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The purpose of Book Bolt’s Book Scout module is to help sellers do a reverse ASIN search for a particular book title. It helps them figure out what keywords best-selling titles are actually ranking for in order to get in front of an audience.
Before you dive into Book Scout
From the outset, it should be noted that the Book Scout module only supports KDP books. To determine whether a book is actually KDP or independently published, a seller should look at the publisher of a title. It should either say that the book is “independently published” or published under the “CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.” Anything else means the book is not a KDP book.
Since Book Scout does a reverse ASIN search, a seller first needs to access a no- or low-content book’s ASIN. This can be done via the Products search or via the Cloud module.
ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number. It is a 10-digit number that is unique to every no- and low-content book sold on the platform as well as for general product identification. It is used by both sellers and customers to help them identify products.
How to use Book Scout
The best way to use Book Scout is to first go to the Cloud or Products module on Book Bolt to identify a niche or particular book that might be of interest. Once a suitable book is chosen, you need to copy its ASIN and go back to Book Scout. Next, copy the ASIN in the field and hit “Search”. The results for that particular book will pop up.
Note: When you click on “Search”, and you’re looking at a book that hasn’t been looked up recently, it may take a bit longer for the results to show up since the software is doing a lot of checks in the background. For books that have been looked up recently, it shouldn’t take too long at all.
Book Scout’s results will be the following.
You will see an image of the product, its title, the description, and all the keywords that the seller has used. These results can be sorted by rank from a drop-down menu.
In the table on the left-hand side, you’ll see the keywords, followed by their rank (which is sortable). You’ll also see the total items count (how many products are listed on Amazon for each one of these keywords). And finally, you’ll see the monthly search volume on Amazon for each keyword. You will be able to scroll down to see the various keywords used and how they rank overall.
When selecting keywords, you need to pick out those that not only make the most sense, but which also have the best chance of selling through your own design. You can then use these keywords in your title and description for your listing.
Why and when should you use Book Scout?
Book Scout is possibly the best tool on the market to uncover the keywords used by a seller in their listings. It is an invaluable instrument for intelligence gathering when doing competitor analysis.
The importance of figuring out which keywords to use cannot be overstated. Keywords are the words that customers type in to look for products on Amazon. Subsequently, the Amazon search engine algorithm brings back results to help customers find what they are looking for. The more specific your keyword usage, the higher your chances of being found easily and quickly in a rather busy marketplace.
In addition to this, by using Book Scout, you can also gauge the competition (by looking at the total items count) and search volume for a particular keyword. This is crucial in enabling you to choose the winning keywords for your own listings. Remember to always strive for low-competition keywords with high search volume. This correlation will help you determine which niches to enter, and which ones to avoid.
You should use Book Scout whenever you have found a no- or low-content book listing that you’re competing with or which is in the category of products you’d like to enter. This way, by exploring the keywords used by other sellers, you can jump on a niche using targeted keywords.
How Book Scout can help you optimize your listing - looking at a practical example
Listing optimization is essential if you want to get in front of customers. The better your listing is optimized, the higher the chances of your product being found and appearing in a customer’s search results. By doing a reverse ASIN search on Book Scout, you’ll be able to see which keywords are ranking and for which position.
For example, a keyword that ranks at number one with a total item count in the tens of thousands means there are quite a few items already being sold on Amazon for that keyword. You would have to conduct careful analysis of whether you’re able to compete with all these items or whether you’re better off venturing into a different niche altogether.
Remember to always look at the search volume for a particular keyword. The word “organizer”, for example, yields a search volume in the millions with tens of thousands of items offered. The latter may seem like a high number but it actually isn’t when compared to the search volume for this keyword.
Therefore, Book Scout is a great tool to help you figure out which keywords to use, whether you should pursue a certain niche, and how you can use these keywords in your title and description to help you optimize your listing.