Optimizing PDF's

[PunkyLZ]

All,

I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to effectively optimize PDF files? I haven't been able to find a whole lot on this topic.

Thanks in advance!

[netbaldwin]

By optimize, are you referring to making the actual file a smaller size to load fast on websites?

If so, there is a program called "PDF Enhancer" that is supposed to work quite well. I have never attempted to use it myself.

http://www.apago.com/PDF_Enhancer

[eagent]

Originally Posted by PunkyLZ

All,

I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to effectively optimize PDF files? I haven't been able to find a whole lot on this topic.

Thanks in advance!

Hi PunkyLZ,

If you're looking to make your PDF files effective Search Engine magnets,
I've recently been doing some of that myself to expand my SE results using PRWeb (I attach optimized PDF's to the Press Releases, and let the SE's crawl the PDF's from there, as well as from my public folder on my web site).

Here's some inside skinny that I used as a response to a query on another SEO site:

Hi,
I just wanted the folks at Share Results to know that I've taken their PDF document and optimized it for Google and other SE's.
What did I do?
Simple:
1) Added active, crawlable links within the body of the PDF, including:
-The Logo (goes to About Us of the ShareResults.com web site)
-The URL on the bottom (to ShareResults.com home page)
-The Info Mail link below the URL

2) Added Keywords to the document properties

3) Added a cogent Title phrase (not the absolute best one, but good, and in alignment with the ShareResults web site content and positioning).

4) Added additional info in properties to lead a viewer back to the ShareResults web site.

You'll find that this level of PDF enhancement goes a long way toward both improving SE positioning, and in making the document "smarter" in regards to the viewer's ability to use it effectively (they can just click the links to invoke the web site, specific web pages and email contacts).
We use this technique in our weekly PRWeb press releases. By adding our IdeaFisher User Guide to almost every release, and optimizing the web site AND the PDF, we achieve in excess of 500 press release views (out of 50,000+ Summary views), and lots of good, viable BUYING traffic. The PDF's have an amazing long-term effect on our promotion and sales from the SE effect.

Here's a link to the most recent IdeaFisher Press: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb201357.php

Check it out, and you can scroll to the bottom of the page to see the additional press releases we've submitted, and download the PDF's on those pages as well (we also add keyword-rich images and links in the images to add even more impact in our press releases). Look to the right of each press release to see the attached images and PDF files.

I hope that's helpful. To download the ShareResults PDF in it's NEW & IMPROVED format, http://www.ideafishing.com/dox/share...s_overview.pdf

I assure you, it's worth the extra effort to optimize your PDF files for the Search Engines. And adding links within the PDF is just thoughtful for good user interface, at a minimum.
Warmest regards,
ME

[flood6]

Good question, Punky and nice answer, eagent.

Anybody know if inbound links help a PDF in the SERPs like they do a web page?

An interesting experiment might be to link to a pdf with a single link and use a unique keyphrase in the anchor text; a phrase not found anywhere in the pdf or optimizations eagent mentioned. Then see if that pdf turns up a in the various SE's SERPs on a search for that unique keyphrase.

[wednesday]

Originally Posted by flood6

Good question, Punky and nice answer, eagent.

Anybody know if inbound links help a PDF in the SERPs like they do a web page?

An interesting experiment might be to link to a pdf with a single link and use a unique keyphrase in the anchor text; a phrase not found anywhere in the pdf or optimizations eagent mentioned. Then see if that pdf turns up a in the various SE's SERPs on a search for that unique keyphrase.

If you make such an experiment please share with us. I've raised similar questions recently but there was no discussion at all. This could be a perfect way to gain link pop. Especialy for a tech site, that provides a lot of information. One more thing I want to ask. Does anyone has observations about 'duplicated content' treatment of .html version and .pdf version of same document?

Martin

[coder]

There is something fundamentally wrong with what you are wanting to do, and I made the same mistake about a year ago.

If the PDF gets ranked high in search engines, and people click through to the PDF then ultimately you are hurting your own site, unless there is a way to link to the site from the PDF. From my own experience people who came to the PDF from SE's would leave the site back to the SE.

Just my advice though.

[wednesday]

Originally Posted by Phantom

There is something fundamentally wrong with what you are wanting to do, and I made the same mistake about a year ago.

If the PDF gets ranked high in search engines, and people click through to the PDF then ultimately you are hurting your own site, unless there is a way to link to the site from the PDF. From my own experience people who came to the PDF from SE's would leave the site back to the SE.

Just my advice though.

If they are looking for information and got it in .pdf... what's wrong with this? I often bookmark .pdf files or download them to my desktop. Of cource you should have some inline links pointing to your site. But I'm more curious about link pop here. :)

Martin

[coder]

Originally Posted by residentevil

If they are looking for information and got it in .pdf... what's wrong with this? I often bookmark .pdf files or download them to my desktop. Of cource you should have some inline links pointing to your site. But I'm more curious about link pop here. :)

On the user end of things maybe all they want is the pdf, and for them that's fine.

As website owner however, i'd rather have them come to the site first and maybe find more information besides just the pdf. If the pdf is relevant then the site should also be relevant.

From my own experience when the user comes straight to the pdf from a SE they usually only get the pdf and leave. Even with links to the site on the pdf.

Anyways good luck

[wednesday]

Originally Posted by Phantom

As website owner however, i'd rather have them come to the site first and maybe find more information besides just the pdf.

Exactly! I don't mean to promote .pdfs to get visitors. But optimize .pdfs to increase link popularity of a website.

Btw. I like your raptors site and linked to it.
http://www.sofiazoo.com/zoology/conservation.php
Hope you don't mind.

Regards,
Martin

[coder]

Originally Posted by brainwash

Btw. I like your raptors site and linked to it.
http://www.sofiazoo.com/zoology/conservation.php
Hope you don't mind.

Thanks for the link, I try to help the center as much as possible and every little bit helps.

On your site Organisations should be Organizations
http://www.sofiazoo.com/zoology/

Don't spend too much time optimizing pdf's i've had a site before where Yahoo ranked the PDF higher then the homepage of the site. I don't know if I advertised the pdf's too much or the homepage not enough.

[flood6]

Originally Posted by Phantom

On your site Organisations should be Organizations

The British, and therefore European English speakers in general, spell it that way.

[suesheboy]

Great topic as I was just working on this myself.

We sell packaging items via a printed catalog and attract a lot of customers now through our website due mostly to a lot of SE work on my behalf.

Right now my regular catalog is in a PDF version and has been downloadable for about a year. The SEs has indexed it and I have gotten some traffic as a result. Since there are no imbedded links on the PDF to get to my website they have to type in the url (which is by the way on every page of my catalog).

Now when our hard copy catalog is being produced, I am planning on having a PDF version with embedded links put on our site, which I will also distribute as a CD-rom.

Reading about PDF “download and run” issue in this thread I am now wondering if having the PDF version rather than converting the whole catalog to an optimized HTML version is a bad idea.

I now think maybe make a PDF out of the optimized HTML and keep the SE Robots away from the PDF so as not to get a duplicate content penalty…

…Thoughts anyone?

[wednesday]

Originally Posted by Phantom

I try to help the center as much as possible and every little bit helps.

There are bunch of zoology and conservation related sites and directories out there that will be happy to list your site.

[suesheboy]

Bumpity Bump.

..waiting for comments...

[satcure]

Originally Posted by netbaldwin

By optimize, are you referring to making the actual file a smaller size to load fast on websites?

I note that PunkyLZ hasn't actually bothered to come back and answer this.

Anyway, for the record, to minimise PDF file size I use PdfCompress from www.metaobject.com