Moz Q&A is closed.
After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.
Are Word .doc or .txt files indexed into Search Engines?
-
I have a new client that is using Word files on their site, downloadable press releases. They feel that reporters prefer downloading press releases as Word .doc's instead of .pdf's since they can open and edit the content.
Do these files offer any SEO?
-
Hi,
The answer to your main question is yes, do a search on google for filetype:doc or filetype:txt and you'll see tons of doc and txt files indexed.
The answer to your second question, if they offer any SEO, is a little more complex. You should try and see if you can get a page to be indexed if it is only linked from doc files.
Judging by my experience, I rarely see doc or txt files in the SERPs and even more rarely click on them if they show up. I'd rather do a HTML version of the page with a link to download the doc file in a directory blocked to spiders to avoid duplicates.
Best regards,
Guillaume Voyer.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Getting indexed in Google Scholar
Hi all! We have a client who publishes scholarly research as a highly regarded non-profit. Their Publications aren't being indexed in Google Scholar 50% of the time and when they are, Google is pulling random stuff from a PDF vs. from the html page. Any advice on best practices is enormously appreciated
SERP Trends | | SimpleSearch1 -
Getting indexed by Google scholar
Often my Google Scholar alerts result in exactly what I think they will: scholarly articles published in academic journals. However, today I got this completely non-scholarly article https://www.t-nation.com/training/the-exact-reps-that-make-you-grow and I have no idea why Google Scholar is indexing this site. I've read up on how to get indexed by Google Scholar, and this website doesn't seem to have the necessary requirements. I'm curious for anyone whose clients or industry need to get indexed by Google Scholar, what has worked for you?
SERP Trends | | newwhy2 -
Search results vary in chrome vs other browsers even in Incognito mode: Google's stand?
Hi all, We use incognito mode or private browsing to check the Actual results which are not impacted by previous history, location (sometimes), etc. Even we browse this way, we can see the different search results. Why would this happen? What's Google's stand on this? What is the actual way to browse to get the unbiased results for certain search queries? I have experienced that Chrome will rank our own websites bit higher compared to the other browsers even in incognito mode. Thanks
SERP Trends | | vtmoz1 -
Ways to fetch search analytics - historical search query data from Google Search Console
Is there any way to fetch all historical search query data from Google Search Console ? Google allows us to view only 90 days report at the maximum. Does integrating google search console with google analytics tool solve this problem ?
SERP Trends | | NortonSupportSEO0 -
Does my website need a search bar?
We're redesigning our agency website and during development we noticed our current design doesn't feature a mock up for a search bar. It was a simple oversight, but it got me thinking how valuable it really is. I noticed the Moz blog doesn't have a search bar (unless I'm blind) and was wondering who else has made the decision to get rid of it. We have a blog of almost 400 posts over the course of three years, unsure if that sways the decision in either direction. Is it better to just focus on good SEO instead of relying on a search bar nowadays? Opinions appreciated!
SERP Trends | | BopDesign0 -
How often do you submit to local search/citation sites?
I recently received a Network Solutions spam/offer email regarding their internet marketing packages. One of the "benefits" they cited was that they submit your information to local search/citation sites once a month, to keep it up-to-date. I don't know about you guys, but my clients' information isn't changing on a frequent basis. I remember when it used to be a tactic to submit regularly to the same citation sites, but that seems like overkill now. Does anyone still do this, or is NS just trying to make their product sound good? Do we need to update citation sites frequently, or is it enough to update when there are actual changes to make?
SERP Trends | | ScottImageWorks0 -
Search Volume Data for iTunes App Store?
Ok, so maybe I'm looking in all the wrong places, But where can I get good search volume data for searches done in iTunes app store? Or is this something that Apple just doesn't share?
SERP Trends | | TheSEOWiz0 -
Best keyword research tool for Google image search?
What is the best research tool for finding search data specifically for Google Image search?
SERP Trends | | nicole.healthline1