[UPHPU] SEO and Flash

[Brandon Stout]

justin wrote:
> a couple of thoughts on seo for flash sites:
>
> 0. don't use flash. really. don't.
>
> 1. if you must use flash, minimize it. for seo purposes, less flash is
> always better. a few small flash files will often provide just as much
> magic as one large, full site monstrosity.
>
> 2. avoid flash based navigation. flash is fun for embedded media, cool
> animated images, etc. terrible for navigation.
>
> 3. if you absolutely must have flash navigation:
>     a. make sure every navigation click in a flash page actually loads
> a new page, not just new flash content.
>     b. provide an alternate navigation. make sure you can get to every
> page on the site without using flash. on this particular site, the
> footer navigation would work.
>
> 4. consider using javascript flash detection. one side unfortunate
> side effect of this is that users with javascript disabled will not be
> served flash content. but neither will googlebot.
>
> 5. if you use javascript flash detection, provide alternate identical
> content. for every paragraph in the flash file, put one in plain text.
> hide this content with javascript if you serve them the flash content.
>
>
> in the case of your client, i'd keep the flash slideshow looking thing
> in the middle of the screen. ditch the flash navigation. you'll
> prob'ly get more seo mileage out of worrying about everything else you
> can do for the site. i don't see the current the flash as a major
> problem with this site. but you might try to talk them out of adding a
> bunch more...
>
>
> justin
>   

Thank you for your suggestions Justin.  I have similar thoughts, but the 
navigation may be a challange.  They want the trapezoid-shaped buttons 
since it goes along with the IsoTruss frame's look.

I wonder if there's a way to do the color change effects on the top 
navigation bar's trapezoid-shaped buttons with css?

Brandon Stout
http://mscis.org