What are keywords, and how can they help you sell more books? As book purchasing and discovery increasingly moves online, judicious use of keywords can help make your book more visible to readers. Learn how to choose and use keywords for your book product metadata – join us for an online webinar where we’ll review the just-published BISG Best Practices for Keywords in Metadata. Join Jenny Bullough, Manager of Digital Assets at Harlequin Press and Chair of BISG's Keywords Working Group, and Julie Morris, BISG's Project Manager of Standards and Best Practices, as they explain why keywords should be used, how to choose the best keywords for your content, what to avoid when making that choice, and some best practices for structuring and updating keywords in ONIX, and more.

2. Available as a free PDF download from www.bisg.org/publications

3. Jenny Bullough, Chair, Harlequin Enterprises
Tod Bookless, Amazon.com
Connie Harbison, Baker & Taylor, Inc.
Caroline Hayes, Barnes and Noble
Julie Morris, BISG
Neha Thanki, BookNet Canada
Tom Richardson, BookNet Canada
Rebecca Albani, Bowker
Ralph Coviello, Bowker
Renee Register, DataCurate LLC
Marianne Nebel, Disney Publishing Worldwide
Graham Bell, EDItEUR
Martha Moore, Firebrand Technologies
Chris Saynor, GiantChair
Kate Brown, Hachette Book Group USA
Rena Kornbluh, Hachette Book Group USA
Miriam Parker, Hachette Book Group USA
Sara Sheehan, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Wendell Lotz, Ingram Content Group
Frank McDermott, John Wiley & Sons
Deborah Darrock, Kaplan
Michael Walters, Kensington Publishing Corp.
Charles Hart, Kensington Publishing Corp.
Patricia Simoes, Kobo
Camilla Williams, Library of Congress
David Williamson, Library of Congress
Clark Fife, Macmillan
Julie Blattberg, Open Road Integrated Media
Yonah Hirschman, Pearson
Mary Leif, Pearson
Karen Mitchell, Penguin Random House
Laurel Stokes, Penguin Random House
Jessica Wells, Penguin Random House
Aimee Boyer, Simon and Schuster
Steven Deluca, Simon and Schuster
Suzanne Donahue, Simon and Schuster
Stephanie Lewis, Sourcebooks
Maureen Whelan, United States Government
Printing Office
Katelyn Mirabelli, W.W. Norton

4. Jenny Bullough Julie Morris

5. What are keywords?
Why use keywords?
How to use keywords
◦ Choose
◦ Structure
◦ Place
◦ Update
Pop quiz!
Tools
Questions

6. A word or phrase that describes the content or
theme of a book product that is
1) relevant to the work; and
2) used to supplement the title, subtitle, author
name, description, subject code, and other
consumer-facing display data

7. Photo: Wisegeek.org

8. Online search has become more central to
book discovery
When browsing or searching online, can’t rely
on knowledgeable clerk or librarian – must
rely on search algorithms

11. Most major retailers use algorithms that pull
from title, cover copy, first-chapter excerpt,
subject codes – keywords can help refine
search results even further
Increase the likelihood that a book may be
found by consumers using keyword searches
within search engines and on retailer
websites

12. Keywords are not required data, but can be
used to supplement other metadata supplied
by publishers
Can callout elements of the book that are not
included in the title, highlight particular
content eg gluten-free breakfast

13. When the consumer’s search term is jargon,
very new, distinctive, or specific; for example:
Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and
Other Musings (BISAC Subject: HUMOR / Form
/ Parodies)
Possible keywords: Will Ferrell; Anchorman;
movies

14. When the consumer does not know the exact
title or author of a book, and the title may be
very different from the themes; for example:
Orr: My Story (BISAC Subject: BIOGRAPHY &
AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Sports)
Possible Keywords: ice hockey; Boston Bruins;
Chicago Blackhawks; NHL

15. To retrieve records that may be classified
outside of a specific BISAC subject, but include
the subject in which the consumer is interested;
for example:
Making Toast: A Family Story (BISAC Subject:
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Personal
Memoirs)
Possible Keywords: widowers; grandparents;
grief; caring for children; domestic life;
alternative family

16. As consumers do not use BISAC subject
classification, search terms can be considered
synonymous with (or inclusive within) the BISAC
subject heading; for example:
Etiquette for Dummies (BISAC Subject:
REFERENCE / Etiquette)
Possible Keywords: manners; behavior;
grooming; dress; social situations

17. If a commonly known subject term is not
referred to anywhere else in the metadata; for
example:
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge: A Royal
Souvenir (BISAC Subject: BIOGRAPHY &
AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Royalty)
Possible Keywords: Kate Middleton; Prince
William; Prince George; royal family

18. To point consumers to another author or title to
which the work at hand is directly related, such
as a sequel or companion that is written by
another author; for example:
Eliza’s Daughter (BISAC Subject: FICTION /
Historical)
Possible Keywords: Jane Austen; Sense &
Sensibility; John Willoughby

19. Choose unique keywords
Keywords should be used to supplement (but
not duplicate) words or phrases included
within other ONIX data points
Variety improves discoverability
Use your space wisely
For example, for a title set in New York, a
more specific location, such as Hell’s Kitchen,
could be used in the keywords

20. Choose consumer-oriented keywords
Offer alternative phrases, synonyms, or
refinements to other metadata, using
consumer-oriented language
Consider all of the words and phrases that
consumers might use to search for a book
For example, for a title with World War II as
the setting or context (either fiction or non-
fiction), a set of keywords might include the
following phrases, among others: World War
2, Second World War, WWII

21. Choose relevant keywords
Keywords should be chosen because of their
ability to describe a book’s content
Referencing an unrelated work or author to
increase search results should be avoided
For example, publishers should use their best
judgment as to whether keywords such as
“Downton Abbey” are in fact relevant to their
works

22. Single words and multiple-word phrases of 2
to 5 words are acceptable
Cases in which there are legitimate spelling
variations of an important word (for example,
“Hanukkah,” “Chanukah,” and “Chanukkah”),
or cases where there are commonly
misspelled words and names, may be useful
Use as many synonyms as are appropriate

23. The maximum number of characters in the
Keywords field recommended by this
document, including punctuation and
delimiters, is 500
Because there is no current standard practice
among downstream partners on the limit to
number of keywords accepted or utilized,
keywords should be ordered based on priority

24. While it is a general best practice to avoid
using punctuation within keyword phrases,
some punctuation may be unavoidable in
phrasing
For example, there are some hyphenated
words users might employ (award-winner)
Limit special characters (such as “&”)

25. Spaces are acceptable within phrases
Semicolons, rather than commas, should be
used as delimiters, in order to accommodate
phrases
It is a best practice not to include spaces
following the semicolon delimiter

26. Keywords may be supplied in the Additional
Subject composite. Use multiple keywords
that are expressed as a single string of
independent words or keyword phrases.
Publishers should avoid using the Main
Subject composite to supply keywords
because this composite describes a single
subject value, while keywords are used to
describe multiple subject values.

27. ONIX 2.1 Example

28. ONIX 3.0 Example

29. Keywords should be sent with ONIX records
within six months leading up to publication,
and updated, as needed, with new or more
appropriate keywords after publication
As keywords are developed and decided
upon, they should be added, removed, or
changed in ONIX, as necessary, and ONIX
records re-supplied

30. It is a best practice to update the entire
keyword field in ONIX whenever a keyword is
added, removed, or changed within a
keyword string
Downstream trading partners should update
keywords whenever new information is
received

31. Updating keywords to include prize winning
information
Title: Boomerang Bride
Author: Fiona Lowe
BISAC Subject Heading: FIC027020
Romance/Contemporary
Original keywords:
wedding;Wyoming;bride;jilted bride
Updated keywords: RUBY Award winner;RITA
award winner;wedding;Wyoming, bride;jilted
bride

32. Updating keywords to include newly popular
search terms used by readers
Title: Rush Me
Author: Allison Parr
BISAC Subject Heading: FIC027240
Romance/New Adult
Original keywords: football;NFL;New York;high
school reunion
Updated keywords: sports romance;football;
NFL;New York;high school reunion

33. Title: A Dance with Dragons
Author: George R. R. Martin
Series: Song of Ice and Fire (Book 5)
BISAC Subject Headings: FIC009020;
FIC002000; FIC028010
Keywords: Game of Thrones;kingdoms;kings;
magic;dragons;HBO series;medieval;saga;
Targaryen

34. Title: Grain Brain
Subtitle: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs,
and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers
Author: David Perlmutter
BISAC Subject Headings: HEA017000; HEA039140;
HEA039110; HEA000000
Keywords: Alzheimers;Gluten-free;Celiac;Celiac
disease;auto-immune disease;memory loss;wheat
allergy;gluten allergy;brain
health;neurology;nutrition;weight
loss;migraines;What is gluten;What is gluten-free

35. Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
BISAC Subject Categories: JUV028000;
JUV039030; JUV039060
Keywords: Th1rteen R3asons Why;death
aftermath;death;friendship;peer pressure;teen
gossip;adolescent depression; suicide

36. Which of these keywords should NOT be used?
Title: Mira In the Present Tense
Author: Sita Brahmachari
Possible Keywords: coming of age; death;
coping with loss; jewish teen fiction; young
adult fiction; Fault In Our Stars; family

37. Which of these keywords should NOT be used?
Title: Mira In the Present Tense
Author: Sita Brahmachari
Possible Keywords: coming of age; death;
coping with loss; jewish teen fiction; young
adult fiction; Fault In Our Stars; family

38. Which of these keywords should NOT be used?
Title: Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Author: Thomas Piketty
Possible Keywords: New York Times bestseller;
NYTimes best-seller; best-selling; inequality;
wealth inequality; economy; Karl Marx;
economic history

39. Which of these keywords should NOT be used?
Title: Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Author: Thomas Piketty
Possible Keywords: New York Times bestseller;
NYTimes best-seller; best-selling; inequality;
wealth inequality; economy; Karl Marx;
economic history

40. Which of these keywords should NOT be used?
Title: The Goldfinch: A Novel
Author: Donna Tartt
Possible Keywords: literary novel; underground
artwork; The Goldfinch; Pulitzer Prize winner;
art mystery

41. Which of these keywords should NOT be used?
Title: The Goldfinch: A Novel
Author: Donna Tartt
Possible Keywords: literary novel; underground
artwork; The Goldfinch; Pulitzer Prize winner;
art mystery

42. Which of these keywords should NOT be used?
Title: Hard Choices
Author: Hillary Rodham Clinton
Possible Keywords: female politician; first lady
biography; Secretary of State; women&politics;
women in US politics

43. Which of these keywords should NOT be used?
Title: Hard Choices
Author: Hillary Rodham Clinton
Possible Keywords: female politician; first lady
biography; Secretary of State; women&politics;
women in US politics

44. Need help choosing keywords? Try some of these
tools!
Google AdWords Keyword Planner (Replaced
Google Keyword Tool in 2013.)
◦ www.google.com/AdWords
Bing Keyword Research Tool
◦ http://www.bing.com/toolbox/keywords
Google Trends
◦ http://www.google.com/trends/
Open Refine (Formerly Google Refine)
◦ http://openrefine.org/
Google Ngram Viewer (Google Books)
◦ https://books.google.com/ngrams