Metadata is simply information that is related to a book, such as author, ISBN, title, author biography, images and virtually any other piece of descriptive information. Traditionally, this information was used by publishers and their vendors; however, in the Internet age, book metadata has a new role. Rich, complete and abundant metadata helps buyers discover your books and learn more about them so that they are more likely to buy. Not having this information in even its most basic form means trouble from a marketing and distribution standpoint. Not having good metadata means selling fewer books.
Elements of Good Book Metadata
Book Metadata and SEO
There are two distinct types of metadata: data used for physical books and that used for the discovery of eBooks in a digital space. Whether you are selling eBooks online or physical books (or both), comprehensive metadata is important for SEO. As recently as February of 2012, over 73% of Americans used a search engine to discover something online. During any given day in 2012 more than half of Americans were using a search engine. In case you couldn’t tell, making your title discoverable in search is key to making sales, and SEO for your eBook can help make that happen. Book metadata that is complete, detailed and full of useful information ensures your title will get found and get purchased more often and more rapidly.
When search on the web first hit the scene, engines were not the highly intelligent logical giants that they have become today. Search algorithms relied heavily on signals that could be manipulated easily. It is estimated that Google alone has put more than 1,000 person-years into perfecting its own search algorithm, and other competitors are also very advanced. It is more important than ever for marketing books online to have rich metadata that search engines can latch onto and serve up to users looking for specific authors, titles, genres or other pieces of information that may relate to the content you have out on the market.
Making Your Book Metadata Stand Out
In the physical world, even without visual cues, we can often touch and hold objects that we plan to purchase. Books are no different, and in a virtual world, metadata acts as a placeholder for our senses that we would normally rely on to help us make decisions. When authors can provide as much data about their titles as possible, end users can make more informed decisions about the books they plan to purchase.
Have you seen a difference in providing more vs less metadata in terms of book sales online? How has metadata helped you market your books online? Be a part of the conversation by commenting below.