Rare Book Monthly
Articles - December - 2006 Issue
Google/Froogle: Is This Any Place To Sell Books?
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While it certainly makes sense to be visible to internet searches, whether through your own or a cooperative listing site, there is nothing wrong with being visible through multiple sites. One point that has confused many booksellers is the apparent randomness with which their listings on a site show up or don't show up in Google searches. Google's algorithms are all very secretive, so we cannot give a definitive explanation for this phenomenon. However, their formula is complex, meaning that being on the largest site won't guarantee the highest ranking results in all cases. Google is also looking for the site's relevance to the matter at hand. If your book is listed on a site more heavily listed with similar books, that site may provide the highest position in Google. Therefore, being listed on multiple sites may not serve so much to "stuff" the search engine's results page with multiple listings of your book as to make sure at least one listing makes it to the results. However, this said, the material that is most likely to be found through an internet search is the uncommon, the book that finds few matches, so we would recommend that you make sure your material is listed on at least one site that Google can search. Search a few of your more obscure titles on Google and Froogle to see whether your books are making the grade.
For those looking to get their books into internet searches, AE's Books For Sale will list as many of your books as you wish for the price of an "Octavo" membership - $240 per year. We suggest listing your better material, but not filling up pages with small value common material. You may also accomplish the same goal through listing material on your own site, or several of the other listing sites. Books For Sale does not charge any commissions, and sends leads directly to you (by email or phone). Check with other sites for their policies. Just be sure to make your listings accessible to the millions and millions of people who don't know the listing sites, but do know the search engines.
