[thelist] google and other search engines

[Mark Groen]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Justin Zachan" <justin at jazzmanagement.com.au>
To: <thelist at lists.evolt.org>
Sent: May 9, 2004 1:59 AM
Subject: [thelist] google and other search engines


> Hi there. I have recently built a couple of flash only websites. I
have
> submitted them to Google and other search engines. I do know that
flash only
> websites don't do so well for search engines.
>
> Does anyone out there have any suggestions or methods etc to
improve search
> engine stuff for flash only websites.

http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/2161851

>From the article:
1. Question the wisdom in building an expensive Flash site that will
deliver next to zero search-engine marketing benefit. Building both a
Flash and HTML version of your site can help with search engine
visibility since the major search engines should be able to crawl the
HTML version of your site.

Me: I've found that if you include all your links to the site (if
it's one of those nineties style ones with a flash intro) that the
rest of the site will be indexed. Completely Flash sites don't do
well:

<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
summary="page links"><tr><td>
<A HREF=index.htm></A> <A HREF=bio.htm></A> <A HREF=events.htm></A>
<A HREF=cards.htm></A> <A HREF=contact.asp></A> <A
HREF=galleries.htm></A> <A HREF=index.htm></A><!-- Barbara Acheson
creates batik art and original acrylic non-objective paintings at her
home on Bowen Island and also on location throughout North America
and Hawaii -->
<OBJECT classid="clsid: etc. etc.

2. Factor the search engine optimization (SEO) budget into the Flash
site budget. Flash sites might have to participate in the
pay-per-click programs available at both Google and Overture to get
search engine visibility.

Most people have no idea what SEO means and until they don't show up
in Google until the 34th page they don't think about it or assign any
perceived cost to the value they want.

3. Think Flash movies, not Flash sites.  A site built in HTML, with
Flash movies placed inside of the HTML documents, can also have the
strong visual impact your target audience wishes to see.

hth!


cheers,

               Mark

MG Web Services
Web Site Hosting and Development
www.markgroen.com
604-780-6917
Bowen Island, B.C., Canada