What's best - PDF and SEO?

[KidsBeeHappy]

What is the best (or least worst) way to use a PDF for SEO purposes.

To embed the PDF into the page,

or

To create a link to a PDF document?

Many thanks
Sandra

[DotNetWebs]

I don't claim to be an SEO expert but I do find a lot of search engine referrals to .PDFs on our site.

For example looking through our stats one day revealed a lot of Italian words I didn't recognise. It turns out the where due to items on the menu on this page:

Strada Horsham (http://www.visithorsham.co.uk/Business/Strada.aspx)

As well as text links I also link .PDFs via an image like this:

Taxis Horsham (http://www.visithorsham.co.uk/Business/Horsham_247_Cars.aspx)

I think if you were actively using them as part of an SEO campaign you may want to include a link back to your site from within the .PDF (otherwise they will reach the end of the road if the search engine takes them straight to the .pdf)

Regards

Dotty

[justinmarch]

The way that makes the most sense to your site visitor.

[KidsBeeHappy]

The way that makes the most sense to your site visitor.


Well embedding the pdf would just give them a link to a webpage with the pdf embedded (as an image?).

And linking to a PDf document is just a link to a document that opens as a webpage.

So, I'm guessing that it makes no difference from the visitors perspective.
That's why i'm onto the SEO differences between the two.

[DotNetWebs]

...So, I'm guessing that it makes no difference from the visitors perspective...

Depending on the technology they are using I think it can make a big difference:

The reason I choose to link rather than directly embed is that embedding may prevent the rest of the page from being viewed.

If the browser is slow to load up the plug-in (or the code it uses to render the .pdf) the user might just click the back button.

Also mobile devices haven't always got the capability to display .PDFs so you make make the entire page unavailable to some mobile users.

From a usability point of view I am not a fan of loading up .PDFs without giving the user some warning first.

Regards

Dotty

[justinmarch]

I think it would make a difference...

Do you think that the PDF's are going to be printed by your site visitors, if so embedding a PDF may make this more difficult for them.

What do the PDF's contain and why are they important to your visitors?

[KidsBeeHappy]

The PDF is a specific offer issued by one of our partners that is relevant to a new online tracking and POD service that we are introducing to customers. But we need to ensure that the couriers have access to all the right equipment, and that's what the PDA is about;

http://www.boxby.co.uk/documents/podfather_2009o2_offer.pdf

[DotNetWebs]

...that's what the PDA is about;

http://www.boxby.co.uk/documents/podfather_2009o2_offer.pdf

The 'PODFather' lol!

That would be quite straightforward to reproduce in HTML. Assuming you have permission; why you not create an HTML version and offer the .PDF download as well?

You would get the best of both worlds then.

Regards

Dotty

[awebapart.com]

Personally, if I wanted the pdf SEO'd, I wouldn't embed but rather provide a normal link to it. My reason for this? Because I see plenty of examples where normal linked pdfs are picked up by google, and I haven't seen an example yet where an embedded one has been picked up. This is not to say that google wont pick up an embedded pdf, and perhaps I've only seen linked pdfs picked up so far because most websites choose to link to pdfs rather than embed pdfs.

If you know of any websites with embedded pdfs, post a link here, and we can see whether the pdf if indexed.

If google does index both types, there might be slight differences in pagerank structure, and anchor text pass on, when linking rather than embedding.

SEO aside, from a visitor perspective, I personally prefer links to pdfs rather than embedded pdfs. Browser page embedding technology, especially underused embedding technology like pdf embedding (rather than Flash embedding) can be a bit flaky.

[justinmarch]

from a visitor perspective, I personally prefer links to pdfs rather than embedded pdfs.

That was my initial thought as well...

[QVA - Emma]

Create a keyword rich anchor text link to a PDF document with a relevant title (as with all seo'd pages) and wallah one indexable document with lots of keyword rich info.

And yes create hyperlinks back to your site/clients details etc.

Kind Regards

Emma

[KidsBeeHappy]

That would be quite straightforward to reproduce in HTML. Assuming you have permission; why you not create an HTML version and offer the .PDF download as well?

You would get the best of both worlds then.

Regards

Dotty


Eeeek! Now that's at the boundaries of my technical limits! :|