Engineers love PDF datasheets, but indexed PDFs cannibalize HTML MPN pages and trigger thin-content signals. Balance downloads with HTML-first SEO.
Best practices
- HTML param tables primary; PDF as supplemental download
- Avoid bulk PDF URLs in sitemap; canonical to HTML detail
- Unique 2–3 sentence use-case intro per priority MPN
- Product schema on HTML, not duplicate on PDF routes
Linking strategy
Brand hubs per manufacturer SEO; alts per accessibility guide. Templates on Mall RFQ and Online Trade. Inquire; SEO checklist, FAQ, news, contact.
Implementation checklist
- Google preferred URL is HTML for core MPNs
- PDF links 200 or clean 404
- Sitemap HTML-first
- Download shows size/date
- Quarterly dead-link audit
Deep dive
PDFs serve engineers; HTML wins SEO. HTML-primary, PDF-download, no sitemap PDF dumps. Respect redistribution rights — link official sources when required.
Enrich priority MPN HTML with use cases; monitor PDF link health to avoid site-wide quality hits.
Related reading
Plans & conversion
Attachment slots on Mall RFQ; PDF crawlers on Source Code. Inquire on rights/constraints.
Extended FAQ
Q: Is PDF text indexed? Yes — control which PDFs are discoverable.
Q: No PDF hurts rank? Not if HTML specs are strong.
