PDF files can be a great way to promote your website. They’re relatively easy to create and can help you get high-quality backlinks. But using them effectively takes a little bit of know-how. Here’s everything you need to know.
To benefit from PDF backlinks, you’ll need high-quality and keyword-rich PDFs. That means using the right keywords throughout the document and including relevant links to your website. You can also add alt text to images, optimize your titles, and link internally to help Google index the PDF quickly.
This article discusses how to make the most of PDF backlinks in your SEO strategy. It covers everything from creating high-quality PDFs to the best outreach methods in 2022. Following these tips can help boost your search rankings on Google and other search engines.
How Can I Use PDF Backlinks in My SEO Strategy?
The best way to use PDF backlinks in your SEO strategy is to create a great resource that people want to link to. That could be a step-by-step guide or even a hard-to-find list.
For example, let’s say you run a blog on food recipes. You could create an eBook with your best recipe and offer it as a free download. Then submit the resource to PDF submission sites that allow do-follow backlinks.
Most PDF submission sites have high domain authority, so a link from one of them could help improve your search engine rankings. Plus, if people find your eBook useful, they may share it with their followers, giving you even more backlinks.
The biggest success story I’ve seen with this method is from a site called buffer.com. They created an eBook on social media marketing and got over 100 high-quality backlinks. As a result, their SEO improved significantly, and they saw a corresponding increase in website traffic.
This shows that if you create great content, people will link to it. So if you’re thinking about using PDF backlinks in your SEO strategy, make sure to create something that is truly valuable.
Benefits of Using PDF Backlinks
You’d be surprised at the number of web admins that do not take full advantage of PDF backlinks.
They usually use them to distribute their content (which is still valuable). But, if you’re not using PDF backlinks strategically, you’re missing out on a lot of potential SEO benefits.
Here are some of the main benefits that you can expect from using PDF backlinks in your SEO strategy:
1. Better Search Engine Rankings
One of the most obvious benefits of using PDF backlinks is that it can help improve your search engine rankings.
This is because Google and other major search engines view links as votes. So, the more links you have pointing to your website, the higher your site will rank in the search results.
And since you can submit PDF files to high-quality directories and document-sharing sites, they can help you get a lot of high-quality backlinks.
2. More Traffic from Google
Another benefit of using PDF backlinks is getting more referral traffic. For example, people will share your PDFs in emails and on social media. Then, when someone clicks on the link, they’ll go straight to your website.
This can help increase traffic, which is good for your SEO. Google loves websites that get a lot of sticky traffic, so this will definitely help you rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
3. Improved Brand Awareness
When you have a helpful PDF out there, your brand awareness will go up a notch. This is because people will see your brand name every time they open your PDF.
Over time, this can help people become more familiar with your brand. When they’re looking for a product or service that you offer, they’re more likely to remember your brand name.
This is a great way to cement your position as an industry leader and get more customers in the long run.
How to Create PDF Backlinks
Now that you know the benefits of using PDF backlinks, you’re probably wondering how to create them. Here’s a quick guide on how to do just that:
1. Find PDF Submission Websites with Do-follow Links
The first step is to find websites that accept PDF submissions. However, you don’t want just any site. You want websites that have a “do-follow” link policy.
This means the website will pass link juice (ranking power) to your website. If a submission site has a “no-follow” link policy, the link won’t help your SEO.
There are a few ways to find these websites. First, you can do a Google search for “[Your Keyword] + PDF Submission Sites.” This should give you a good list of websites to start with.
Another way to find these websites is to use Moz’s Open Site Explorer. Just enter the URL of a high-ranking website in your niche, and it will show you all the websites that link to it. You can then go through all of them to find PDF submission sites.
This is a tedious process, but it can give you the best results. You can have a cheap virtual assistant take care of it.
2. Create Great Content
Once you’ve found some relevant websites for your niche, you need to create great content. Most people succeed with high-value info like templates, checklists, cheat sheets, etc.
Just make sure your content is well-written, keyword-rich, and informative. Otherwise, people won’t want to link to it.
Let’s say you’ve created an eBook about dog training. Make sure the content inside is actionable and that it will help people train their dogs effectively. If you can include a real-life case study, that would be even better.
3. Optimize the PDF for SEO
Before reaching out to submission sites, you need to optimize your PDF for SEO. That’s how your PDF will show up in search results when people search for keywords related to your niche.
Here are some quick tips on how to optimize your PDFs for SEO:
- Use keyword-rich titles: Make sure your PDFs have titles that include your target keywords. This will help them look relevant in Google’s eyes.
- Use sharp descriptions: When you upload your PDFs to submission sites, include an informative, concise description. This will help people find your PDFs when searching for related terms.
- Link Internally: Make sure to link to your PDFs from other pages on your website. This will help them rank higher in the search results.
- Author Field: Put your company name or brand in the author field. This will help improve brand awareness.
- Keyword Field: Include your target keywords in the keyword field. This will help crawlers identify your PDF as relevant content for the target search term.
- Add Tags: Tags are a great way to organize your PDFs. They can also help people find your PDFs when searching for related terms.
4. Upload Your PDF to Submission Sites
Once you’ve optimized your PDF for SEO, it’s time to upload it to submission sites.
You can start with websites like Issuu, Slideshare, and Scribd.
Create an account, upload your PDF, and fill out the relevant information. Make sure to include a link to your website to get a backlink for the PDF.
However, it is important to note that some sites are free, while others charge a small fee. For example, Issuu has a paid option that starts at $19/month.
This paid plan will give you additional benefits, like iframing the PDF on your site, getting rid of third-party ads, and allowing embedded videos.
5. Share on Social Media
Once you’ve uploaded your PDF to submission sites, it’s time to share it on social media.
This will help increase the reach of your PDF and improve the chances of people linking to it.
You can start by posting it on your company’s socials, then ask team members to share the post with their audiences for a small incentive.
If you don’t have a large social media following, you can share it in relevant Facebook groups or forums. Just make sure to read the rules before posting anything.
Another option is to reach out to relevant social media influencers in your niche and see if they would be willing to share your PDF with their followers. This can help increase the reach of your PDF exponentially.
6. Monitor Your Progress
Finally, you need to monitor your progress to see how well your PDF backlinks perform.
To do this, you can use a tool like Google Analytics. Just create a new goal, and track how many people visit your PDFs from other websites.
You can also use Ahrefs to see how many backlinks your PDFs have. Just enter the URL of your PDF, and it will show you all the websites that are linking to it.
Conclusion
PDF backlinks are a great way to improve your SEO and get more traffic to your website. Just make sure to create great content, optimize it for SEO, and reach out to websites that might be interested in linking to it.
If you follow these steps, you should see a steady increase in PDF backlinks over time.