The future of SEO part 1 – flash SEO
Tuesday 01 February 2011
TAGS: Flash | Search engine optimisation
We all know that search changes daily, Google tweaks its algorithm, users search intents change, and the search engine results architecture changes. Neil M Hancock, Search Marketing Manager at Silverbean looks at 3 of these architecture changes and how they may affect SEO, today its Flash SEO.
What is it?
Flash SEO is the process of optimising Flash content so it can be accurately rendered by the search engines. This means that sites built exclusively in Flash now have a chance to appear high in the SERPs (Search Engines Results Pages).
How is it transforming search?
Flash has been notoriously difficult for search engines to understand, therefore they find it difficult to correctly place the site within their index.
The introduction of Flash files which can be read by search engines, the result of long and on-going discussions between Google and Adobe, means flash designers are no long handicapped in their desire to have a beautifully functional website which also needs to appear near the top of the search engines.
What does this mean for brand marketers?
Ever since Adobe created Flash, many web designers have been creating stunningly beautiful websites built in Flash. Unfortunately these sites have always struggled to rank in the search engines. With the introduction of Flash SEO it increases brands options for attractive web development while not reducing its search engine ranking potential.
How does it work?
The changes to how Flash files are developer are actually minimal, and surprising that it took so long for them to be implemented by Adobe and Google. Ultimately the Flash has to be coded into the site correctly otherwise it will not be rendered by Google, but the only change is that a text based version of the site is also included in the code. It is this text based version that Google accesses and indexes in its results.
How will it develop in the future?
The future of this new development in search will depend solely on the success of flash only websites in the SERP’s. If the new changes appear to have no or little effect in the rankings then SEO and web design companies will once again have to highly recommend sites are built in plain HTML with Flash banners, rather than exclusively in Flash
Coming up in part 2
Next week we'll be looking at how decision engines such as Microsoft's Bing could affect the future of SEO.
UPDATE: For more on the future of SEO take a look at parts 2 and 3 in this series, decision engines and cloud computing
Neil M Hancock is the Search Marketing Manager at Silverbean. If you have any questions or would like to discuss how Silverbean can help you achieve your marketing objectives through an SEO and Link Building campaign; please contact our resident SEO expert using one of the following.
Post a comment