Quick tip: Name your white papers right
This tip applies to everyone: writers, marketers, agencies, and designers.
You know how most organizations have some system for naming files?
And those names go something like this:
whppr-cdv10bb4f-220417e-FINAL-FINAL.pdf
And those filenames end up on your white papers when they’re published?
Or maybe somebody along the way renames each white paper to match your corporate standard:
d3201-wpap-FINAL-202204-dwnld.pdf
Well, with nondescript filenames like that, you’re shooting yourself in the foot, SEO-wise.
Because it turns out Google and other search engine spiders don’t like those names any more than people do.
Search engines, like humans, prefer filenames they can actually understand.
Ideally, your filename is based on the white paper’s topic, such as:
big-data-big-dollars-2022-acme.pdf
OR
3-questions-to-ask-BPM-vendors-white-paper-april-2022.pdf
You don’t have to use obscure abbreviations or the notorious FINAL-FINAL label.
Give your white papers a readable filename, and your SEO for that piece will soar.
How do I know about this?
When I was doing some white papers for 3M, the head of their content efforts told me an intriguing story.
As a test, they changed the filenames on some of their content to more descriptive names that actually made sense.
And downloads shot through the roof from that one change. Their re-named content clearly started generating more traffic from search engines.
(Of course, that only works if the search engines can access your white papers since they’re not gated. But that’s another story you can read about here.)
Make your white paper filenames more reader-friendly, and you’ll help get more eyes on the white paper you’ve created.
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