Flash Web Sites and SEO

Google has been developing a new algorithm for indexing textual content in Flash files of all kinds, from Flash menus, buttons and banners, to self-contained Flash websites.

Having a Flash web site and expecting it to rank well in organic searches ususally was an impossible task as the search engines typically couldn't index them properly...or at all. However now, rich Internet applications (RIAs) are now beginning to be crawled and indexed in Google and Yahoo search results.

Google is using the optimized Adobe Flash Player technology now, so users will immediately see improved search results. As Google spiders index more SWF content, search results will continue to get better.

So, should everyone start rebuilding their web sites in Flash now? Um...no, not in my opinion. Google is now better at indexing Flash, however the technology is not yet perfect, but at least it is a step in the right direction.

With that said, this is not the 'magic fix' that enables every Flash web site to be indexed properly. According to the Adobe's developer’s website, Adobe Flash is “the most advanced authoring environment for creating rich, interactive content for digital, web, and mobile platforms. [You can] create interactive websites, rich media advertisements, instructional media, engaging presentations, games, and more.”

For complex web sites that have a finite number of entry points, you can highlight the specific URLs to a search spider using techniques such as site map XML files. Even for sites that use a single SWF, you can create multiple HTML files that provide different variables to the SWF and start your application at the correct subsection.

By creating multiple entry points, you can get the benefits of a site that is indexed as a suite of pages but still only need to manage one copy of your application. For more information on deep-linking best practices, visit www.sitemaps.org/faq.php.

In the end, if you must has a Flash web site, know that it likely won't be indexed and crawled as often (or at all) if you rely purely on the the ability of the search engine bots visiting your Flash web site. Also, if you must use Flash, also consider building a HTML version of the site which is purely for ranking. It adds a bit more work, but it will be worth it. You should also consider that some people just don't want to wait for the load times on some Flash sites, so offering a static HTML version of the web site might appeal to your customers as well. After all, you have the customer on your web site... you don't want them to leave - so you should make it as simple, easy, quick for them to navigate around....using Flash or not.

{Sources: Adobe SWF Searchablity FAQ, SWF Technology Center, Can Flash Websites Now Be Optimized For Search Engines?, Google Webmaster Central Blog and Google Learns to Crawl Flash.}

 

Home | Contact | Tools | SEO Information | Sitemap