Integrating Google Images

iFrames Not Good Enough

[inuwolf]

I have a site based heavily in Google search, specifically image search. I realize Google searching, though spiffy, ultimately leads users off my site, so to mitigate that effect I'd like some way to nest the Google Image search in a few of my pages. I know this can be done with iframes, but it's terribly ugly. Is there anything else I can do?

[Dijkgraaf]

That is against Googles Terms of Service [google.co.nz].
"You may not take the results from a Google search and reformat and display them, or mirror the Google home page or results pages on your Web site. "

[inuwolf]

Hmm. That definition pretty much rules out everything fun, except iframes, unless I am wrong. Maybe there are other image search engines that allow reformatting/mirroring/whatever. Or maybe not...

[DrDoc]

It excludes iframes as well ...

[inuwolf]

reformat and display them

iframes do not reformat the search results.

or mirror the Google home page or results pages on your Web site

from my understanding, "mirroring" is actually hosting stolen content. iframes are more like windows than mirrors.

if you have any helpful suggestions for my dilemma I would appreciate it.

[Matt Probert]

if you have any helpful suggestions for my dilemma I would appreciate it.

Can you be more explicit as to what you are trying to achieve.

I get the impression you are trying to provide Google's facilities to your readers, thereby utilising Google's systems for your own page's benefits. Please tell me I have got it wrong.

Perhaps if you developed your own image search facility?

Matt

[inuwolf]

I get the impression you are trying to provide Google's facilities to your readers, thereby utilising Google's systems for your own page's benefits.

You've got it right, actually. What I'm trying to do is not fundamentally different from embedding a Google search bar in a page on one's site for visitors to use; I would make very clear the function was powered by Google.

A little recap in case my intentions seemed vague: I am trying to use Google Image search to find and display the first X images for a given search term on my site. I'm sure I could write a script for this, but personally I would like to use Google because it fits the theme of my site and it construes a certain trustworthiness that a custom search wouldn't. The Google API (something about which I know little) is used quite a lot for a range of different things; I don't suppose it's a stretch I could integrate Google Image Search into my site as described above.

Also if, as DrDoc implied, using an iframe to display Google search results violates Google, hasn't Google violated the millions of sites it has iframed in its image search?

[wmuser]

Those changes should be against Google TOS

[rocknbil]

Hmm. That definition pretty much rules out everything fun

You may want to redefine "fun" as coming up with your own original content.

Besides, Google images may not be around that much longer, have a look at this thread [webmasterworld.com].