How to SEO a Full flash web sites ?

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Sometimes client want to get done fully Flash based web sites. These sites are a nightmare for webmasters since you can do very little for on-page optimization. What are the best methods to search engine optimize a full flash web site ?

[rain22]

tittle tags + description + off page SEO can do the work, But its not easy to rank them as the other sites.

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Meta keyword tag valuable here to though usually taken as a useless tag. Because that's another way to point out keywords in a flash.

[Alicia]

Sometimes client want to get done fully Flash based web sites. These sites are a nightmare for webmasters since you can do very little for on-page optimization. What are the best methods to search engine optimize a full flash web site ?

Actually it's not as bad as you may think...

there are actually advantages if you know how to use them. ( most people end their posts here and that's how you tell the Sig-Whores from real people). I hate it when people end a post with "if you know what you're doing " hahahha

So... here goes.

Because the site is in flash... It is basically invisible to Google as far as we know ( according to current theory ). But, you can take advantage of this... it means there are areas of the site are completely Blank and can be 100% optimized for the search terms your client wants.

Think of it like a page with a huge top end graphic... all the page text is forced down to the bottom. But it is still there. it's the same with flash sites you just need to engineer the site structure to look good. Google still knows if the user is spending time at the site and coming back to it so you're not going to lose out on the net-vote-factor.

Since flash sites are typically one page (where as the user navigates through the flash build)... this means you have basically an unlimited space to make landing pages. At the top of each landing page you can place a flash entry point ( a smaller flash object that is just as flashy as the homepage might be ) to get visitors to the flash homepage.

So basically you're building two sites.

- The flash site where they want to attract people with graphics and animation and whatever other reasons they chose flash
- And an Seo site integrated with it. Basically a bunch of landing pages that you will need to be high quality on.

It actually turns out better this way because you can really drill on the Seo factors on the HTML side... And do whatever on the flash side.

The reason I know this works is because I work with this site that is built completely from Ajax all the way from the homepage. We're working on the assumption that Ajax loads do not go into Google (similar to flash sites not being read by Google). And so far it's been pretty true. The site ranks in the top 15 and has never had any SEO

Let me know if you have more questions

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Thanks for the great post Alicia. So the best solution for this is creating HTML site parallel to the Flash site within same domain and use those HTML pages as landing pages ?

It would work beautifully. Only problem is getting your client persuaded to create basically a html site with the FLASH site. Usually pro level Flash site cost a lot to develop and asking for a HTML site don't make then happy (being there).

But I guess this is the most practical solution we can get.

[Alicia]

Only problem is getting your client persuaded to create basically a html site with the FLASH site. Usually pro level Flash site cost a lot to develop and asking for a HTML site don't make then happy (being there).

But I guess this is the most practical solution we can get.

Well it sounds like your you are in touch with the fact that clients often want what is unrealistic and not practical for their business. I would never advise doing a site in flash but it sounds like your client is already set on it.

I think you just need to put it down on paper for them to see what the potential benefits are. If they are straight up saying no to HTML pages then that's just basic ignorance. If you want search engine traffic you have to be readable by search engines. if the client can't accept this they may be more trouble than they are worth.

Choosing flash for an entire website is usually a pretty bad call but since I don't know what the business is like Ike can't say that for sure. What I can say for sure is that many people graduated with degrees in flash.... or achieved certifications in flash... and subsequently flash is the extent of their skills. They don't know anything else... and so that is all they ever propose to clients.

The clients buy into it because it looks hot but they don't understand or look to the future

Good luck on this one