What's New With the Google/Flash Clash
Oftentimes we discuss with clients and agencies the ins and outs of Flash development inside of their websites. Let’s be upfront and clear, we are not an anti-Flash organization (in fact, we use it in smart ways to amplify even our own site). Here are some classic things to watch out for fully flash sites and what’s new using Flash with our CMS.
Does Google really index Flash?
Under a classic debate from SEOs to Designers, we wanted to get the latest information on this topic. SEOs can no longer say that “Google does not index Flash.” Recently, a colleague – Ben Lloyd with Amplify Interactive – posted a great article on his blog speaking to this topic called, “Google Can Index Flash, But it Still Sucks for SEO.” Here are some of the highlights from the article:
- Google can officially index text and links from Flash files.
- Google still cannot deal with JavaScript, of which most of Flash is executed.
- They still cannot index images from your Flash file.
- Accessing Flash via mobile devices or sending a link to a page in your flash website is still difficult.
- Google cannot get anchor text within Flash images.
- Other engines still have trouble indexing Flash.
Even though fully Flash sites are still not recommended, there are great ways to use Flash within your site and still get the end effect you’re looking for. Using Flash surrounded by great content or using it within areas that do not specifically need to be ranked are good examples. Rely on the expertise of your designer/developer to demonstrate proper ways to use Flash without inhibiting your SEO efforts.
Mixing Flash with CMS
With new technology and client need, we’ve successfully integrated Flash into our CMS – so dynamically generated information can be incorporated into Flash on the fly. What does that mean exactly? It means that our clients can: add a page, an audio or video file, and/or an excel spreadsheet in the admin and it will be rendered to the Flash file automatically.
Here are a few examples:
Excel Upload: Architectural Mailboxes
Audio Files: Oasis Bend
Video Files: Visit Bend
Using AJAX, We’ve also integrated this dynamic Flash into our WordPress Blogs and ecommerce stores.
Examples include:
WordPress: Deschutes Brewery (Coming Soon)
E-Commerce: Deschutes Brewery (Coming Soon)
With the right guide, clients can still easily maintain control over their site, include dynamic flash for a unique user experience and continue to improve search engine optimization efforts.