14. An image processing method, comprising: reading, via an image reading unit, information as image data; recognizing, via a character recognition unit, individual characters included in the image data; grouping, via a grouping unit, the individual characters recognized by the character recognition unit into one or more character strings based on character information indicating a format of the character; extracting, via a character extraction unit, the character string for which a link is to be created based on an importance of the character string obtained by the grouping; searching, via a character search unit, the image data in which the characters have been recognized for the character string having the same character base among the character strings extracted by the character extraction unit; and linking, via a link setting unit, the character strings having the same character base that are retrieved by the character search unit, to each other based on the importance.
14. An image processing method, comprising: reading, via an image reading unit, information as image data; recognizing, via a character recognition unit, individual characters included in the image data; grouping, via a grouping unit, the individual characters recognized by the character recognition unit into one or more character strings based on character information indicating a format of the character; extracting, via a character extraction unit, the character string for which a link is to be created based on an importance of the character string obtained by the grouping; searching, via a character search unit, the image data in which the characters have been recognized for the character string having the same character base among the character strings extracted by the character extraction unit; and linking, via a link setting unit, the character strings having the same character base that are retrieved by the character search unit, to each other based on the importance. 19. The image processing method according to claim 14 , wherein the link setting unit places a limitation on a setting of a link destination for the character string based on the importance.