Flash Optimization (SEO)

Flash & SEO

Our Position on Flash
“ Flash has a time and place, improving the user experience but often contradicting SEO. We find a balance between the right amount of Flash and SEO elements to maintain search engine visibility and provide an optimal user experience”

Flash 101

The Flash Basics
Vector animation software
Flash intelligently gets ‘cached’ so they don’t have to be reloaded in the browser

The Flash Basics
Flash handles text very poorly, renders slower than HTML
Development much more complex than HTML

Current & Historic SEO Issues With Flash

Flash SEO Issues
Until recently, search engine bots were unable to crawl Flash files rendering them useless for SEO
Some search engines are still unable to crawl Flash while others still “figuring it out”

Flash SEO Issues
Search engine bots are traditionally designed to crawl HTML text, Flash text lacks HTML structure
Flash is embedded using javascript (non-executable by most search engines)

Google + Adobe

Googladobe
Mid 2008, Google announced updated Flash algorithm in conjunction with Adobe
Needed solution for the 30% - 40% of web pages that contain Flash (via Opera browser)

Google’s Flash Algorithm
Google now able to traverse simple JavaScript, such as the SWFObject
Now has the ability to index websites with ActionScript

Google’s Flash Algorithm
Google can now discover links within Flash files
External (X)HTML content and Flash content now associated to the same URL

Optimizing Flash

Flash & SEO Solutions
1) Flash As Needed Solution
2) HTML Layer Solution
3) Flash Segmentation Solution

Flash As Needed Solution

As Needed Solution
Only use Flash as needed, for specific applications or modules on certain pages
Don’t use it for navigation or the main site, rather for interactive pieces on a site
Embed Flash in HTML and surround with content

Flash Segmentation Solution

Segmentation Solution
Break up large Flash files into multiple Flash files
Embed a single “page” within a Flash file in the (X)HTML structure of corresponding content pages
Creates static URLs and allows for HTML content to surround the Flash file

Flash HTML Layer Solution

HTML Layer Solution
Embed an entire “site” within a Flash file and layer that Flash file over (X)HTML structure of corresponding content pages via JavaScript.
Users with Flash enabled see Flash, while users without Flash enabled (previously Googlebot) receive the (X)HTML version of content pages.

HTML Layer Solution
Historically considered cloaking by those in the industry
To understand why a HTML layer is a white hat technique, you need to first understand Progressive Enhancement (PE)

What is Progressive Enhancement?

Progressive Enhancement
“ The layering of web technologies that allows users to access the basic content and functionality of a web page, using any browser or Internet connection, while also providing those with better bandwidth or more advanced software an enhanced version of the page.”

What does Progressive Enhancement Have to do With Optimizing Flash?

Importance of PE
Layering of web technologies, such as Flash and HTML are in line with Progressive Enhancement
Users without Flash see HTML content, those with Flash see the Flash version of the site; including search engines

Other Flash + SEO Best Practices

sIFR
Not all fonts are web friendly, and thus uncrawlable by SEs
sIFR is a text replacement technique that is in line with Progressive Enhancement
sIFR allows for the use of branded fonts while maintaining SEO

Flash in SERPs
Search engines will index the specific Flash files; thus displaying the .swf URLs in the search results
“ noindex” .swf URLs or add to the robots.txt file

Final Thought on Flash SEO

Handling Flash
Google and other search engines are still evolving the way they handle Flash
Depending on site goals, choose the right solution and follow best practices
As a good rule of thumb, avoid putting important SEO content in Flash

About SwellPath
Boutique, digital marketing agency in Portland, OR
Follow us on Twitter - @SwellPath

Flash Optimization (SEO)

by SwellPath Interactive on Jan 27, 2010

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