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Any recent updates on how Google indexes PDF files?

Forum Index > General Acrobat Topics > Any recent updates on how Google indexes PDF files?
2008-05-28 08:53:48
redcrew
Registered: Nov 7 2006
Posts: 83
Answered

I've read the [url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/articles/2006/02/pdf_for_google/index.php]Make your PDFs work well with Google[/url] article, that was written in February 2006.

Is there an update on how Google now (May 2008) indexes PDF files? Is Google indexing 1.6 files?

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 8.1.2, Windows
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2008-06-16 05:18:02
#1
redcrew
Registered: Nov 7 2006
Posts: 83
bump
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2008-06-16 10:53:20
#2
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
Google continues to use the open source "XPDF" library to convert PDF->text (or HTML) and then index that like other pieces of content they process. At this point, there are no updates/changes in the process.

Lori Kassuba is an AUC Expert and Community Manager for AcrobatUsers.com.

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2008-06-16 10:58:46
#3
redcrew
Registered: Nov 7 2006
Posts: 83
Lori,

Thanks. Does that mean Google is indexing 1.6 files?
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2008-07-07 07:58:23
#4
redcrew
Registered: Nov 7 2006
Posts: 83
Sorry for the *bump*, but it's still not clear to me whether Google is indexing 1.6 files. I'm not sure what the comment that Google is using "open source "XPDF" library to convert PDF->text (or HTML)" means. I'm still very much in the learning stages of some of the terms used to describe PDF files.
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2008-07-07 12:48:41
#5
daka630
Expert
Registered: Mar 1 2007
Posts: 1420
redcrew,
Xpdf 3.02pl2, available since 2007.11.07, supports PDF versions 1.6 and 1.7.
[url=http://www.foolabs.com/xpdf/]Homepage[/url]
Speculative on my part; but, I'd say that Google is using the most current Xpdf release. If so, then, yes, the extraction of text from PDF version 1.6 files would be supported.

Be well...

Be well...

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2009-10-17 04:57:42
#6
redcrew
Registered: Nov 7 2006
Posts: 83
Thanks - can you point to the article/post that discusses Google's indexing of PDF files? I keep searching for information, but haven't found any specific post from Google or experts. Perhaps I missed it in my search.
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2009-10-17 12:34:40
#7
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
Did you have the opportunity to check out the on-demand version of [url=http://adobechats.adobe.acrobat.com/p38642918/]PDF for the Web & SEO[/url]? The presentation details how to optimize your files for the web for searching (including metadata). scanned files, etc.

Lori Kassuba is an AUC Expert and Community Manager for AcrobatUsers.com.

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