Google Indexing Flash content and OCR'ing PDF's

[link8r]

Always thought it was strange that Google Indexed PDF content but wasn't doing Flash, but I've just noticed that Google is definitely indexing Flash text. Which makes it handy for searching for flash animations.

I thought it was weird because, while searching for information about a company i used to work at, I came across a PDF that was a scan of a letter written on that companies letter-headed paper that had been, seemingly, OCR'ed by Google. All of the text, both the typed part and the printed part, was fully available on the Google Search Results/Cache/HTML version. Clever.

Don't like PDF's coming up in searches though - it brings someone to a document, not their website, so you have manually navigate to the website as the PDF doesn't have the website navigation and links. Which has made me think about building them into the document header - but wouldn't it be easier if Adobe/Google just loaded the PDF in a frame with the navigation from the website the PDF was found on?

 

[tomed]

Always thought it was strange that Google Indexed PDF content but wasn't doing Flash, but I've just noticed that Google is definitely indexing Flash text. Which makes it handy for searching for flash animations.

Google has been indexing content from Flash for years.

Don't like PDF's coming up in searches though - it brings someone to a document, not their website, so you have manually navigate to the website as the PDF doesn't have the website navigation and links. Which has made me think about building them into the document header - but wouldn't it be easier if Adobe/Google just loaded the PDF in a frame with the navigation from the website the PDF was found on?

That would actually be a great idea!!!

 

[mneylon]

That would actually be a great idea!!!

But why would Google do it?

What incentive would they have?

Where would they link to?

On a smaller site linking to the main page might make sense, but on the ICANN site for example there are literally thousands of PDF documents spread across hundreds of sections / committees etc., - linking to the main page wouldn't be particularly helpful

 

[tomed]

But why would Google do it?

What incentive would they have?

Where would they link to?

On a smaller site linking to the main page might make sense, but on the ICANN site for example there are literally thousands of PDF documents spread across hundreds of sections / committees etc., - linking to the main page wouldn't be particularly helpful

Completely agree with you. There's absolutely no incentive for Google to do this. But it would be great if they did.

The whole thing with linking is an issue too, you're right. I was thinking of that after I replied. But was too lazy to go back and write the response.

I was thinking maybe link to the page that links to it (obviously the most popular page, as there could be many) - but that brings up other issues!

 

[link8r]

There is every reason for Google to do this - its in the search users best interest. If you do a search and click on a link that takes you to a PDF, you have to manually edit the URL to find the site it came from. Sometimes that means waiting 10 mins for Adobe to open too.

As a user, I find it highly irritating and tend not to click on them, I'm not the only user. I think Google should provide a better option.

 

[tomed]

There is every reason for Google to do this - its in the search users best interest. If you do a search and click on a link that takes you to a PDF, you have to manually edit the URL to find the site it came from. Sometimes that means waiting 10 mins for Adobe to open too.

Ah cmon that's not true - you look at the result in Google and you'll see the URL it comes from. Or you could just right click, copy shortcut and paste it into notepad and get the URL of the site.

As a user, I find it highly irritating and tend not to click on them, I'm not the only user. I think Google should provide a better option.

I personally don't find them that irritating, I just think they could try make it a better experience.

 

[mneylon]

There is every reason for Google to do this - its in the search users best interest. If you do a search and click on a link that takes you to a PDF, you have to manually edit the URL to find the site it came from.

And I'll repeat my previous reply

How is linking to the main page of a site going to help?

 

[link8r]

Scenario:

I'm looking up something to do with VAT (lets say VAT on exporting electronic services). Lots of results come up, typically Revenue.ie and tax websites.

Lets say the majority are PDF's. So I am at the Google Results list, i select XYZ Tax Advisors to open in a new tab, I select two results from Revenue and they are all PDF's. so I navigate along, yes I get what I want but I have an additional query and I realise they don't apply to Web design but they do to web hosting.

The PDF's don't have a website search function and I can't see the contact details for either revenue or XYZ. There isn't any navgation.

So I can go back to google and do a new search or I can edit the URL. But from the PDF I can't access the website.

In other words, to search the site I found the PDF on, to navigate the site or to find their contact details, I have to manually intervene. Thats annoying