5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Author SEO
It’s easy to get bogged down in all the intricacies of search engine optimization (SEO). All the articles are really long, full of technical jargon, and honestly seem like too much work. I get it! Nobody wants to spend their precious free time working on something boring.
I’m Kaitlin, a fiction editor who spent three years as a copywriter for an SEO specialist. SEO strategy is complicated, but it doesn’t have to be all-consuming.
Keep reading for five easy and actionable ways you can improve your author SEO! I promise that you can tackle all of them in an afternoon.
Before You Get Started
Why is SEO so important? Well, the higher you rank in search engines, the more eyes you will have on your books! Quite simply, a high SEO score gives you traffic, which expands your audience. It can help you build your email list and get your books in the hands of more readers.
However, there’s no point in working on your SEO strategy if you don't have solid keywords and keyword phrases nailed down.
Think of keywords as similar to hashtags on Instagram. If you use #creative NO ONE is going to see your post because it will be buried under the millions of other posts utilizing that hashtag. If you use #creativeauthortechniques your post will be more visible because that is a low-competition hashtag. You want keywords that are considered low-competition so you can rank on the first page of Google.
(Have you ever clicked to page two of Google search engine results? Yeah, same. Showing up on page two isn't going to move the needle for you.)
You aren't a well-known brand (yet!), so focus on your specific niche when searching for keywords and keyword phrases. An easy way to learn about the keywords that may work for you is by doing a little market research. Hop on over to the websites of other authors in your genre and make a list of what they seem to be using.
Google those keyword phrases and see what pops up in the first few search results. If all your results are major books or brands, you need to get more specific. (Ubersuggest is a great free option if you'd like to do keyword research!)
For example, the phrase “cozy mystery” is considered a high-competition keyword. It’s not a good choice because, while a lot of people search for it, a lot of other more established websites are using it. “Seaside cozy mystery” is more niche and is considered a low-competition keyword.
Here’s another example: “books like Fourth Wing” is high-competition, but the keyword phrase “dragon romantasy” is low-competition. Sometimes you have to play around with the keyword tools until you find the phrases that are right for your books and your brand.
Once you’ve got a good handle on your keywords, start tackling each item on the list below to improve your author SEO.
1. Adjust Your Headings
Google crawls though a lot of data to rank websites. It gives more preference to content with keyword-rich headings.
Your H1 heading should be your name. You could incorporate a keyword into this as long as it appears natural. For example: “Dragon Romantasy Bestselling Author YOUR NAME” could work.
Your H2 and H3 headings can be more specific to your series, books, or genre. I suggest giving each of your books an H2 heading so it can be easily found by Google. Underneath, place a keyword-rich description one line description of the book as an H3 heading. Then use normal text for your book blurb and reviews, making sure to sprinkle your keywords throughout.
2. Fix Your Alt-Text
Alt-text is what Google uses to understand what an image is on your author website. It’s also essential for people who use screen readers.
Here are some tips to help you optimize your alt-text:
DO have an alt-text description for every image on your website.
DO use your keywords in your alt-text.
DO make each alt-text description unique and descriptive.
DO write each alt-text in your natural voice.
DON’T try to put a list of your keywords as your alt-text. This is called keyword stuffing and Google recognizes it. It will lower your SEO score!
3. Gain Backlinks
Backlinks are when another website links back to yours.
These are important because they tell search engines that other people think you have quality content—it’s like sending a testimonial straight to Google.
The more quality backlinks you have, the more Google will want to recommend your website to searchers.
Here are three ways you can get them:
Submit your book to reviewers or book blogs.
Guest on a podcast.
Do a newsletter swap with another author.
Something to remember: If a blog is reviewing your book and links to your Amazon sales page, you won’t get any backlinks. If a podcast posts about you in the show notes and links to your Instagram instead of your website, you won’t get any backlinks. See where I’m going with this?
Request that any person featuring you or your books links back to your website! This way, you get the credit from Google and you can start to improve your author SEO.
(Yes, linking to an Amazon purchase page may convert a few sales, but it won’t help you long-term. People who are interested in your books are smart enough to click a purchase link you have on your website.)
4. Be Wary of “Link Tools”
Don’t use Linktree or other third-party linking apps in your Instagram bio.
This can actually hurt your SEO ranking! It’s tempting to put all relevant links in one place—I get it! But utilizing a service that isn’t from your website means that all the clicks you get from your Linktree (or similar tool) don't count toward your SEO ranking.
Search engines like Google place value on referral content, so if people are coming to your website via Linktree, Linktree is the website that is getting higher ranking scores from Google. That’s not going to improve your author SEO.
I suggest creating a page on your website that functions like a Linktree, with all relevant links listed out. If that isn’t possible for you, just use your website as your only link.
5. Utilize Keywords in Your Instagram Bio
Yes, keywords are important on Instagram! People have begun to use social media platforms as pseudo-search engines, so strategically placing your keywords in your bio can help improve your author SEO. The algorithm will also be more likely to push your content to new accounts if it knows a little about who you are and what you do (i.e. the information it can gather from your keywords).
I suggest placing a keyword in the bolded line of your bio (typically reserved for names). Try and naturally work a keyword into one of your bio lines as well.
These simple changes will help Instagram refine who sees your content and who may be interested in it.
Are You Ready to Improve Your Author SEO?
SEO for authors doesn’t have to be complicated. Making a few small adjustments can make a big impact on your search ranking.
