Macromedia Flash technology is definitely one of the coolest graphics animation tools that enables you to add animation, video, and other interactive multimedia features to your Web site. While fun and impressive to your visitors, Flash is thought of as a virtual Search Engine Optimization (SEO) nightmare. It is widely understood that search engine spiders cannot read Flash (.swf) files, and therefore do not index them.
Does this mean I have to avoid Flash completely?
Absolutely not. You can definitely use Flash, but as an element, rather than the one and only feature of your site. As Shari Thurow states in her article on SearchEngineWatch’s ClickZ Network, “think Flash movies, not Flash sites.” Having a Flash element on your site is okay, as long as you have good content and text on the same page to ensure search engine readability. Schipul client Safety Vision features a prominent Flash graphic on their home page, but they also have good html text content as well.
Doesn’t using Flash make my site “invisible” to the search engines?
No – it is a common myth that using only Flash on your site will make you appear "invisible" to the search engines. Google, among other search engines, now claims to be able to index Flash files (at least partially). While this may be true, it is recommended and a safer bet to include classic text and html on your site for optimal crawling by the search engines. But don’t avoid Flash like the plague – it’s an awesome way to add fun interactive features to your site – you just have to make sure you optimize your pages with content as well.
