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Restaurant menu SEO: PDF or HTML?

Is it better to use a PDF or hard code restaurant menus (or any document for that matter) in HTML? I want the content to be indexed and thought PDF was the way to go for several reasons, but I wanted to get confirmation on this before I move forward.

Responses

BostonWright last edited by Aug 22, 2011, 9:27 AM
YouON last edited by Aug 23, 2011, 12:30 AM
brycebertola last edited by Aug 22, 2011, 12:44 PM
KeriMorgret last edited by Aug 22, 2011, 9:43 AM
ReneReinholdt last edited by Aug 22, 2011, 9:34 AM

Summary of Responses

BostonWright: Is it better to use a PDF or hard code restaurant menus (or any document for that matter) in HTML? I want the content to be indexed and thought PDF was the way to go for several reasons, but I wanted to get confirmation on this before I move forward.
YouON: Matt Cutts on PDF... Watch here
brycebertola: Lol, I was thinking about this exact article when I read the title.
KeriMorgret: From a user's perspective, be sure to look at how the site will show up on a mobile device. Here’s a great post from The Oatmeal about what users want vs what they get from a restaurant website in general.
ReneReinholdt: For SEO I would recommend HTML, with the option to download a PDF. That being said you should also consider how much time is wasted on doing it HTML. Can the company earn more money by spending their time on something else? I mean how often do people actually search for a certain dish when they are about to go out for dinner? My bet is that they are more likely to do a search like: "Italian restaurant in downtown Berlin" rather than "Broccoli slightly roasted in white-wine". Do you see what I mean?