Most people or organizations post PDF files to communicate relevant information to online users. However, some people have never realized that PDFs are also indexed on the search engine just like the usual content.
Once you share your PDF on your website, you want your target audience to find it quickly, and the best way is to ensure it ranks high on the search engine. Below are tips to optimize your PDF files for SEO.
Optimize PDF File Size
Some PDF files can be huge, making them slow to load. That is why you need to optimize the file for speed on the web. Reduce the file size with a set of standard fonts such as times, symbols, and courier. Also, you can use vector-based images since they have good quality and small in size.
If you use other font sizes, your file will increase in size and decrease the loading speed. So, ensure you compress the PDF to load faster. This enables your target audience to download the file regardless of the devices used easily.
Additionally, ensure the file has subheadings, short paragraphs, and bullet lists to make it easy to read. Include fewer fonts and fewer font styles because any additional font makes the file bigger.
Use an SEO-Friendly Filename
When choosing a name for your PDF file, let it be rich with relevant and easy-search keywords. Choose trending keywords that resonate with your products or services. However, avoid using many words and try as much as possible to keep the word count to less than 70 characters. Also, separate the words using hyphens.
Use Text More than Images
Some people often think that including more images in a PDF helps. The truth is that search engines read text faster than images, and also, not all PDFs are text-based.
Therefore, ensure you include more text than images in the file. If you doubt whether your file is in image or text, try and copy it. If you can copy it, then the file is in text form. Fortunately, you can use Adobe Acrobat as your main PDF Editor to convert the image into text.
Include Relevant Links
When you include links from another site in your PDF file, the search engines will identify your file and an essential part of your website. This enables Google to index the file and include it in their search engine result pages.
You can also link from the file to your website to allow the search engines to skim it and optimize the file for easy access by your audience.
Track PDF Downloads
The best way to know if your PDF file is making an impact is to track and see how many people downloaded it through organic search. You can try to download it to see any hitches that your audiences could be facing. This can help you devise creative strategies to optimize your file for the search engine.
The Bottom Line
Using the tips above can help you ensure your PDF file ranks on the search engine. It will load and download faster. You want to give your users a seamless browsing experience and ensure your SEO campaigns are successful.