PDFs are essential to digital content sharing on websites. They are versatile, user-friendly, and provide a unique reading experience that is not possible with regular web pages. However, website owners must optimise their PDF files to ensure they are search engine friendly, user-friendly, and accessible to everyone. Here are some tips to help you optimise your PDF files:
1. Optimise the PDF's Filename
The filename of your PDF file is an essential element of SEO. To optimise it, you should use a descriptive and relevant name that includes your target keywords. To implement this, rename the PDF file on your server to a name that fits your target keywords. Then, update any links or references to the PDF file on your website to reflect the new filename.
<a href="/pdfs/my-ebook.pdf" title="My Ebook" download="My Ebook.pdf">Download My Ebook</a>In the example above, "my-ebook.pdf" has been renamed to "My Ebook.pdf", which is more descriptive and includes the target keyword "ebook".
2. Optimise the PDF's Title
The title of your PDF file is another crucial element of SEO. It should be descriptive, concise, and accurately reflect the content of the PDF file. Additionally, it should include your target keywords to help search engines understand the file's content.
To implement this, add a title attribute to any links or references to the PDF file on your website. This attribute should include a descriptive and keyword-rich title that accurately reflects the content of the PDF file. For example:
<head><title>My Website | Home</title></head><br />
<body> <a href="/pdfs/my-ebook.pdf" title="Download My Ebook - Free Ebook on Digital Marketing">Download My Ebook</a> </body>In the example above, the title attribute for the link to the PDF file includes a descriptive and keyword-rich title that accurately reflects the content of the file.
3. Include Alt Text for PDF links
Alt text is an important element of web accessibility and SEO. It provides a description of the content of an image or link for users who cannot see it and also helps search engines understand the page's content.
Add an alt attribute to any image or link representing the PDF file to implement this. This attribute should include a brief description of the content of the PDF file. For example:
<a href="/pdfs/digital-marketing-ebook.pdf" title="Download Free Digital Marketing Ebook - Learn the Basics of SEO, Social Media Marketing, and More!"><img src="/images/download-icon.png" alt="Download Free Digital Marketing Ebook" /></a>In the example above, an image representing the PDF file has been added to the page, and alt text has been added to describe the content of the file.
4. Use Descriptive Anchor Text
Anchor text is a critical component of SEO, providing context for search engines to understand the linked page's content. To optimise your PDF file links, use descriptive and keyword-rich anchor text that accurately reflects the content of the PDF file. Avoid generic or vague anchor text like "click here". This will help search engines understand the link's relevance and improve your PDF file's visibility in search results.
To implement this, use descriptive and keyword-rich anchor text for any links to your PDF file. For example:
<a href="/pdfs/digital-marketing-ebook.pdf" title="Download Free Digital Marketing Ebook - Learn the Basics of SEO, and More!">Download Ebook</a>In the example above, the anchor text for the link to the PDF file includes a descriptive and keyword-rich description of the content of the file.
5. Use PDF Metadata
PDF files contain metadata that provides additional information about the file, including its author, title, and keywords. This metadata can help search engines understand the file's content and improve its visibility in search results.
To implement this, you can use software such as Adobe Acrobat or online tools such as PDF-XChange Editor to set the metadata for your PDF files. Open the PDF file in the software and edit the metadata fields to include relevant information about the file.
6. Provide a Transcript or Summary
Providing a transcript or summary of the content of your PDF file on the webpage can improve its visibility in search results in several ways. First, search engines can crawl the text on the webpage and use it to understand the PDF file's content better. This can help the PDF file rank higher in search results for relevant keywords.
Additionally, providing a transcript or summary can make the content of the PDF file more accessible to users. Some users prefer reading the webpage content instead of downloading and opening the PDF file. By providing a summary or transcript, you can ensure that these users still have access to the information they need.
<body></p>
<h1>My Ebook</h1>
<p>This is a free ebook on digital marketing. Download it today to learn more about SEO, social media marketing, and more!</p>
<p><a href="/pdfs/my-ebook.pdf" title="Download My Ebook - Free Ebook on Digital Marketing">Download My Ebook</a></p>
<h2>Ebook Summary</h2>
<p>Learn the basics of digital marketing with this free ebook. Topics covered include:</p>
<ul>
<li>SEO</li>
<li>Social Media Marketing</li>
<li>Email Marketing</li>
</ul>
<p></body>7. Ensure PDFs are Crawlable
You should follow several best practices to ensure that your PDF files are crawlable by search engines. First, it's important to use text-based PDFs instead of image-based PDFs. Text-based PDFs are created from text files and are easily readable by search engines. In contrast, image-based PDFs are created from images and can be more difficult for search engines to crawl.
8. Avoid Using Passwords
It's important to refrain from using password-protected PDFs since they are designed to restrict access to the content, making it challenging or impossible for search engines to crawl and index the content. If you need to limit access to your PDF file, consider using other methods, such as a login system or content gating, rather than password protection. That way, you can ensure that your PDF files are accessible to search engines, helping to scan their content.