Search Engine and Flash

By admin • Dec 8th, 2011 • Category: SEO Advice

One of the questions we are constantly asked about is the use of Flash (particularly on the home page). Jonathan Hochman has an interesting article on this topic. Here is an extract.

Search-Friendly Flash

Search engines have the ability to read Flash files and extract text and links. In particular, Google and Adobe announced a new algorithm for indexing textual Flash content on June 20, 2008. As explained by Rand Fishkin in Flash and SEO – Compelling Reasons Why Search Engines & Flash Still Don’t Mix, and Vanessa Fox in Search-Friendly Flash?, hoping that search engines can decipher you Flash is not a substitute for providing indexable HTML content.

Requirements for Successful Use of Flash

Flash animation is a great way to present complex content because it allows the designer to put more content in a finite space, without wrecking page design. For technology sites, Flash is an ideal way to present a slide show or movie explaining a complex product. At the other end of the spectrum, art and entertainment sites have a real need for multimedia, and Flash is the perfect solution.

When using Flash, we’d like to satisfy each of these objectives:

Clean design
Search Engine Optimization
Accessibility for a wide variety of browsers, including screen readers and mobile phones
Code validation and standards compliance
Correct functionality with IE

Reference: How to SEO Flash