In publishing, we’re always chasing better outcomes—more visibility, stronger sales, and longer lifespans for the books we bring to market. In my experience, one of the most powerful, under-leveraged tools we have in that process is metadata.

I’m not just talking about clean ONIX files or hitting minimum compliance standards (though those do matter). I’m talking about using metadata as a true go-to-market strategy. When you use metadata intentionally, as a way to boost discoverability and drive conversions, you move the sales needle in real, measurable ways. The data backs this up.

Why Metadata Matters

Let’s start with the obvious: Good metadata helps you sell more books. And I don’t just mean a little more. Studies have shown:

• Titles with just the basic metadata—ISBN, title, format, BISAC code, and pub date—sell 75% more than those missing that foundational info.
• For fiction, that number jumps to 170%.
• Titles with a complete bibliographic record sell, on average, twice as much as those without.
• Books with metadata made available to retailers at least 16 weeks ahead of publication sell 44% more than those released later.
• And let’s not forget that 70% of US book sales are from backlist titles, which means we need to think long-term about the metadata we’re putting out there now.

So, the takeaway is simple: Metadata has a direct and proven impact on your sales. If you want to sell more books, your metadata must be part of the plan—and it has to be in place early.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Metadata

Metadata does two things. First, it makes your book visible—this is what I call Book Exposure Optimization (BEO). Second, it convinces someone who’s found your book to actually click that buy button—that’s Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO).

Retailers like Amazon are looking at both BEO and CRO. If consumers never click on your book in search results, then your book will continue to be downranked. If your metadata drives discoverability but no one’s buying, your sales rank will drop. However, if you have both solid discoverability and a consistent conversion rate, then the search algorithms will surface your book more, and the sales rank will increase.

The 5 Metadata Elements That Matter Most

Over the years, we’ve seen consistent trends in which metadata elements have the most impact. These are the five I recommend focusing on first, both when you are developing your go-to-market strategy and when you are trying to pump up your backlist:

1. Subject Categories (BISAC)

This is where discoverability begins. Users search by category far more often than we think, and studies have shown that genre is even more important than author name, reviews, or even recommendations when it comes to purchasing decisions.

Some best practices when picking subject categories:

• Use three subject categories for every title.
• Lead with the most specific category—never one that ends in “General.”
• Don’t mix audiences (e.g., Adult vs. YA vs. Juvenile).

It is also helpful to check your book’s category performance on Amazon. If your book is buried in a crowded or irrelevant category, changing to another category can sometimes help. However, it is important to always ensure the categories you pick are relevant to the book’s contents.

2. Book Descriptions

This is CRO in action. Nielsen found that books with long descriptions (200-500 words) saw 144% higher sales than those with only short descriptions, and 17% of buyers in another study said the description was the reason they made a purchase.

Some tips:

• Aim for at least 200 words, but feel free to go longer, up to 500 words. For reference, Amazon has a 4,000-character limit in their description field.
• Include a bold headline or hook at the top. Some publishers use a quote from an important review or endorsement, but don’t add more than one.
• Keep it current. Outdated references and quotes in your description can make your book seem older than the content actually is.
• Use simple HTML (bold, italics, and lists), but don’t go overboard.

For Amazon, I also recommend adding A+ Content to your product page. A+ is like a book description on steroids, and Amazon says that A+ Content is proven to boost conversion by 3%-10%. You don’t have to go crazy or spend a ton of time making this content; just a simple banner created in Canva is often enough to make a difference.

3. Author Biographies

Like descriptions, a good author bio can help readers connect with your book.

• Keep it between 200 and 500 words. Some publishers keep this information too short, but you don’t have to share what the author had for dinner last night, either.
• Update regularly—if your author changed jobs, wrote another important book, or passed away, the bio should reflect that.
• Maintain bios both at the contact and the title level—different retailers pull from different sources.

4. Images

Images impact both book exposure and conversion rate. A book with only a cover image has been shown to sell 51% more than a book without one, but additional images (interior shots, back cover, and promo graphics) can push that even further.

Importantly, Amazon rewards titles with multiple images by ranking them higher, so adding at least one additional image is a great idea. However, a good rule of thumb is to aim for even as many as five to six images per title if possible. Just make sure you follow the other published guidelines and restrictions on image content.

5. Keywords

I put keywords at the end of this list, but they really are the most important metadata you can provide, especially when it comes to Book Exposure Optimization. Keywords are invisible to consumers but essential for retailer search engines—especially Amazon’s.

Because they are invisible to consumers, keywords don’t have to be human-readable, However, they do need to use your audience’s language. To write good keywords, first learn how your audience talks about your book or other similar titles. Look at consumer reviews on NetGalley and Amazon and try to get a feel for how your audience thinks and talks, then use that same language in your keywords.

A few additional best practices:

• Provide at least 30 distinct keywords or phrases, but feel free to add more if you are able.
• Focus on the first 200-250 characters (that’s Amazon’s sweet spot).
• Avoid repeating the same word too often. If you have “Japanese cooking” and “Japanese farm-to-table” you can drop the second “Japanese” and Amazon’s search algorithm will still derive that phrase from what you have provided.
• Change keywords periodically. You don’t have to change them every month, but making some changes occasionally, especially when sales are already trending up, can have a beneficial impact on your discoverability.

A final note: Don’t rely on your title or subtitle to carry your keywords. That practice, called keyword stuffing, can cause major headaches in the book supply chain, and it’s not actually necessary. Amazon indexes the title, author, BISAC, and keywords in their search algorithm, so keyword stuffing is unnecessary. (By the way, this also means that Amazon does not use your book description for feeding the search algorithm, so there’s no need to stuff that with keywords, either.)

Closing Thoughts

Metadata shouldn’t be an afterthought. It’s not just a tech requirement or a task for the data team. It’s a strategic asset—and one of the most cost-effective ways you can influence discoverability and sales.

If you’re serious about getting your books into the hands of readers, metadata must be a big part of your go-to-market plan. Build it early. Revisit it often. And use it intentionally. It’s one of the sharpest tools in your publishing toolbox.

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