The Portable Document Format was released in 1993, and since then it has been one of the most common formats for creating and distributing documents on the web. Though these days the web brings us a myriad of easier-to-use and share alternatives, many businesses still rely on this file format when it comes to creating pricing lists, technical briefs and other docs. But do they get the most out of these docs in terms of search? Most PDF docs I happened to receive and edit were not optimized for the search engines. Considering PDFs as static files that have no SEO value is a common mistake many website owners make. Luckily, it can be easily fixed. The next time you decide create and publish a PDF file on your website, have this checklist in mind:
Size. It matters. Huge files can make your site run slower and scare away site visitors. If possible, split big files into smaller docs or enable the “Optimize for Fast Web View” option. This smart option will open your PDF page by page (loading one page at a time), rather than trying to open the whole file in one go.
Properties. When it comes to SEO, all boxes should be filled in. Go to the File->Document Properties->Title. It’s crucial, since the Title Property in PDF docs plays the same role as the HTML Title tag in our standard blog posts – it will be displayed on SERP. In case you leave this field empty, the search engine will simply generate its own title which may not be what you would choose. As for the meta description, it’s impossible to supply it for PDFs. However, in case you have a few optimized sentences near the start of your doc, chances are they will be displayed on SERP if these sentences correspond to the search term used.
Content. Treat your PDFs as blog posts: conduct keyword research, use subheadings, ensure your images include alt tags etc.
About PDF Converters
Though Portable Document Format or PDF does have its own benefits, it can be pretty annoying when you have no compatible software on your computer. Please raise your hand if you’ve ever received docs from customers, friends or family members and could not open them. If you’re tired of those pop-ups suggesting you download a compatibility suite, then you’ve come to the right place :). Meet PDF Burger, probably the easiest converting program.
It is a dead simple, 100% free to use web service allowing users to:
Convert files to PDF.
Combine files in different formats into a single PDF file (Word doc + JPG images for instance).
Convert web pages to PDF (just enter the URL and click the ‘Save to PDF’ button).
Convert PDFs to Microsoft Word format.
Convert PDFs to JPG.
This web-based program is incredibly easy-to-use and requires no registration. PDF Burger is the optimal solution for those who appreciate their time and need no extra features and add-ons, so you can unhesitatingly add it to your browser bookmarks. For more alternatives please read this Wikipedia article.
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