Adobe Flash is a multimedia software program used primarily in crafting Web sites. If you’ve ever been to a Webpage that features animation and interactive menus, then chances are you’ve seen Flash in action. But Flash has had a long and tumultuous relationship with web professionals, especially those concerned with search engine placement. Some web designers allege that the Web site software sacrifices easy usability for graphical wizardry. There’s too much “flash,” in other words. And SEO specialists have warned that since search engines can’t index the data contained in Flash menus and content areas, it’s a poor tool for those looking for superior search engine placement.
But that could change. In July Google announced that their search engine was finally capable of indexing Flash Web sites, thereby boosting their potential for search engine placement. That means that the words that are written into Flash animations and Flash-based Web sites will finally be searchable from Google. And Google will also be able to find URLs that are contained in most Flash files. And that’s good news. But notice that we said most, not all, Flash files. Google still can’t index text that’s contained in images or animated files. However, there are still problems with Google recognizing files within JavaScript, a Website tool that many SEO specialists are concerned with search engine placement are less than enthusiastic about.
While there is some improvement in regards to optimizing search engine placement with Flash, there are still plenty of disadvantages for anyone who wants to have a Flash-based page which is extremely search engine-friendly. Google still uses HTML and XML as the basis for deciding where the important stuff lies on a page. Flash doesn’t use the tags used in HTML and XML, so Google still can’t tell where a Flash Webpage’s headline resides. That means that pure HTML and XML sites still have an edge over Flash sites when it comes to search engine placement. Also, Flash Web sites are structured differently. Flash Web sites usually lack the ability to have a glut of incoming links aimed at several different parts of a Website, an important aspect for anyone looking for superior search engine placement.
When done well, Flash can create a very engaging and beautiful Website. But before diving wholeheartedly into a Flash site, one must always consider the payoff. While Google’s ability to index Flash sites is certainly good news for those looking for a better Google ranking, it will still be extremely difficult for a Website that is heavily dependent on Flash to get a great search engine placement.
