Amazon gives you seven keyword fields with fifty characters each. Most authors waste them. Understanding how the search algorithm processes keywords changes everything.
How Keywords Work
Amazon treats your seven fields as a pool of individual words combined with your title, subtitle, and category. Word order does not matter. Repeating a word across fields is wasted space.
The Zero-Repetition System
Each word appears exactly once across all seven fields. Spaces only, no commas. Fifty characters max per field. At least one English field for cross-language discovery.
Using AI
AI breaks down Publisher Rocket phrases into words, removes duplicates, sorts by frequency, and distributes optimally across seven fields.
Indexing vs Ranking
Keywords get you indexed. Ranking depends on sales, reviews, and click-through rates. Keywords are the foundation.
Common Mistakes
Commas break parsing. Generic words waste space. All fields in one language misses cross-language discovery.
The Complete System
For ten real examples across six languages, worksheets, and a quick-reference card, see KDP Keywords Cheat Sheet from IndiePress Toolkit.