Great links from Tariq. Here is my 2ยข.
Search engines do index SWF files. However, search engines do not include SWF files in search results. Huh? Go to google.com an enter: filetype:swf ColdFusion Then SWF files are returned. But in the absence of the advanced search clause filetype:swf google omits the SWF files from the results. So really, it looks like there is not much more that Adobe can do. The SWF files are searchable, search engines do index them, but search engines do not include SWF files in search results. So ... given this state of affairs it appears that "the topic of Flash and SEO was an old and 'dead' one." Why? Why don't search engines include SWFs in search results? It might have to do with "view state" (I am just guessing on this). The problem may be that SWFs generally have more than one "view state". The search engine wants users to immediately see their search term when viewing the indexed page returned. But how would they do this with a SWF? Kevin Lynch put this demo up on his blog back in Nov 2004: www.klynch.com/archives/000076.html Kevin's demo shows how a SWF could be constructed such that "the current state of an application" could be "displayed in the browser's location URL". I guess if all SWFs did this then search engines could go directly to specific view states. But it is a rare SWF indeed that does this. So anyway, whether the SWF is generated by CF, Flex, Flash, Captivate, Breeze, etc. it looks like the ball is in the search engines' courts. I would be profoundly appreciative if someone from each search engine company would post a clarification of why, though indexable, they do not include SWFs in search results. Or maybe if someone with an email at adobe.com will just come out and give us the straight scoop on this. Heck, someone at old Macromedia must have had some heart-to-heart conversations with the search engine companies about including SWFs in search results. btw ... google's support for the advanced search clause filetype:swf is not even exposed on their Advanced Search page: www.google.com/advanced_search There, alongside "File Type" you will see a drop down of supported file types. Although swf is supported, they do not include it. Go figure. hth, g On 8/5/06, Michael Dinowitz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > So Adobe didn't add in any specific mechanisms to allow the textual > content > of a flex app/page to be seen by a search engine? I didn't find any > reference in the Flex docs, but someone did mention in an interview that > the > topic of Flash and SEO was an old and 'dead' one. > > > > Hi Michael. It's not a slam dunk, and tricks will need to be employed. > > Here's some starters: > > > > http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/04/44/index4a.html > > http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_16603 > > http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol6/promo_no12.htm > > > > > > > > Michael Dinowitz wrote: > >> Are there any solid examples or papers on using Flex with search > engines? > >> Having Google ads in a flex application (not in an iframe like jamjar) > or > >> having a small flex app on a page with related ads? > >> > >> Michael Dinowitz > >> President: House of Fusion > >> http://www.houseoffusion.com > >> Publisher: Fusion Authority > >> http://www.fusionauthority.com > >> Adobe Community Expert > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/Flex/message.cfm/messageid:3095 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/Flex/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.37
