People laugh at the fact that Columbus is noted for “discovering” the Americas. However, if your ebook isn’t discoverable by search engines, people will laugh at your sales results too. Getting Google to notice your ebook is simply a matter of optimizing its metadata so the search giant’s web crawlers can find it. However, the importance of this extends beyond search engines. Think of other places shoppers look for books online such as ebook stores, library catalogs and review sites.
The Importance of Keywords
Keywords are phrases or individual words people type into search engines when they’re looking for information relevant to a particular topic. Google actually provides a keyword research tool to help you find the ones most relevant to the subject of your ebook. If you already have some ideas, you can also test them using Google’s AdWords keyword tool.
Where to Place Them
Search engines tend to favor titles and subheadings when they’re crawling the web looking for relevant material to display in response to a search query. As you’re learning how to sell ebooks online, keep in mind adding your keywords to tags to subheadings will make the search engine stop and take a look. Most content management systems give you the ability to designate subheads, within which you can place your keywords. You should also incorporate your most relevant keyword(s) within the first 100 words of copy you employ to describe your ebook—following the subhead. Text closest to the top of the page is deemed the most significant by search engines. Content management systems also ask for classification information. Listing the categories in which you feel your book falls makes it easier for search engines to find.
Acquiring In-Bound Links
The tricky part is getting other sites to link to the site at which your ebook is described and offered for sale. Public directories are a good place to start. These serve as indices for various parts of the web. Getting your book listed on the appropriate ones will get you links back to your book’s webpage. To accomplish this, you have to think in terms of giving rather than getting.
Submit excerpts from your book to serve as free articles for various sites of relevant interest. You can also offer these as guest posts for bloggers. Social networks and forums are great for planting links to your book. Just be careful to ensure they make sense to the people who frequent the venues you choose. Offer a reciprocal link deal to publishers of relevant sites as well as testimonials if they will allow you to include a link back to your site.
Comment on articles you see that relate to your book, burying a link within your comment. Be careful to avoid sites set up to provide link exchanges. Search engines tend to get irritated when they think you’re trying to play them in this manner.
Use Keyword Links
Embedding keywords in your links will also help search engines return a higher ranking for your book. Let’s say your most relevant keywords are “getting Google to notice your eBook”. Rather than writing; “Click here to get Google to notice your ebook,” linking the phrase “click here”; write, “Getting Google to notice your ebook is simply a matter of…”, linking the phrase “Getting Google to notice your ebook”. Applying these principles to your marketing efforts will help you attract more attention to your work. It’s pretty simple once you know how to do it. But it does require a bit of work.
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