Flash & Google

Can google follow flash links

[b4rney]

I always use simple text hyperlinks in my pages.

If I were to use flash buttons am I preventing google from spidering?

<PS>Tried to follow similar link in FAQ but got a file not found!</PS>

[tigger]

Not a flash fan, but I would have thought not.

Yes I know the FAQ's have some dead pages I've droppped a line to BT about this

[jpjones]

Having read other posts on this board, I thought that google would indeed follow links embedded in a flash file.

A point to note is that the links contained within flash are treated as relative to where the flash file is located, for example:

If your flash file is located at:

domain.com/flash/myfile.swf

and you have a link in the flash file which is:

products/widget.htm

Google will read the link and assume it is linking to

domain.com/flash/products/widget.htm

In a browser, if the flash file is displayed in:

domain.com/index.htm

the link would actually go to:

domain.com/products/widget.htm

This is due to the way in which flash files are accessed and referenced. So, the lesson is - never use relative urls in flash files.

HTH,
JP

[tigger]

Oh well you learn something every day

Cheers :)

[4eyes]

b4arney

Google is following my flash links fine, but as already stated, make them absolute not relative.

More importantly, you must have text links as well - the value of the anchor text is crucial and other engines aren't quite as smart as Google.

4Eyes

[SEO practioner]

I agree on text links...

TEXT LINKS RULE