Flash / Swish and Search Engines

[SpoonFrog]

Hey Everyone!

I have a question about Flash/Swish site and the search engines. Lets say I have a site where the text box is created using Swish or Flash. Since the text isn't written in the html, how can I assure that my site will get good placement in the search engines?

Thanks!!

[Flash ho]

If your flash file is embedded in an html document, you can add a layer of text under the swf file. example - swf is on z index 4, text is on z index 3. text won't show as swf will cover it, but it will be read by search engines.

btw,Lycos is now recognizing swf files. Others aren't as yet.

[Flash ho]

Google is now using page title and first part of body and similar content site links to your site. According to some article somewhere. :lol:
Using swf for navigation will have no negative effect on SEs. SE are all going to be able to search flash sites very soon now that Lycos has broken the barrier, but in the mean time use the z layer.

Another way is to use the MM sdk file, info here

http://www.bloofusion.com/search_engine_q_and_a/flash_movies_visible.shtml

[SpoonFrog]

It's about time the firgured that out!

Thanks HO, I will check out this link!

[Flash ho]

Not to be confusing, but use the z layer on simple stuff, use the sdk for sites that are all or mostly all flash.

[Shane]

I'm a bit late getting here, moving home etc at the moment, hectic.....

Richard is always spot on. I see a lot of dangerous misinformation on this topic usually taken from or by viewing out of date websites. Flash/search engines, all the web of course moves at a rapid speed. If Search Engines weren't getting up to speed on listing Flash sites half the web would be missing. I'm happy to see misinformation if it means we get higher though.

Haven't seen that article Richard :P , that wouldn't be near a guy who copies and pastes stuff from old web sites would it ? :shock: Petty me ?

Z layers are a great way, as is your intro or loading page containing relevant keywords as normal. Most if not all major engines are updating to follow .swf links as they would HTML links. Google will list on link pop, the actual relevance of the title & www.blahblah.com name to the search topic etc. Major engines AOL,Google, Freeserve, BBC UK etc use DMOZ where the sites get 'human' reviews, so its irrelevant what the page was authored in. Don't believe the hype, I have several sites, all Flash, all top ten where I want them to be top ten.