywords and categories ensures your book doesn’t stay hidden but reaches the audience it was created for.
At Christian Editing & Design, we understand that discoverability is part of your book’s success story. Our marketing professionals work behind the scenes to guarantee every book we work with is positioned for maximum visibility and long-term growth. Connect with us today to begin the journey of editing and marketing your book.