I have a client who is after an all-Flash design. Doing so would mean that all of his content would be inside an swf file. How would this site do with the search engines?

My client is hoping that customers will find his site. We've discussed the importance of back-links, but I am concerned about a website that has no visible content for the search engines.

Any recommendations?

Ken

Flash is horrible for SEO. Search engines currently can't read text in Flash, so anything that you put in it won't show up. You can accomplish a lot of the same functionality with a good JavaScript library like Prototype/Scriptaculous, MooTools, or JQuery. Going the JavaScript route will allow your text to be indexed.

The best recommendation is to convince your client not to use the all Flash site. As VM said above search engines can't read the content.

Your best scenario is you get a lot of links pointing to the site and the site goes on to rank for what's in the anchor text of those links. But keep in mind to a search engine the site will still all be one page.

Your client will need to market the side through other means. It's really going to have problems ranking well. If you could convince your client of a hybrid approach where you embed Flash applications inside of html pages with real text that will help.

I don't want to tell you that your client can't have an all Flash site, but everything comes with pros and cons. One of the cons here is the difficulty in gaining search traffic. Ask your client if the pros are worth that loss in traffic.

I'll consider the hybrid approach suggestion. He's found a flash-based website that he really loves http://www.pureimage.ca, and wants his own website with a similar concept, but his own unique look.

What happens if you load your index page with <!--content--> ?

Ken

What happens if you load your index page with <!--content--> ?

Absolutely nothing at all, though it might raise a "red flag" and the pages get a human inspection.

read through:-
http://www.jehochman.com/articles/se...ly-flash.shtml

However, give this

My client is hoping that customers will find his site.

and he wants then to stay on the page (because most flash "sites" are only one page) using flash is simply not a good idea.

Flash should be used to enhance the pages NOT replace them.

Originally Posted by Ken Rogers

I'll consider the hybrid approach suggestion. He's found a flash-based website that he really loves http://www.pureimage.ca, and wants his own website with a similar concept, but his own unique look.

It would take some work, but really, you could do all of that in JavaScript with Mootools or Scriptaculous.

In my mind, Flash sites only work if you have a significant buzz around the product, your visitors are only going to visit once, and you want to wow them that one time that they visit. A lot of movie sites are done in flash, but they work because they augment the offline campaign and the offline purchase. They also have significant marketing money to throw behind the promotion of the movie and site, so traditional SEO doesn't necessarily apply.

Originally Posted by Ken Rogers

He's found a flash-based website that he really loves http://www.pureimage.ca, and wants his own website with a similar concept, but his own unique look.

My usual approach to these type of discussions is to go back to basics, make sure the clients are clear in their own mind what their objectives are for their web presence (if they are asking for a flash site because they've seen another one that they like the chances are they've not even thought about this) and then work with them to determine whether a flash page really is the way to fulfil those objectives, it can be, for example if you want to create a quick short term buzz, or do something viral that people will look at once, but for the most part this wouldn't be their primary web property.

If they are still dead set on flash for the site after you've done the full consultancy bit then...well do it if you've got the skills and charge them accordingly.