Think like a reader, not an author
You know your book too well. A reader does not. They type short phrases that describe a problem, a mood or a genre: "slow burn romance", "keto meal plan for beginners", "kids bedtime story". Your job is to match those phrases.
Key takeaway: Write keywords as phrases a stranger would type, not as labels you would use.
Step 1: study books like yours
Search for five books a reader could buy instead of yours. Note which categories they appear in and what their titles and subtitles say. This tells you what the system already links to your topic.
Step 2: collect real search phrases
Type your topic into the Amazon search box and write down the suggestions it offers. These come from what people search for. Do not copy them blindly, but they show the language readers use.
Step 3: choose up to three categories
KDP lets you choose up to three categories. Pick the ones where your closest comparison books are listed. A category with fewer books can help you stand out, but only if readers who browse it would want your book.
Step 4: fill every keyword box
The KDP form shows seven keyword boxes. We have not confirmed the exact character limit on an official KDP page, so follow what the form allows. Fill every box with a different phrase, and do not repeat words from your title.
What to avoid
- Names of other authors or brands, which KDP does not allow.
- Claims such as "best" or "free", and anything about price.
- Misleading terms that do not match the book.
- One keyword stacked with ten synonyms.
A worked example
Suppose you have written a cozy mystery in which a baker solves crimes in a small town. Searching Amazon for "cozy mystery" and looking at the suggestions might give phrases such as "cozy mystery series", "small town mystery" and "culinary cozy mystery". The five closest books might sit in categories for cozy mysteries and for culinary mysteries.
From that research your seven keyword boxes could hold phrases such as:
- baker detective cozy mystery
- small town murder mystery series
- culinary cozy mystery books
- amateur sleuth mystery
Each phrase describes the book from a different angle. None repeats the title, and none names another author.
Weak and strong keywords
| Weak | Stronger | Why |
|---|---|---|
| mystery | cozy mystery with a baker detective | More specific, matches real searches |
| best book | small town murder mystery series | No claims, clear genre |
| Title words again | amateur sleuth mystery | Adds a new angle |
Review after a month
Once the book is live, wait. Check your sales and page reads, then change one keyword or one category at a time. If you change everything at once, you cannot tell which change helped. Keep a note of what you changed and the date.
Mistakes to avoid
- Choosing a huge category where the book will never be seen.
- Picking categories that do not describe the book, to chase a ranking.
- Repeating one word in all seven boxes.
- Using a series name as a keyword when the series has no readers yet.
Test and adjust
Run your list through the metadata checker for length and banned content. Once the book is live, change one thing at a time and wait before judging the result. For the sales page itself, see how to write a description, and for the title read the title and subtitle guide.
Check before you publish
KDP updates its metadata rules from time to time. Read the current guidelines on KDP's help page before you save.
