Digital Assets Optimization - how little things such as PDFs can make a big difference in SEO

In a previous post, I discussed how all types of digital assets such as videos, documents, podcasts etc ... can help add relevant content to a company website and increase the web site visibility to search engine crawlers.

One of the things I discovered is Google can ready PDF almost the same way it reads HTML. Companies that have a lot of product sheets, technical documentation, white papers etc should be made available online.

According to Search Engine Land, there are a few tips to follow. Here's a summary:

1) PDFs must be text based

2) Add a title to the document properties

3) Optimize the copy (the same way you would optimize HTML pages, i.e. at least 300 words per PDF and watch out for keyword stuffing)

4) Include backlinks in PDF

5) Ensure the file is no too big so that Search Engine can read it easily. If necessary break the PDF into various elements

6) Have one or two sentences describing what the PDF is abut on the very top of the document

For more information, go to:

Google Adwords for Small Businesses

This insightful article from the New York Times is a great intro to Google Adwords (or paid search) for small and medium businesses. Anyone can create a paid search campaign by bidding on a handful of keywords. The danger is this space is highly competitive and small businesses should be looking at a more comprehensive campaign with thousands of longer, more specific keyword (keyword granularity). This will increase reach and minimize costs. Running a successful campaign takes a lot of time and expertise, as the author pointed out.