Search Engine Friendly Flash

[wozbk]

I just wrapped up some little details with my portfolio site and wanted to share the site with the KoolMoves community in hopes of getting some feedback.

The site is: www.johnwozniak.com

I am attempting to make my page(s) as Google/search engine "friendly" as possible.

I decided that because the site is very small in scope I would recreate the site with XHTML/CSS and use CSS to hide the containing DIV, in an effort to make the site more spiderable. I am also using some pretty nifty CSS to both horizontally and vertically center the movie (the only drawback being for people on very small screens or low resolution).

Also I want to make sure that I haven't missed anything huge, so feedback is very welcome - I am the designer, developer and QA guy - wearing so many hats I am sure I missed something.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[docree]

Over looking a couple of things...

There is no such thing as "search engine friendly"...
To make your site ranking better thru dubious tricks,
you actually become a search engine feind.
[Spiders can recognize when someone tries to hide something.
If not now, they will tomorrow. Thus spiders can ignore the
page if tricks are used.]

A few tips...
1: The best a webmaster can do, is follow the search engine rules.

2: Add a link section to your page.
[Become part of the web so spiders can spider you.]

3: (2 part B) Make use of a site map...

4: Use less than five words in the title...
[Most spiders will ignore sites that use more.
Three to five words is best.]

I could go on, but that's all at my fingertips...

[wozbk]

Over looking a couple of things...

There is no such thing as "search engine friendly"...
To make your site ranking better thru dubious tricks,
you actually become a search engine feind.
[Spiders can recognize when someone tries to hide something.
If not now, they will tomorrow. Thus spiders can ignore the
page if tricks are used.]
It was a phrase that apparently you don't like - the idea I was trying to explain is accessibility - that would have been a better way to say it. I am not using the techniques you think I am - the "div" that is hidden is with CSS, just a display property - to Google it is there just as if I didn't hide it. You should try it before you knock it.

If you are on my index page and you turn off stylesheets (with Firefox) you still have a site that is content wise identical (no need to link to it in some other way - the flash and non flash page are the same - no dubious tricks needed and I don't employ them or suggest to others to do so. I have enough pages to maintain without using doorway pages (or other similar techniques).

3: (2 part B) Make use of a site map...
I plan on adding an ROR file - a site as small as mine doesn't call for a traditional sitemap (IMHO).

4: Use less than five words in the title...
[Most spiders will ignore sites that use more.
Three to five words is best.]
I would guess you know this is not the case for Google, e.g. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search
Google actually seems to reward you for having more words in the title - it works for the major webhost above. I read in Liz Castro's XHTML/CSS book the same thing about overly long titles, but it seems in the "real world" it helps with Google.

I could go on, but that's all at my fingertips...
I love criticsm because it makes me make my stuff better which is the idea - so I greatly appreciate your feedback - thanks for your comments.

[w.brants]

The flash 8 file format allows for metadata. It should make indexing a swf easier. I don't know if Bob will implement it. It wouldn't be difficult for him but I don't know if it will make a big difference.

[gusmus]

Google actually seems to reward you for having more words in the title

It's worth remembering that the "Google" logarithms are continually changing for the simple reason of down-rating SEO cheats. What may reward today is quite likely to sink you tomorrow. The surefire way to get a top rating is to pay for it. Other than that then it's all down to content, content,and more content well integrated with meta tags and keywords. Flash, to most search engines is nothing more than a gif or a Jpeg without the advantage of hidden text. Some engines can and will read flash but in general it is the html content that hits the spot. Google until about 3 months ago penalised pages for hidden text but at the moment they don't seem to be (that doesn't mean that tomorrow they won't start again). I was approached by a camping company called "Mayest" which as you know is a common biblical expression. The site was buried under about 15 google pages of fundementalist right wing biblical bull**** so I decided to play them at their own game. Try typing "mayest" into google now and then check the html code and you'll see what I mean.. Content is all. But that doesn't mean that tomorrow it won't sink without a trace. I hate using hidden text but in this case a single line turned out to be justified. Look at what words your competitors are using and refine them to your own use, but keep refining until you are sure that you've gone as far as you can (probably in about 6 months time).

Use this and refine it to your own use:

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Mayest Camping</TITLE>
<!-- saved from url=(0013)about:internet -->
<meta name="GENERATOR" content="Koolmoves">
<meta name="description" content="Mayest Camping. Join the exodus. Formar parte del exodo. Disponemos de accesorios para camping y caravaning, avances, antenas, cocinas, accesorios, suelos, paravientos ">
<meta name="keywords" content="Valencia, mayest, accesorios, camping, caravanas, caravaning, avances, electrico, antenas, paravientos, tapalanzas, detergente, imprmeabilizante, cocinas, toldos, articulos, caravana, medidas">
<meta name="robots" content="index,follow">
<meta name="author" content="Cratepages">
<meta name="publisher" content="Cratepages">
<meta name="copyright" content="Mayest Camping">
<META NAME="Content-Language" CONTENT="es">
<meta name="page-topic" content="economia, comercio, servicio, informacion">
<meta name="page-type" content="autocaravanas, remolques,caravanas, accesorios, camping">
<meta name="audience" content="hombres, mujeres, turistas, todos,all">
<meta name="distribution" content="global">
<meta name="revisit-after" content="28 days">
<meta http-equiv="expire" content="0">
<meta http-equiv="pragma" content="no-cache">
<meta http-equiv="cache-control" content="no-cache">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<link rev="made" href="mailto:[email protected]">
<!--// Disponemos de accesorios para camping y caravaning, avances, antenas, cocinas, accesorios, suelos, paravientos //-->
</HEAD>

This was the trick hidden copy:

<p><font size="-3" color="#121537">Mayest. Lider en la fabricación de avances, cocinas, accesorios para caravanas y camping. Thou mayest camp. Mayest thou camp? Mayest camping, el genesis.Join the exodus.Formar parte del exodo.</font></p>

[wozbk]

Getting downgraded because you are "cheating" has absolutely nothing to do with my post. Although Google's algorithms are fun to think about. I understand they explain them on their site now .

I am simply providing alternative content in XHTML/CSS and using #someId { display: none; } to not display it unless styles are disabled.

I am working on an elegant way to enable the user to disable stylesheets and or load one that shows the XHTML and hides the Flash, for those that require greater accessibility.

Maybe I will just use the radio button stylesheet switcher I have on the footer at www.simbology.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[blanius]

Although Google's algorithms are fun to think about. I understand they explain them on their site now .

Hysterical link!

[gusmus]

I hear that Bill Gates is now working on "Vulture-Rank (TM)" . Apparently it absorbs everything of value , fills it with security holes and then dumps it all on the unsuspecting.

[wozbk]

Google did ultimately ignore my (admittedly) overly long page titles (since removed) in favor of a "description".

As always, real meta-data is the best, as you have all pointed out.

Cheers!

[tmoore935]

Hysterical link!

Why hasn't the ACLU or PETA been notified!