As every online business or company will tell you these days, SEO is now one of the essential techniques in online marketing. SEO involves implementing high-volume, high-quality keywords within written content to fulfill search engine algorithms’ requirements to improve page rankings. By following the best practices, you can get more traffic to your website and increase your chances of getting to the first page on SERPs.
If you are consistently publishing eBooks, understanding how you can use SEO with your eBooks will allow you to reach your desired target audience. After all, eBooks provide you the perfect way to funnel your content and show your audience that you are legitimate as an author and an expert in your niche. They are also an excellent lead magnet. Without further delay, let’s take a look at some of the ways you can incorporate SEO into your eBooks and increase their visibility on the internet.
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Know about keywords
When it comes to SEO for your eBooks, the process is the same as any other online content type. It involves effectively using the right keywords to improve search engine rankings. Using high-quality keywords in your eBook descriptions and titles are a few little things that can make a big difference in your rankings. You might have the best-looking eBook in the world, which you created using the best eBook creator software and design tips. But what good will it do if people aren’t able to discover it on search engines?
When you brainstorm keywords, look at them from the reader’s perspective. What would someone type into the search bar to find an eBook such as yours? For example, suppose you wrote an eBook that is about parenting. In that case, some essential keywords will include ‘parenting,’ ‘parenting eBook,’ and much more. The best possible thing you can do is search for eBooks similar to yours and see the results that come forth. You will have a better idea of what keywords will be suitable for the type of content you are putting out.
Effective keyword placement
As far as keyword placement inside your eBook goes, there are a few locations to keep in mind. Your eBook title, description, and subtitle. However, that does not mean you go crazy and use tons of keywords wherever you want. Google’s algorithms can quickly scan keyword overuse, which will end up decreasing your search engine ranking. As a rule of thumb, only use five keywords per hundred words, spacing them out evenly throughout your content.
If you are trying to sell your eBook on Amazon, you can take advantage of back-end search fields. It is a place where you can go berserk and include as many keywords as you want; of course, they should be relevant to your eBook’s content. Other keyword usage tips to keep in mind are;
- not distinguish between plural and singular nouns,
- lower-case and upper-case doesn’t matter,
- avoid punctuation
- and utilizing hyphens instead of reusing the same keywords.
Not all search engines are the same
Google is continuously evolving, and so are its search algorithms. They remain top secret, and users will never know how to outsmart them to increase their website’s or eBook’s ranking. On top of that, the introduction of Google Panda and Google Penguin algorithm makes it even harder. Black hat SEO practices such as keyword flooding are of no use anymore. Google gives preference to the quality of keywords used rather than the quantity. It is also increasing the number of paid search results (Google Adwords), making it more difficult for organic search results to reach in front of users.
However, Google is not the only key player in town when it comes to eBooks. As an eBook publisher, you should consider looking into other search engines that are relevant to eBooks. Some of these include social media platforms such as Reddit, Itunes, or Amazon. Other search engines that will allow you to reach your target audience include Yahoo, Bing, and Ask.com.
Improve your eBook’s readability
While talking about your eBook’s readability, it doesn’t only pertain to it being well-written. Sure, it should be well-written so people can understand its content. However, it should be easily accessible as well. The more easily people can access and view your eBook on their devices, the more they will like it and recommend it to others. So, it is of the utmost importance that you make your eBook readable and accessible to every type of smart device without utilizing any third party or paid software. After all, nobody likes to buy an eBook and then spend more money on purchasing software so that they can view it. When talking about viewing it online, ensure that you optimize it so that people can do it on every type of internet browser or mobile device without any difficulty.
Optimize for social media
As every search engine competes to deliver content to everyone worldwide, they also look for signs of relevance and influence from social media platforms. So, social shares on Twitter and Facebook, for instance, can add credibility to your eBooks. For example, suppose you compete against someone with an eBook as good and well-optimized as yours. In that case, the decision will come down to how many shares and likes it has on these social media platforms. The more shares and likes it has, the higher its perceived accuracy and authority. And thus, the higher it’s ranking, whether Google, Yahoo, or Bing. Some social media SEO best practices to consider include;
- using embedded sharing buttons in your eBook content and webpage,
- tagging social sharing URLs
- and utilizing the social media platforms that your target audience is on.
Conclusion
Utilizing SEO best practices in your eBook and its content will increase the chances of its organic sales. We know that the quality of content is always crucial to any eBook. However, what’s the purpose of creating such quality content if people will not download it. If you optimize your eBook beforehand, you won’t need any fancy paid marketing strategies to increase engagement and downloads.
Neha Nidhi
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