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Optimizing Flash Files For The Search Engines
hat is a Flash Movie? by search engines. However,
recent updates by Macromedia are
A flash movie, or shock making this a possibility.
wave file (SWF), is the file
format published when a Flash Problems with Flash and Search
movie is exported. A SWF file can Engines
also be exported by several other
Macromedia or Adobe Products. The Historically, it has been
SWF is usually an animation, difficult to get Flash content
dynamic menu, or highly indexed and ranked by search
interactive web-based application engines. In the past, search
embedded into an HTML page. Flash engines, such as Yahoo and
files, when exported correctly Google, did not spider Flash
for the best web-based content as they could not read
optimization, are compressed, the compressed file and much of
thus making their file size the text inside the SWF appeared
lightweight. The SWF format is as graphics to the search
ideal for presenting engines.
vector-based, interactive and
animated graphics with sound and The main page of a web site, if
video for the web. Vector images Flash-based, rarely ranked well,
are ideal because they will not unless off-page factors such as
"pixilize" if stretched or link popularity or link
compressed. Flash files can also reputation were sufficient enough
contain text which can be to carry the page. Flash files
animated, static or dynamically that were indexed by Google,
populated from external sources, Lycos and other search engines,
such an XML file or a database. which did not have any text or
Text embedded in a Flash file, key words associated with them in
for many years, could not be read the search engine results pages
(SERP). penalty from the engines.
Techniques Used in the Past to Another technique which could
Make Flash Visible to Search help your Flash ranking is to not
Engines compress your SWF files. One of
the reasons search engines could
Traditional Search Engine not read flash files in the past
Optimization (SEO) techniques is that the files are compressed.
would help your site get indexed, If the SWF is uncompressed,
but not rank for search terms. search engines can read the
Every web site needs at least one static text. This technique can
HTML page to load into a browser. be accomplished easily. Upon
For a web site developed exporting a Flash file, you can
completely in Flash, developers set the compression to "not" if
would embed their flash files you want your text inside the
into an HTML document and then Flash movie to be readable by the
create the meta tags in the head search spiders. However, this is
section of the HTML file. They not a good practice, as not
would also add descriptive HTML compressing your SWF will
text for the search engines in increase the file size,
the body section of the HTML consequently negating a major
page, then use CSS positioning benefit to Flash file - a
and percentages to load the Flash lightweight file.
move in a pixel-perfect location
over the top of text. This What Macromedia has Done to Make
particular technique should not Flash More Visible to Search
be used any longer, as search Engines
engines will view this technique
as an attempt to add hidden text, In the past, Google did index
and hidden text will incur a Flash files. Anyone can test this
fact out by searching in Google The Macromedia Flash Search
using the "filetype" operator to Engine SDK can be found at
restrict your search. For
example, try the following http://www.macromedia.com/softwar
search: "Casino Games e/flash/download/search_engine.
filetype:SWF". The SERP will According to the Macromedia/Adobe
include over 200 Flash files, web site, The SDK includes an
which are indicated by the application named 'swf2HTML'.
"Flash" text to the left of the Swf2HTML extracts text and links
listing. from a Macromedia Flash SWF file,
and returns the data to an HTML
Some search engines are now using document. Swf2HTML is provided as
the Macromedia Flash Search a compiled application and as a
Engine SDK (Software Development static library for linked library
Kit). For example, Google, implementation. SDK can
AllTheWeb, Lycos, and other sites interoperate any links that are
can readily display links to in the action script so long as
Flash content. Flash Search SDK adhere to the following criteria:
is and open source tool that
allows search engines to modify • The link is contained within
it to suit their needs. With this single quotes (' ') or double
level of customization, it is quotes (" "), and
likely that the major search • The link prefix is HTTP, and
engines will modify SDK, making • The link suffix is HTM, HTML,
it difficult for website owners CFM, SWF, JPG, JPEG, MP3, or WAV
to know exactly what information
will be pulled out of the SWF By default SDK extracts the
file or how it will impact actual following text from your flash
rankings. file:
• Text on stage in the current SWF and see how search engines
movie (dynamic text, static text, view the extractable text of any
or input text that has an initial SWF. On a Windows operating
value assigned) system, you can go to the DOS
prompt and execute the swf2HTML
• Text on stage in a movie that application very easily. The
is called with following is an example from the
movieClip.attachMovie() DOS prompt: C:\sdk\swf2HTML -o
test.HTML
Google can see certain text in C:\sdk\crt_webfiles\test.swf
Flash files now, but how and
where certain text gets extracted Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
depends on what you do with that Techniques Used Historically for
text in the Flash presentation. Flash
For example, text that is static Each Flash file does not need to
or is used in a motion tween can be uploaded independently and
be read as a single instance with called as a SWF file; rather a
SDK. However, some animation Flash file can be embedded in a
involves converting text into a standard HTML document. One of
symbol and then using multiple the best techniques is to create
copies of that symbol to achieve a modular web site, where there
a desired effect. This will are several Flash files which
create duplicate instances of make up the web page combined
your text to the SDK output, with standard HTML elements. A
which may be viewed as duplicate hybrid site such as this, works
content and not given much especially well, if your
importance by Google. navigation uses traditional HTML
links. You can use cascading
Using the SDK tool, any developer style sheets to give the
can get the text output from the appearance of flash text links.
This type of hybrid site will which work while in the Flash
always rank better than an all authoring environment. While you
Flash site - all other factors are in the Flash authoring
being equal. It's also important environment, with your FLA
to have your HTML page title open...click F12. It will
correct, regardless of anything generate the HTML page for you.
else. Several search engines look Look at the code of the page; it
at meta titles first. In addition creates a place for you to put
to the page title, you can add the text and URL's used in the
meta tags to the head of the Flash.
file. Outside of the actual HTML
page, off page factors are New SEO Techniques for Flash
important. There has been much Today there are many techniques
written in recent articles that which can overcome the
reciprocal links are not as limitations of the past, where
important any longer, but Flash files are concerned. With
certainly, one-way links pointing the inception of the new
to your site from highly relevant Macromedia Flash 8, there are
and high ranking pages will techniques which can be
increase your page rank. In implemented to greatly increase
addition links from prominent the ability of search engines to
directories, such as Yahoo and index Flash files and even rank
Business.com, placed in the most for key words.
relevant categories will help.
One-way inbound links from In the past, SWF files could not
relevant sites is still the best have titles. This is one
way to increase your ranking with important reason why Flash files
or without Flash. didn't rank well. This title
limitation has now changed. Flash
There are programming techniques 8 does allow you to input meta
data. Flash 8 defines two fields For example, a button might have
with meta data for all Flash the text output two or three
files. These two fields are Title times. Alternatively, tweened
and Description. You can access text has motion associated with
the meta data fields under the action. Tweens result in a
Document Properties. To add meta single occurrence in the output
data, fill in the text fields and from the extraction process. You
the search engines will know what should also notice that the link
info to display about your Flash text in the Google results page
file. is identical to the first couple
of lines of text at the very top
SDK is fairly intelligent in of the text extracted by
terms of recognizing text and swf2HTML. Armed with the
links that are embedded in the knowledge of how SDK parses your
file. If text is static or content, you can manipulate text
dynamically driven by an XML or in your Flash Movies more
text file, it can be read. If carefully and make your content
your content is dynamically key word dense, easily indexable,
driven it must be done so using search engine friendly and, with
the latest version of a little more skill, even
ActionScript 2.0. The SDK does optimized.
parse ActionScript 2 byte code
looking for links. It could What is the gist of all this?
conceivably find the link to the Flash is still not the best
XML file that way and hand it solution for a pure SEO-based
back to a search engine. project, but their have been
giant leaps forward by both the
As referenced earlier, certain search engines and Macromedia in
text can be modified into a allowing your flash files to be
symbol rather than strait text. indexed and even rank for the key
word phrases you covet.
About the Author:
This Article was written by Mike Goldstein. Mike is the SEO Manager at Rock Coast Media (http://www.rockcoastmedia.com), a Boston-Area search engine marketing firm that provides results-driven custom search marketing solutions.
Read more articles by: Mike Goldstein
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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