Amazon KDP is CHANGING - New Algorithm Explained
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Sean discusses the recent changes in Amazon's algorithm and how past strategies for ranking books are now obsolete. He emphasizes the importance of consistent sales over a longer period, using relevant keywords, and obtaining genuine reviews to improve visibility. Sean also highlights the need to bring external traffic to Amazon and to focus on customer satisfaction to ensure higher rankings. He shares insights from his journey with Amazon KDP and offers advice for publishers to adapt to these changes and succeed.
Takeaways
- 🔍 The Amazon algorithm has evolved, rendering old strategies less effective.
- 🚀 Prior strategies like launching with a burst of sales over a short period are now outdated.
- 📉 Keyword stuffing, once a common practice, is now discouraged and can lead to account suspension.
- 🚫 Fake reviews, which used to boost rankings, are now actively removed by Amazon, and using them can result in penalties.
- 📈 Current successful strategies include maintaining consistent sales over a longer period, such as 30 days, to establish a strong ranking.
- 🔑 Focusing on fewer but more relevant keywords in metadata helps Amazon accurately understand and rank the book's content.
- ✅ Prioritizing genuine, verified reviews enhances credibility and signals to Amazon that the book is of high quality.
- 📊 Improving the rate of reviews per sale indicates customer satisfaction, which positively influences rankings.
- 🌐 Driving external traffic to Amazon through social media or email lists is beneficial as it introduces new customers to the platform.
- 🛡️ Amazon's algorithm updates aim to combat spam and manipulation, emphasizing the importance of quality and customer satisfaction.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video script?
-The main focus of the video script is to discuss the changes in the Amazon algorithm and how they impact book rankings and sales on Amazon KDP. It also provides strategies to take advantage of these changes to increase sales and rankings.
Why are the old strategies for Amazon KDP becoming ineffective?
-The old strategies for Amazon KDP are becoming ineffective because Amazon's algorithm has evolved, making short-term tactics and spammy practices less effective. Amazon is focusing more on long-term, consistent sales and quality content to provide a better customer experience.
What was a common strategy in the past for boosting book sales on Amazon KDP?
-A common strategy in the past for boosting book sales was to have a big boost of sales during a short period of launch, usually within 24 to 72 hours, by stacking all possible promotions and getting as many sales and reviews as possible.
Why does keyword stuffing no longer work for Amazon KDP?
-Keyword stuffing no longer works because Amazon has become better at identifying irrelevant or spammy keywords, and it can lead to account suspension for metadata manipulation. The focus should be on fewer but more relevant keywords to avoid confusion and improve ranking.
What is the current strategy for getting better rankings on Amazon KDP?
-The current strategy for better rankings involves maintaining consistent sales over a longer period, using fewer but more relevant keywords, obtaining real and verified reviews, and bringing in external traffic to Amazon.
How does Amazon's focus on customer experience influence its algorithm changes?
-Amazon's focus on customer experience influences its algorithm changes by prioritizing books that have consistent sales, relevant keywords, and real reviews, as these factors indicate that customers are satisfied with the product, leading to a better overall experience.
What is the significance of the first 30 days for a new book on Amazon KDP according to the script?
-The first 30 days are considered the critical ranking period for a new book on Amazon KDP. During this time, the focus should be on consistent sales and rankings rather than immediate profitability.
Why is it important to have a high rate of reviews per sale on Amazon KDP?
-A high rate of reviews per sale is important because it signals to Amazon that customers are satisfied with the book, which can lead to better rankings. It also helps to build trust and credibility with potential buyers.
What role does external traffic play in the success of a book on Amazon KDP?
-External traffic plays a significant role as it brings new customers to Amazon, which Amazon rewards by potentially ranking the book higher. It also serves as a strong signal to the algorithm that the book is in demand.
What is the 'customer-first' publishing approach mentioned in the script?
-The 'customer-first' publishing approach is a mindset where publishers prioritize creating high-quality books that customers will enjoy and find valuable. This approach aligns with Amazon's focus on customer satisfaction and can lead to better rankings and sales.
Outlines
🔍 Navigating the Evolving Amazon Algorithm
The video discusses the changes in the Amazon algorithm that have rendered previous strategies ineffective. Sean, the channel host, emphasizes the need to adapt to new strategies to succeed on Amazon KDP. He shares his journey from being broke to becoming a millionaire through Amazon KDP, highlighting the significant shift in the algorithm's ranking process since 2016. The video promises to reveal the latest algorithm changes and how to capitalize on them for increased earnings. Sean critiques old strategies like launching with a burst of sales, keyword stuffing, and obtaining fake reviews, explaining why they no longer work and can even lead to account suspension.
📈 Strategies for Success in the New Amazon Landscape
This section outlines the new strategies that are effective in the current Amazon algorithm. It suggests focusing on consistent sales over a longer period, such as the first 30 days post-launch, to establish a strong ranking. The video advises against keyword stuffing and recommends targeting one to two main keywords for better visibility and ranking. It also stresses the importance of obtaining verified reviews to signal to Amazon that the book is of high quality and well-received. Additionally, the video encourages publishers to drive external traffic to Amazon to demonstrate the book's appeal to a broader audience, which Amazon rewards with higher rankings.
🛠️ Prioritizing Quality and Customer Satisfaction
The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of prioritizing customer satisfaction over shortcuts and loopholes. It discusses Amazon's focus on combating spam and manipulation by promoting quality content and authentic customer experiences. The video suggests that publishers should reflect on whether their practices are beneficial to customers or merely convenient for themselves. It argues that high-quality books that customers enjoy will naturally receive better rankings on Amazon. The video concludes by promoting Sean's Amazon KDP program, which offers guidance on producing and marketing high-quality books, and invites viewers to apply for a strategy session to learn more.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Amazon Algorithm
💡BSR (Best Sellers Rank)
💡Keyword Stuffing
💡Fake Reviews
💡Verified Reviews
💡Consistent Sales
💡External Traffic
💡Customer Experience
💡Quality Over Quantity
💡Customer-First Publishing
Highlights
Amazon's algorithm is evolving, rendering old strategies ineffective.
The video will explain new algorithm changes and how to capitalize on them for increased earnings.
Sean, the channel host, became a millionaire at 26 through Amazon KDP, not through YouTube or course sales.
Amazon KDP's algorithm has changed significantly since 2016, affecting the way books rank on the platform.
Old strategies like launching with a surge of sales over a short period are no longer effective.
Keyword stuffing is now counterproductive and can lead to account suspension.
Amazon has improved its ability to detect and remove fake reviews, making this old tactic obsolete.
New strategies involve maintaining consistent sales over a longer period, such as the first 30 days.
Using fewer but more relevant keywords in metadata is now beneficial for better ranking.
Focusing on obtaining real, verified reviews improves the book's credibility and ranking.
Increasing the rate of reviews per sale signals to Amazon that customers are satisfied with the book.
Bringing external traffic to Amazon through social media or email lists is rewarded by the algorithm.
Amazon's changes aim to combat spam and manipulation, ensuring a better customer experience.
The key to future-proofing in algorithm changes is understanding Amazon's focus on customer satisfaction.
Publishers should adopt a 'customer first' approach, prioritizing quality over shortcuts for long-term success.
Sean offers a program for those interested in learning how to produce and market high-quality books on Amazon KDP.
Transcripts
the Amazon algorithm is changing and the
strategies that worked a few years ago
is quickly becoming ineffective and if
you keep following the same old
strategies and you'll just waste your
time and money so in this video I'll
show you exactly what the new Amazon
algorithm changes are and how you can
take advantage of it so you can make
more money so if you're new to the
channel my name is Sean and I went from
a brok kid to becoming a millionaire at
age 26 from Amazon KDP doing this
business not from making YouTube videos
not from selling courses from actually
doing this business so in this channnel
I just Shar with you what I learned from
my own publishing Journey so I started
Amazon KDP in 2016 and the way the
Amazon algorithm work has completely
changed the process of ranking on page
one on top of your keyword is way
different than back in 2016 so what
exactly is this change well first let's
talk about what worked before what were
the strategies that were taught from
other people and what was working before
so number one thing that was working
before is having a big boost of sales
during a short period of launch so what
people would do is they would get as
many as possible during a very short
period so we're talking 72 hours or less
right usually 24 to 72 hours which is 1
to 3 days they will have a huge launch
period within this period so what they
will do is they will stack all the
promotions that they can in this period
from their email list promo sites as
literally everything right and they will
get as many sales and reviews as
possible they will achieve a very low
bssr telling Amazon that this book is in
demand it's popular and that was enough
to rank the book very high in the
algorithm but unfortunately this doesn't
work now another strategy people often
did was keyword stuffing so they will
put as many keyword as possible in their
title in their subtitle in their seven
backend keywords in their description
literally everywhere in the meta data
now based on these keywords that people
spammed in their books Amazon basically
saw that all right this book is about
this topic because of all these keywords
that are ranking now based on these
keywords that people put in their books
uh Amazon automatically ranked their
books in those keywords so they had a
very high visibility because they were
ranking in a bunch of keywords now once
again this doesn't work and in fact now
if you try to do this if you try to
keyword stuff uh in your title in your
metadata you could actually lose your
account because Amazon considers this as
spamming right they consider this as
metadata manipulation another thing
people did often is getting fake reviews
so getting a ton of fake reviews boosted
the book ranking right because it's
another signal that Amazon looks for uh
besides getting sales but now Amazon is
really really good at deleting fake
reviews they're really good at
identifying what is a fake review what
is a real review so not only does this
strategy not work but once again it's
obviously against the guideline so you
can you know lose your account if you do
this right this is actually a very good
change because for those of us uh who do
things the right way right getting
reviews a legit way it was actually very
hard to compete with people who got a
bunch of fake reviews so back in the
days it was kind of tough competing with
these people but now Amazon is making it
harder for those people you know trying
to do this so now if you're doing things
the legit way you have an an advantage
so those were the strategies that worked
to rank their books on top of page one
and from there obviously once it's
ranked on page one you get a lot more
organic sales and people made money that
way right so that was the whole strategy
but obviously that doesn't work so let's
talk about what works now the first one
is longer period of consistent sales so
instead of getting a big boost of sales
over a very short period like 1 to 3
days that Fizzles out quick right
basically after the 1 to 3 days the
sales just dies because your launch ends
instead of doing that you want to aim
for more consistent sales over a longer
period of time so instead of one three
days launch period you want to kind of
look at your first 30 days as basically
the launch and ranking period so the way
we teach our students in our program is
that the first 30 days is really your
ranking period you want to focus on
ranking from month two you obviously
want to focus on profitability you can
profit from month one a lot of us do it
but you still want to have this mindset
that month one is really for ranking
Okay the reason why is because the
longer you can maintain a low BSR the
stickier it gets on top of page one so
I'll explain more about why Amazon made
these changes uh later in this video but
basically you want to keep Gathering
sales and maintain a low BSR for a
longer period of time which means that
you will have to Market your book more
now compared to before the next thing
that's working right now is having less
but more relevant keywords in your
metadata so instead of keyword stuffing
a bunch of keywords in your title
subtitle description seven backend
keywords you want to aim to try and rank
in one to two main keywords and not a
bunch of irrelevant ones okay what this
does is this helps Amazon understand
your book topic and rank you easier
keyword stuffing actually leads to
confusion because when you put a bunch
of keywords in your title in your
subtitle that's not even related to your
uh book then Amazon would just get
confused on what your book is about
right and they will have a harder time
to rank your book in those keywords a
good example is let's say you have a
book on vegan recipes right vegan
cookbook and you put a bunch of
irrelevant keywords like paleo diet
ketogenic diet uh in your title then
Amazon will not know if your book is
about vegan diet is it about paleo diet
is it about ketogenic diet and instead
of ranking in all those keywords it's
not going to rank you in any because you
created confusion the Amazon algorithm
bot has to know exactly what your book
is about and you do that by
communicating to the algorithm very
clearly what your book is about which is
just really focusing on the main
keywords that you have next one is
obviously getting real reviews so you
want to focus on verified reviews which
means people actually purchase your book
or people actually download your book
and then leave a review yes you can get
unverified reviews uh which means that
people don't have to buy your book and
they can still leave a review but that
has a much lower ranking Factor much
weaker ranking Factor than getting
actual verified reviews so you also want
to focus on improving the rate of
reviews per sale so what I mean by this
is let's say that you get get 100
purchases on your book and you get one
review so your rate of review per sale
is 1% right if you can increase this
right this tells Amazon that customers
actually like the book I do notice a
little bit of connection between my book
that gets a lot of reviews quick
organically and the ranking obviously so
the question is how do you improve the
rate of review per sale well you have to
put yourself in the customer shoes and
think what would make the customers want
to leave a review more obviously if you
ask for it right asking for it in the
book definitely helps but you also just
want to have a good product because if
you actually solve the problems that the
customers are looking for the reason why
they buy books especially non-fiction
books or you know if you're doing low
content medium content you know they're
trying to learn something like or
they're trying to teach their kids
something entertain themsel whatever the
purpose of buying the book is you have
to solve that by actually providing that
in your book right having a good quality
book if you do that the customers are
way more likely to leave a review
because you solve their problem so it
really just comes back to having a high
quality book and the next one is getting
external sales so you want to try and
bring external traffic into Amazon so
what I mean by this is instead of just
relying on organic traffic you know
customers who are already in Amazon if
you can bring customers from outside
Amazon into Amazon like from social
media or running ads outside of Amazon
like Facebook ads Google ads right
Google ads is kind of expensive and I
don't hear a lot of people doing Google
ads but Facebook ads is definitely
something people do also if you have
your own email list that is bringing
people outside of Amazon into Amazon and
Amazon actually loves this because
you're giving them new customers right
getting people into Amazon so Amazon
will reward you for bringing new
customers in and rank your book higher
it's also just a good signal to send to
Amazon so this is the most important
thing that you have to understand and
that is why Amazon is making this change
because if you understand this concept
then you will basically futureproof
yourself in any new algorithm changes
that may happen so the reason why Amazon
is making this change always always
always comes back to just combating Spam
and manipulation because people always
try and find loopholes people always try
and find ways to shortcut the process
right so Amazon is dealing with a flood
of low quality low content books because
the past couple years low content
publishing especially just pumping out
generic journals and planners just blew
up as a business model right so Amazon
had to deal with that a flood of low
content books and now they have to deal
with a flood of lowquality AI books
right and those books are trying to rank
using these short-term tactics and that
was not good because it led to these
books ranking on page one customers
buying it and they do not like it
because it's low quality and they have a
negative experience which they kind of
associated with Amazon Amazon obviously
does not want that so that's why they
are making you as a publisher uh show
consistent sales over a longer period of
time because that is something that a
lot of these spammers lowquality book
spammers cannot do because they don't
have an audience they don't know
marketing right plus by having
consistent sales over a longer period of
time it shows Amazon that customers
actually like the book you know it's not
something that you can really mimic with
short-term loophole tactics right the
next one is relevant keywords in your
book right it's less confusing to the
customer customer is not going to buy a
coloring book thinking it's something
else because you added irrelevant
keywords getting disappointed and having
a bad customer experience you know you
will avoid that by doing this okay also
getting real reviews too because the
customers do not feel tricked you know
by buying a book with a bunch of fake
positive reviews only to discover that
the book sucks so Bottom Line This is
the biggest thing that you have to
understand Amazon does not care about
you okay they don't care about you as a
publisher all they care about is the
customer giving the customer the best
experience they can have okay so what
you do as a publisher should ref reflect
what is best for the customer not what
is easy not what is this you know
shortterm loopholes that you found you
should do what is best for the customer
so everything you do in your business
you should really stop and think is this
good for the customer or is it just you
know easy for me like when I just copy
paste generic AI generated coloring
books you know with a bunch of gray
scale it's not even a coloring page
right is this good for the customer
would customer actually enjoy this or is
it good for me because it's easy I can
just Spam this this right and hopefully
I can make a couple bucks so that's a
thought process you should be having so
this is what I call customer first
publishing always think would the
customer like this if they do then
Amazon will like it too okay if the
customer likes it Amazon will like it
and they will rank your book higher So
based on this do you really think
customers actually enjoy these
Publishers spamming 100 low content
books with the exact same interior but
just changing up the book cover do you
think they will enjoy that probably not
right what about if you spam 100% AI
written crap with very very surface
level information would the customer
enjoy it probably not right what about
publishing grayscale coloring pages that
is impossible to color no they're not
going to enjoy it so publishing low
content books or using AI is not the
issue right I actually use AI myself I
actually enjoy publishing low content
books myself the real issue is the
shortcuts people take the lack of focus
on quality that people have so always
focus on producing high quality books
that people actually enjoy and if you do
so Amazon will reward you for it and if
you want to learn how to actually
produce these high quality books that
gets real Five Star reviews using Ai and
how to actually Market it to make money
then you can check out my Amazon KDP
program in the description below you can
only join by applying in the link below
and we do a free strategy session with
you and if we determine that this is a
good fit for both of us then that's how
you can join so if you want to check it
out the link is in the description below
as well as all the tools and resources
that I recommend for your publishing
business if you enjoyed the video leave
a like subscribe thanks for watching and
I'll see you guys in the next one
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