As of June 30th, Google has the ability to crawl Flash

More to the point, it has learned to index text – including URL’s – embedded in Flash files.

Google says that it “has been working on a new algorithm for indexing textual content in Flash files of all kinds, from Flash menus, buttons and banners, to self-contained Flash websites.”

Prior to this enhancement, websites developed in Flash, including web content embedded in Flash files, were invisible to Google and other search engines.  As of today, Google’s new Flash algorithm means web designers and SEOs can expect better visibility of published Flash content including better search results and snippets. 

Although Google can now index Content in Flash, it still cannot index images.

What are the implications?

For yours truly, this means that I’m no longer able to tell people that a Flash-heavy site is search engine suicide.  It also means that sites with Flash files now have more SEO opportunities available to them. 

That said, with less than a week since this announcement, it has yet to be determined what – if any – impact this will have on SEO and whether Google’s Flash crawling capabilities will rival those of HTML. 

For instance, will the new Flash algorithm recognize formatting?  How search engine friendly is it? Will this enhance usability?  It’s unlikely that Google will share the nitty-gritty of this new algorithm, especially at this early stage.

Stay tuned…

Ray Litvak
www.writingwebwords.com
Professional Web Content and Copy Writer – Toronto, Canada

I’ve been writing web content & copy for years and have built a career around it. 

Like most web ventures, the barrier to entry is low and web writing is no different. Anyone that’s blogged or been published online can claim to be a web writer.  Really, all you need is an Internet connection, basic grasp of language, publishing credit and voila!  You’re a web writer.

In similar fashion, anyone with knowledge of HTML or (dare I say it) FrontPage, can claim to be a web designer.  Web design resources are endless.  For instance, consider the Dummies Series – quick & easy reads for Do-It-Yourselfer’s. A web search shows just a few of the books available for ‘web design’ including:

• Web Sites Do-It-Yourself For Dummies
• Creating Web Pages For Dummies
• Building a Web Site For Dummies
• CSS Web Design For Dummies

(Note: in no way is yours truly implying that web designers are dummies)

The Dummies Series offers many options for those wanting to write, but most involve offline writing. Those that do cover online writing deal with ‘Technical Writing’ and/or programming and mark up languages i.e. C++, Java, XML etc…

So, with no Dummies Series based on ‘online writing’, what’s an aspiring web writer to do?  What skills does one need to become a ‘professional web writer?’ How does one enter the world of ‘professional web writing?’ 

This question arose recently. To be more exact, I was approached by a company interested in sub-contracting a professional web writer.  They had offered to let me write something for them – on behalf of a client – and, based on the search results it garnered, would consider hiring me for future projects. 

Their offer led me to consider what my time and service is worth, which my client’s presently pay good money and get value for in the form of search rankings, lead generation and professional, informed advice.

In essence, the real question is this, “What does a professional web writer do and why is she/he worth $150.00 per page or more?”

Feel free to visit my article titled How to Become a Professional Web Writer to find out more…

Ray Litvak
www.writingwebwords.com
Professional Web Writer & Online Copywriter – Toronto