How many times have you downloaded a report, white paper, or other “freebie” from a website and when the PDF is saved on your computer, the file name that comes with it is something like “SEO White Paper,” that doesn’t tell you, at first glance, where the file came from? Sure, one could rename the file as it’s being saved on their computer but, fact of the matter is, most people don’t. Why are you not giving yourself the credit that you deserve?
If you are offering a download from your website, especially as a way to increase traffic or newsletter sign-ups, make sure the filename includes your business or website name in it. So, instead of “SEO White Paper, ” you have “SEO White Paper from beyond the office”. That way, the subject of the download is still the first part of the file name, but it also serves as a reminder to the reader of where they downloaded it from or, if they’ve downloaded oodles of SEO white papers from many different sites, that this particular file came from you and you care enough to want them to be able to get in touch with you quickly if they want more information.
One of my clients is a smaller college, and I always make sure that the PDF application or viewbook that I am uploading onto the server has the college’s name at the beginning, so that high school students that have downloaded dozens of PDF applications can tell quickly which one is for my client.
Not to mention that if the user does happen to download a similar report from another website that is inconveniently titled the same as yours, your file will not get inadvertently overwritten because it has the same file name.
And if someone is managing your website and isn’t doing this for you, well, shame on them.