Some Reasons Why Include:

1.) Different Content is Not on Different URLs

You could have unique frames, movies within movies, etc. that appear to be completely unique portions of the Flash site, yet there’s no way to link to these individual elements.

2.) The Breakdown of Text

Google can index the output files in the SWF to see words and phrases, but in Flash, a lot of your text isn’t in nice clean <h1> or <p> tags, it’s jumbled up into half phrases for graphical effects and will often be outputted in the incorrect order.
3.) Flash Gets Embedded

A lot of Flash content is only linked-to by other Flash content wrapped inside shell Flash pages. This line of links, where no other internal or external URLs are referencing the interior content, means some very low PageRank/link juice documents. Even if they manage to stay in the main index, they probably won’t rank for anything.

4.) Testing ‘Crawlability’ with Hope

That’s what you’re doing with Flash content for SEO – hoping. Google’s Flash-crawling technology is proprietary, and while we all know and can test what search engines see from a content and link perspective in HTML, there’s no “test my site’s Flash file crawlability” feature.

5.) Flash Doesn’t Earn External Links Like HTML

Etiquette on the web simply doesn’t lend itself to Flash media earning link love. An all-Flash site might get a large number of links to the homepage, but interior pages almost always suffer.

6.) SEO Basics Are Often Missing

Anchor text, headlines, bold/strong text, img alt tags, and even title tags are not simple elements to properly include in Flash, and 9 times out of 10, the designer won’t build them in properly.

7.) A Lot of Flash Isn’t Even Crawlable

Google said they don’t execute external javascript calls (which many Flash-based sites use) or index the content from external files called by Flash (which, again, a lot of Flash sites rely on). These limitations could severely impact what a visitor can see vs. what Googlebot can index.

Of course, it is nice to see some Flash content ranking at Google (like for the query “break apart flash letters,” which illustrates point #2 above quite nicely). Just don’t let a Flash developer who just found out about Google’s new ability to crawl their work talk you into doing anything rash.

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3. Anchors Aways: Anchor Text Optimization for SEM

When a web page’s file name is oriented to SEO, it will have a better chance of gaining high rankings in search results – especially if other efforts are made to optimize it. To be SEO friendly, a file name should do each of the following:

1. Contain keywords that people search for (the words must also be relevant to the page’s content)

2. Separate the keywords, preferably with hyphens (-); see the example below.

3. Avoid repeating words in the rest of the URL, like domain or directory names.

This is not really all that difficult to implement. Here are some examples of SEO friendly web page file names:

pascal-programming-books.htm

used-motorcycles-los-angeles.htm

get-better-tv-reception.shtml

charlotte-nc-weather-report.asp

easy-microwave-recipes.php

Hyphens separate the words so that search engines can individually recognize them, rather than seeing them as one long, unintelligible word. Some sites use other punctuation, but hyphens are the most SEO friendly.

If your web site already has dozens or hundreds of pages, it is probably best to start using these file names on new pages, but to leave the existing pages as they are.

On the other hand, if your site only has a few pages, it might be worthwhile to change their file names. However, the old pages ought to be removed and your site should be set to redirect users from the old URLs to the new. Search engines don’t look favorably on duplicate pages, and you also don’t want users who have “bookmarked” the pages not to be able to return.

Putting in a little extra time to make your file names SEO friendly should eventually help increase your search engine based traffic without much difficulty.

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1. As soon as possible, complete, optimize, and make available the smallest portion of the site which is useful. For example, upload just the home page and ordering page first, but include a notice that more information is under construction. This way, search engines will find and index the site earlier, but your non-SEO promotional efforts can wait until all construction has been finished. Then you can have a “grand opening” (perhaps using a press release) to show users all that your site has to offer. Keep in mind that it typically takes months after a website is first indexed in Google before it has a chance of gaining high search result positions there.

2. Work on SEO keyword targeting, META tag creation, and search engine “spider” accessibility while the site is under construction, not later. This will save time when you don’t have to rewrite or update pages for SEO in the future. Be sure to incorporate a Site Map into your design. It is also good to learn about proper internet promotional techniques during this process, so you aren’t deceived into applying any detrimental practices like posting to FFA pages or trading links with completely unrelated web sites. Don’t hurry to finish all of the pages immediately or to start promoting the site in any way possible.

3. Don’t submit the incomplete site to directories or try reciprocal linking until it has been finished. Otherwise, the operators of directories or other sites will be less likely to find your site impressive enough to link to, and your chance to be listed will probably be lost. However, it is generally acceptable to send free link submissions to major directories which take months to approve them, as long as the construction process is expected to finish in under a month. Make a list of any directories you submit to, as it can be difficult to remember, and it’s best not to submit to the same directory more than once.

Following these SEO tips will help your site attain higher rankings in search results at an earlier date, with fewer changes needed when it is no longer under construction. This will also prevent mistakes which could undermine the site’s success.

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URL styles affect SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in two significant ways. First, the words contained in the URL – its subdomain, domain, subdirectory, and filename – help the corresponding webpage to gain a higher ranking in search results for these keywords. If there is more than one word in the domain name, filename, or other part of the structure, it is important for the words to be separated (when possible). They can be separated using hyphens or underscores, although hyphens are typically preferred. This allows the search engine’s computer software to distinguish between each of the separate keywords. It is best if these keywords are also used in the text of the webpage in question.

Second, URL structure is also important to SEO because people see URLs when looking at search result listings (on most search engines). They are more likely to visit a site if its address is short and/or contains words related to the subject of interest. A webpage with a relevant domain or subdomain name seems more likely to provide useful information than a page without this advantage. Most major search engines make any search keywords in the URL appear bold, helping to attract the attention of searchers. Yahoo shows the domain name in bold as well. This factor probably isn’t as important to SEO as the impact URL structure has upon search result positioning, but it is worth keeping in mind.

Both of these factors encourage website operators to use a long URL structure with numerous separated keywords. However, very long URLs do have some non-SEO drawbacks. People are reluctant to write them down or use them in print, they take longer to copy & paste, and they use more storage space and bandwidth (because of the long URLs appearing in HTML link codes). A domain name with many words may be forgotten if it is not immediately added to a user’s bookmark/favorites list. It is best to balance these concerns by avoiding the use of multiple subdirectories, leaving out unnecessary connecting words, and curtailing any excessive insertion of keywords in URLs.

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404 redirects send the user to a single “catch-all” page which tells them that the webpage they are looking for does not exist. It can then link to the home page, allow visitors to search the web site, or provide a list of links for each section. It is not specific to the URL the user entered, and will show the same information regardless of whether the URL was incorrect or outdated. According to wikipedia.org, a 404 redirect page should be at least 513 bytes for compatibility with some versions of MSIE. Example:

ErrorDocument 404 /notfound.html

On the other hand, a 301 redirect forwards visitors going to a specific (former) webpage to a new page. If the user is sending form data to a PHP file, such as a search query, this data will be redirected to the new page as well. This can give users a more specific replacement for the invalid address they are trying to reach, increasing the chance that they will stay on the web site. Example, for a site where the search feature has been moved to a new subdomain:

Redirect 301 /find.php http://search.example.com/results.php

So which type of redirect is better for web sites to use? This depends upon the situation. If a webpage has been moved or combined with other pages, a 301 redirect is probably best. However, if pages have been deleted and there is no similar content on the web site, or users are just typing in the wrong URLs, a 404 redirect is better. Many sites can effectively make use of both 301 and 404 redirects.

When a page’s location is changed, both types of redirect are better than leaving duplicate pages in place. Search engines do not react favorably to multiple pages with identical content, and the web site operator receives the added burden of having to update both pages every time a change needs to be made.

Webpage redirection can be set up through cPanel (or a similar interface), or by adding/editing .htaccess files (via FTP or File Manager). Other types of automatic redirects exist as well, such as 302 and 307 (like 301, but “temporary”) and META refresh – which usually isn’t recommended, but is better than nothing if a hosting provider doesn’t allow other types.

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A website’s architecture is composed of domains sections, categories, pages and media, among other items. Domains are the top level of the structure, potentially housing multiple sub-domains. Sections are the organizational hubs that hold categories, and occasionally other sections. Categories are reference points for pages and media. Pages are web documents in a variety of languages such as HTML, PHP or ASP. And media are images, videos, pdfs, sound files and so on.

So what are some things you should avoid for the best SEO results on a site? Well, first of all is duplicate content. Search engines only show one version of a page so if they crawl the same thing 5 times, the time spent doing that is wasted. The same goes for print pages. With either of these you should try to use a unique URL folder structure to modify those files so the robots don’t crawl them.

Another big issue is canonical problems. These allow users to find your site both with and without the “www” before the domain name. Crawlers think these are two different websites that have copied one another and this leads to an enormous problem with duplicate content.

So, what are some things you should do to enhance your information architecture for SEO? Definitely try to make your hierarchy as clean and simple as possible. Ensure that your navigation is consistent and that it’s always in the same place on your site. This makes it easier for crawlers and humans alike. Another helpful thing to do is to use cross-linking. This is when you are browsing a site and they have suggestions along the bottom for similar things on their site you may be interested in.

Knowing more about information architecture is crucial to SEO, but it also helps user interaction. And at the end of the day that’s just as, if not more, important to the success of a site.

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1. Lines of text wider than the screen: Some websites require users with common lower-resolution displays to repeatedly scroll left and right across the screen while reading each line. A website should be designed so that it appears properly on any screen resolution. Worse still, a number of websites have design mistakes which cause part of the page (especially common within non-scrolling frames) to be completely obscured at some resolution levels.

2. Too much javascript, Flash, etc: When a website relies upon Flash, javascript, and IFRAMEs (especially those supplied by external sites) for most of its content, search engine “spiders” find very little intelligible material when they check the website, and users with browsers that aren’t javascript-enabled won’t see much either. Having some original content is generally better for search rankings.

3. Right-click blockers: It is relatively common to visit a website that shows error messages if you try to use the right mouse button. The reason for this is to discourage people from copying the page or its images. However, it prevents legitimate right-click functions like opening a link in a new browser window, and someone intent upon stealing the content can still do so in a different way. It also makes the page take longer to load.

4. Poor color combination: One of the top website mistakes is to use a color scheme that is hard to read (or look at). Be creative with the choice of colors, but make sure the lettering contrasts well with the background (which shouldn’t be unnecessarily bright). Even the best information or offers may be ignored if they are difficult to read or otherwise undesirable.

5. Internet Explorer based design: Because IE is the top web browser, some website designers only consider how a site will appear in it. However, when the 08/2008 market share (according to w3schools.com) of Firefox, Opera, and Safari are combined, it is about 48%. Also, search engine “spiders” see a website more like text-only browsers do. Keep in mind that Windows 95 users are limited to IE 5.5, and 98/2000/ME users to IE 6.x, so these versions remain common.

Avoiding these top website mistakes is to the benefit of both the site’s users and owner. Web designers working for someone else will find that they have to correct fewer mistakes and respond to less complaints if they avoid the above-mentioned design flaws.

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Some important basics about the SWFObject include the fact that it offers a JavaScript API that intends to supply a complete tool set for embedding SWF files and retrieving Flash Player related information. SWFObject also only uses one small JavaScript file, 9.5Kb/GZIPed:3.8Kb.

Many experts believe that SWFObject will eventually replace Adobes’ Flash Player Detection Kit. The program also intends to merge all existing Flash Player embed methods and provide a new standard for embedding Adobe Flash Player content. Best of all its an open source project.

There are quite a few reasons for using SWFObject. It is more flexible and optimized than other Flash Player embed methods for one. It also offers a solution for you whether you are an HTML, Flash or JavaScript developer. Additionally it uses unobtrusive JavaScript and JavaScript best practices and is extremely easy to use.

With SFWObject you can use both static and dynamic publishing methods. The only thing it doesn’t support is XML MIME types. SWFObject used to be called FlashObject. The name was changed due to legal/trademark reasons.

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A benefit of using content-related images is that they give a website the potential to receive traffic through the Image Search features on search engines like Yahoo, Google, and AltaVista. Using images which are not too small, but display acceptably when reduced to a relatively small size, will likely produce a greater number of clicks. While of less significance, it should also be noted that large images are visible on search engines and directories which show thumbnail graphics next to their results, such as Alexa.com or Del.icio.us.

Some image search engines, including Yahoo, display the filenames of images below them. On the other hand, if a webpage has a caption directly below an image, this will likely be used as the caption for Google results. Google Webmaster Tools users can freely opt-in to the Enhanced Image Search feature. According to Google.com, this helps them more effectively index images on a site, partially through using an interesting feature called “Google Image Labeler”.

Words displayed within a picture will not affect the webpage’s SEO keyword density, and the page won’t appear in search results for words that only appear in the image-based text. Putting text which is unrelated to the page’s subject in an image might improve its keyword density for relevant words, which is useful for SEO purposes. Examples of such text may include contact information, advertisements, ordering instructions, or product specifications.

Using relevant images also frequently makes web content more interesting, useful, and attractive. This is beneficial to SEO efforts because it encourages people to voluntarily link to the page and makes it more likely to receive attention on social bookmarking services.

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1. Web site owners who create their own sites should learn about META tags and how to achieve the best keyword density. It is also helpful to understand how search engine “spiders” (or “robots”) work, including the types of content they can and cannot read.

2. If you have someone else design your new web site, find a web designer with SEO experience who is willing to optimize the site in the process of designing it. Some designers have little understanding of SEO and create sites which are very unfavorable in this manner.

3. When initially launching and promoting the web site, be careful not to use advertising methods which are frowned upon by search engines. Such methods include posting to FFA link pages or buying links without the “nofollow” attribute/tag.

4. If the new website needs to have text-based content produced for it before launching, it is best if a writer who is skilled in SEO creates this material. This type of content may include informational articles, blog entries, press releases, or product descriptions.

5. Although it may seem more visually appealing or easier to create, designers should avoid putting paragraphs of text inside images. This is detrimental to SEO in most situations, because search engine spiders can’t read this type of text. Navigation systems should also be search engine friendly, and it is a good idea to create a site map before launching the new website.

6. Some types of SEO oriented promotional techniques can draw attention to a new web site as it is launched, while also improving its search engine ranking. These techniques include submitting the site to article directories, posting it on social bookmarking systems, or using it in a forum signature.

Keeping SEO in mind while launching a new website provides some incidental benefits as well. Sites which are search engine friendly are often less difficult to access for people who have less common web browsers or are visually impaired. Sites designed with SEO in mind also tend to have easier navigation and are better-organized.

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