How Not To Index Your PDF In Google

Irsan Komarga · 03-21-2011, 10:11 PM

Somehow google still found and index my not supposed to be indexed PDF.
It was put on a search engine block wordpress post.
So how not to let google index my PDF?

hpgoodboy · 03-21-2011, 10:45 PM

You can use a robots.txt file

Sylviaontheweb · 03-21-2011, 10:55 PM

That's right, use a robots.txt file.

If you're not familiar with that then here is an explanation.

Create file called robots.txt in a plain text editor.

Then add
Disallow: /foldername/filename.html

Upload it to your server with an ftp program

mikemcmillan · 03-21-2011, 11:30 PM

You could also take the first paragraph or so and post it to your blog. Then have a link that says, "Download the entire file" and have it go to the PDF file. Before doing this zip the PDF file into a .zip file. Google can read PDF files but she can't read files that are zipped. --Mike

Irsan Komarga · 03-22-2011, 09:27 PM

Thank you for the responses

frankfihn · 03-22-2011, 09:31 PM

The big G is smart enough to read pdf files which you surely know by now. You can also just put your downloadable pdf into a zip file. I find that better as well because then when the user clicks the direct link they will automatically be prompted to download. Browsers cannot read a zip file. Instead of having the pdf open within the browser and having to give the users instructions on how to save it to their desktop, it'll automatically prompt them to download that file whether they left or right click it. It's a simple workaround.

Be thankful you're aware of it. There are many product owners who don't know the big G is giving away their download pdfs for free in the search engines without signup and/or buying.

yukon · 03-23-2011, 12:25 AM

Like already said, zip the pdf, problem solved.

markowe · 03-23-2011, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankfihn

Be thankful you're aware of it. There are many product owners who don't know the big G is giving away their download pdfs for free in the search engines without signup and/or buying.

Yeah, if you are actually selling the ebook then you really need some sort of download protection solution.

You are dead right, if you know how to look for them (I don't do it, but it's quite simple) you can download all the free ebooks you want, that people have left unprotected.

theseowork · 03-23-2011, 04:05 AM

You make sitemap or robot.txt file for this...

themew · 03-23-2011, 04:29 PM

However, Google will ignore the robot.txt file on a PDF if the PDF is found in a link from another site.

This happened to us and Google decided to kill all of our keywords and replace them with words from the PDF file.

The fix was to either (as suggested above) .zip the file to kill both the link from another site AND so Google couldn't see the PDF. This doesn't work if you want your customer to be able to see the PDF file without having to spend the time and yours/his bandwidth to download it.

The solution was to ask Google in Webmaster tools to remove the entire link to the PDF file and to upload the PDF to box.net which allows the user to still see and download the PDF but Google can't destroy your keywords with it.

BTW, this is a great way to completely destroy a competitors SEO if they host their own PDFs. You'd think as sharp as Google is they would find a way to fix this issue.

It took about 5-7 days and Google finally removed the PDF from their search and our old keywords were back and so were our rankings. Hope this helps...

groceryalerts · 03-23-2011, 04:37 PM

Do they not index items that are protected by robots.txt?

seoservices1 · 03-31-2011, 02:34 AM

Hi

That's right, use a robots.txt file.And Create file called robots.txt in a plain text editor.and upload root folder.

03-21-2011, 10:11 PM	#1
Irsan Komarga HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jakarta Posts: 364 Thanks: 1 Thanked 24 Times in 18 Posts	How Not To Index Your PDF In Google Somehow google still found and index my not supposed to be indexed PDF. It was put on a search engine block wordpress post. So how not to let google index my PDF?

03-21-2011, 10:45 PM	#2
hpgoodboy www.WSOReviewDaily.com War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Florida, USA Posts: 1,826 Thanks: 405 Thanked 796 Times in 600 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: How Not To Index Your PDF In Google You can use a robots.txt file
	WSO Reviews Subscribe now! Over 20 years experience in Publishing, eBook creation and Internet Marketing. Published first eBook in 1999 which sold like hot cakes. Was the publisher and editor-in-chief of a real world magazine. You'll discover which WSOs are the real gems! [My WSOs: 1 \| 2 \| 3 \|FLIPPA \|6 \| 12]

03-21-2011, 10:55 PM	#3
Sylviaontheweb Warrior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How Not To Index Your PDF In Google That's right, use a robots.txt file. If you're not familiar with that then here is an explanation. Create file called robots.txt in a plain text editor. Then add Disallow: /foldername/filename.html Upload it to your server with an ftp program
	How to make money with a website - A guide for beginners.

03-21-2011, 11:30 PM	#4
mikemcmillan Mike McMillan War Room Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: MI Posts: 1,303 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 879 Thanked 1,033 Times in 398 Posts Social Networking	Re: How Not To Index Your PDF In Google You could also take the first paragraph or so and post it to your blog. Then have a link that says, "Download the entire file" and have it go to the PDF file. Before doing this zip the PDF file into a .zip file. Google can read PDF files but she can't read files that are zipped. --Mike

03-22-2011, 09:27 PM	#5
Irsan Komarga HyperActive Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jakarta Posts: 364 Thanks: 1 Thanked 24 Times in 18 Posts	Re: How Not To Index Your PDF In Google Thank you for the responses

03-22-2011, 09:31 PM	#6
frankfihn Frankie the Tankie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 87 Thanks: 6 Thanked 14 Times in 10 Posts	Re: How Not To Index Your PDF In Google The big G is smart enough to read pdf files which you surely know by now. You can also just put your downloadable pdf into a zip file. I find that better as well because then when the user clicks the direct link they will automatically be prompted to download. Browsers cannot read a zip file. Instead of having the pdf open within the browser and having to give the users instructions on how to save it to their desktop, it'll automatically prompt them to download that file whether they left or right click it. It's a simple workaround. Be thankful you're aware of it. There are many product owners who don't know the big G is giving away their download pdfs for free in the search engines without signup and/or buying.
	internet marketing and SEO services Windsor Ontario

03-23-2011, 12:25 AM	#7
yukon SEO Strategist War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 6,532 Thanks: 355 Thanked 1,992 Times in 1,273 Posts	Re: How Not To Index Your PDF In Google Like already said, zip the pdf, problem solved.

03-23-2011, 04:05 AM	#9
theseowork Active Warrior Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 57 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: How Not To Index Your PDF In Google You make sitemap or robot.txt file for this...

03-23-2011, 04:29 PM	#10
themew Active Warrior Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 36 Thanks: 33 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: How Not To Index Your PDF In Google However, Google will ignore the robot.txt file on a PDF if the PDF is found in a link from another site. This happened to us and Google decided to kill all of our keywords and replace them with words from the PDF file. The fix was to either (as suggested above) .zip the file to kill both the link from another site AND so Google couldn't see the PDF. This doesn't work if you want your customer to be able to see the PDF file without having to spend the time and yours/his bandwidth to download it. The solution was to ask Google in Webmaster tools to remove the entire link to the PDF file and to upload the PDF to box.net which allows the user to still see and download the PDF but Google can't destroy your keywords with it. BTW, this is a great way to completely destroy a competitors SEO if they host their own PDFs. You'd think as sharp as Google is they would find a way to fix this issue. It took about 5-7 days and Google finally removed the PDF from their search and our old keywords were back and so were our rankings. Hope this helps...

03-23-2011, 04:37 PM	#11
groceryalerts Active Warrior Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 50 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Social Networking	Re: How Not To Index Your PDF In Google Do they not index items that are protected by robots.txt?
	Helping Canadians with extreme couponing canada Free Printable Grocery Coupons

03-31-2011, 02:34 AM	#12
seoservices1 SEO Company \| SEO Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 127 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts Contact Info	Re: How Not To Index Your PDF In Google Hi That's right, use a robots.txt file.And Create file called robots.txt in a plain text editor.and upload root folder.