The Portable Document Format, also known as PDF, is compatible with web pages. In the following article, we’re going to give you some tips on how to use PDFs effectively on your website.

We start with the PDF’s creation

The PDF files uploaded online should me small sized, around 30-40KB. The majority of browsers download the file first before rendering it, so it might take too long to open and your readers will bounce

Be certain that you’ve optimised the images of your PDF document for the web. Doing that will make the files smaller and easier for customers to open.

There are certain rules for web writing that should be applied to the PDF’s content. Web content must be structured properly to ease the work of the crawlers and to rank higher. This includes enhanced readability and correct implementation of keywords

If your document is longer than usual, it is recommended to include a clickable table of content for easier navigation throughout the file. Moreover, ensure that you use the same font and make it larger, especially if your audience consists of elderly people.

Implement PDFs in your website

When adding such file in your website, point it out to readers because it can be confusing for some customers. That’s why you have to let them know that they’re opening a PDF file, that can be downloaded and then even printed.

PDFs are rather considered as alternatives to Web pages when it comes to catalogues or content that is allowed to be printed.

Note that PDF documents serve a great purpose, but you can’t use them instead of web pages. Certain developer tools allow the conversion of such files into HTML pages, that are easily searchable by crawlers and will rank you higher on search engines.

You can also benefit the online services of SodaPDF that offer a variety of features on the go. For example, you can enjoy the PDF unlocker or online PDF rotation at sodapdf.com/rotate-pdf/

Common uses of PDF files on websites

The Portable Document Format has numerous benefits and we’ve outlined the most common cases in which the format is used.

Documents for Printing

Let’s say that you’ve prepared documents that can be printed for paper use, then you can upload them as PDF files to ensure that they remain the same.

Moreover, PDF files can include encryption and even password protection, in case you want to limit the audience.

Securing Documents

There are various security controls on PDF files that can be easily implemented for enhanced security. One of the ways, is to add a password as we told you above.

Most PDF readers have other features that increase the security, so it’s up to you what level of protection you want.

Document Downloads

Documents uploaded as Excel, PowerPoint or Word can be modified by anyone who downloads them, unlike PDF. Also, it’s responsible on multiple devices so you’ll know that everyone can open it.