Book Metadata Basics
What is Book Metadata?
Book metadata are the words and phrases used to describe a book. Examples of basic book metadata include the book title, the author name, or the ISBN. Book metadata might also include the author’s bio, a description of the book, or the publication date. Keywords that describe the book can also be considered a form of metadata.
Book Metadata – What Is It Used For?
Internet search engines such as Google or Bing use metadata to connect searchers with content and products. In other words, search engines zero in on keywords and phrases in the metadata, matching them to the keywords typed into the Internet search.
As a consequence, book metadata directly impacts book sales. A 2016 Nielsen study titled The Importance of Metadata for Discoverability and Sales found that books that carry descriptive metadata elements such as keywords or book descriptions sell better than books without these metadata elements. In fact, “titles meeting the ONIX Compliance requirements see average sales over 100% higher than titles do not meet that standard.”
Clearly, book metadata is important. So how do you create good book metadata? Read about that in the next instalment of the series “How to Create Good Book Metadata.”
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