Is PDF Considered Content?

[opulyst]

I am looking to create a db with some XML capabilities, and I want to take some forum discussions and make them into either HTML pages or PDF documents. I was wondering, in the eyes of the search engine, is PDF considered content?

I know Google catalogs pdf files, but do you think those will give a site a higher ranking?

[engine]

PDFs are meant to be a convenient way of sharing information in a consistent manner.
By all means, create PDFs of your best pages and best information as it's much easier to control how the document is printed (compared to html).

I'd look at PDFs as adding value to a site for its content.

If a site simply repeats all its pages as PDFs it's not adding much in visitor value.

On their own, it won't necessarily give you a higher ranking.

[martin]

Well PDF is not the best thing to view on the web, I have to download it and then run an external app, so if you want information to be accessible you should put it as HTML.

For *printing only* use PDF, it's nothing on the web but pieces of bits.