Internet Tech Blog

For most Internet users, if Google or Yahoo can’t found something, it means that the object doesn’t exist. This is one of weaknesses of site with Flash (SWF) application-based. Search engines such as Google and Yahoo can see the Flash file, but can’t read what is in, but now this has changed.

Adobe has published a way for search engines to read SWF files and to index the content inside, including the text or links on application. This development is a major progress for Adobe and anyone who develop applications based on Flash / Flex.

Michele Turner, Adobe VP marketing said that they “have released a technology to Google and Yahoo that enables them to find and index the SWF file. SWF files can be searched and will open the millions of Flash files to search.”

The definition of “technology” is Adobe has created a special Flash player for search engines that work like as user that browsing an application. This Flash player exploring every runtime in each Flash application and translate it into something that can be understand by search engine.

Turner claim that the Flash can not be seen by search engine become “a big problem for those who develop applications” because in the end, even how beautiful the site is, there will be no use if can not be find by search engine. Applications and Flash sites can not take advantage of free marketing offered by search engines.

According to Turner, Google has begun using this SWF indexing technology, while Yahoo is still “need to do some things again.”

However, please note that to gain visibility on search engines is good, but they still need to get a higher ranking on search engines. Currently, Google can find about 73 million Flash files on the Internet, but if Adobe not enabling blogger or webmaster to use the deep linking facility (links to specific pages) to the Flash application, they will be less likely to get a good placement on search engines.

And especially, with the rapid development of JavaScript lately, create interactive web applications without Flash is also easier.