Most SEO articles concentrate on how to optimise static, text based web pages
so that they appear high up the search rankings. However, a page does not have
to be constructed entirely from HTML and other static textual content in order
to rank well in search engines. The problem with flash based websites, from
the perspective of the site owner or the SEO, is that the content within flash
script can not be read by the search engines and, therefore, you are unlikely
to yield any positive SEO results from the usual methods of on page optimisation.

Flash Sites

Entire websites that are constructed entirely from Flash cause the greatest
problems for the SEO. These sites have little indexable content and because
spiders struggle to index the content in a Flash file this means that the pages
will essentially look empty. Empty pages do not receive good rankings from
search engines and you may struggle to get a Flash site indexed at all unless
you implement some form of workaround or offer an alternative version.

Meta Data

Meta data includes the addition of important HTML tags to each page. One can
add a keywords field, description field, and title field among others and this
provides search engines with an effective means of at least recognising the
page. Individual flash movie files have their own tags that should be completed
and included as well and this is important for sites that use both flash and
textual content.

Important Design Considerations

Design is a major element. Textual content should be added to virtually every
page to help search engines recognise the page and subsequently index it. The
main page content will set the scene and tell the story while the flash content,
which can be placed as prominently as required, will basically be used as supporting
content in the eyes of the search engines. Users still gain the benefit of
good flash design and you still gain the SEO advantages that high quality flash
content offers.

SEO And Links

Links are vital in SEO, especially when optimising a flash page. Because you
have less textual content to rely on, this places even greater weight on inbound
links. Fortunately, flash videos and flash animations can be used to generate
a lot of natural links to your page and create a buzz on various online communities.
Therefore, the flash content on your pages can be used to directly improve
your link profile and help rank that page higher in search engine results.

Flash Site Optimisation

There’s no denying the appeal of flash animation and flash graphics. Human
visitors love to be entertained and offering video helps to tell a story in
a more entertaining fashion. Viral flash can also help create a buzz for your
website and generate many links to your most important pages therefore improving
SEO results. Care needs to be taken when adding any flash based elements to
a website and using a developer that understands the importance of SEO to flash
sites will go a long way in improving search results.

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