Search Engines and Flash Links

  • Thread starter Thread starter Thomas A. Rowe
  • Start date Start date
T

Thomas A. Rowe

Quick question...

If you put your mouse over a link and you can NOT see the URL in the browser's status bar, is that a
good indication that search engines will not be able to follow the link?

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================
 
In theory no - I've read in a few places that Google can index Flash
content. It's anyone bet whether a flash link would count as well as an HTML
link though - I've no use for Flash so couldn't offer a "real world"
opinion.
 
See http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_16603

--




| Quick question...
|
| If you put your mouse over a link and you can NOT see the URL in the browser's status bar, is that a
| good indication that search engines will not be able to follow the link?
|
| --
| ==============================================
| Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| WEBMASTER Resources(tm)
|
| FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
| ==============================================
| To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
| http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
|
|
|
 
Yep. Seems to be true that Google can parse Flash links.

As far as I know, no SE spider can parse javascript links, though. So, a
link that is dynamically written, e.g.,

<script>document.write("<a href=" + "'" + somejsvar + '"' + ">"

(i.e., just about every 'menu system' out there, like OpenCube, Xara,
Coalesys, HierMenus, AllTheWeb, etc.) will be opaque to spiders.
 
Agree
- that's why there should always be at least a bare bones text nav (say at bottom of page) w/ a link to say a sitemap page when ever
you use DHTML
- and a no frames page w/ same for a framed site

--




| Yep. Seems to be true that Google can parse Flash links.
|
| As far as I know, no SE spider can parse javascript links, though. So, a
| link that is dynamically written, e.g.,
|
| <script>document.write("<a href=" + "'" + somejsvar + '"' + ">"
|
| (i.e., just about every 'menu system' out there, like OpenCube, Xara,
| Coalesys, HierMenus, AllTheWeb, etc.) will be opaque to spiders.
|
| --
| Murray
| ============
|
| | > See http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_16603
| >
| > --
| >
| > _____________________________________________
| > SBR @ ENJOY (-: [ Microsoft MVP - FrontPage ]
| > "Warning - Using the F1 Key will not break anything!" (-;
| > To find the best Newsgroup for FrontPage support see:
| > http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| > _____________________________________________
| >
| >
| > | > | Quick question...
| > |
| > | If you put your mouse over a link and you can NOT see the URL in the
| > browser's status bar, is that a
| > | good indication that search engines will not be able to follow the link?
| > |
| > | --
| > | ==============================================
| > | Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| > | WEBMASTER Resources(tm)
| > |
| > | FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
| > | ==============================================
| > | To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
| > | http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| > |
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|
 
In this case there are plain text links at the bottom of the page (FP Navigation)

The links in the Flash navigation are pulled from two separate files:

The first provides the text name of the link and is specified in a .txt file as:

&menu1=Services

and then in the second .js file, the link is specified as:

case 1:window.location="services.asp" ;break;

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================


Stefan B Rusynko said:
Agree
- that's why there should always be at least a bare bones text nav (say at bottom of page) w/ a
link to say a sitemap page when ever
you use DHTML
- and a no frames page w/ same for a framed site

--




| Yep. Seems to be true that Google can parse Flash links.
|
| As far as I know, no SE spider can parse javascript links, though. So, a
| link that is dynamically written, e.g.,
|
| <script>document.write("<a href=" + "'" + somejsvar + '"' + ">"
|
| (i.e., just about every 'menu system' out there, like OpenCube, Xara,
| Coalesys, HierMenus, AllTheWeb, etc.) will be opaque to spiders.
|
| --
| Murray
| ============
|
| | > See http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_16603
| >
| > --
| >
| > _____________________________________________
| > SBR @ ENJOY (-: [ Microsoft MVP - FrontPage ]
| > "Warning - Using the F1 Key will not break anything!" (-;
| > To find the best Newsgroup for FrontPage support see:
| > http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| > _____________________________________________
| >
| >
| > | > | Quick question...
| > |
| > | If you put your mouse over a link and you can NOT see the URL in the
| > browser's status bar, is that a
| > | good indication that search engines will not be able to follow the link?
| > |
| > | --
| > | ==============================================
| > | Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| > | WEBMASTER Resources(tm)
| > |
| > | FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
| > | ==============================================
| > | To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
| > | http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| > |
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|
 
TBMK they will not see the flash script links
- they will see the bottom text nav

--




| In this case there are plain text links at the bottom of the page (FP Navigation)
|
| The links in the Flash navigation are pulled from two separate files:
|
| The first provides the text name of the link and is specified in a .txt file as:
|
| &menu1=Services
|
| and then in the second .js file, the link is specified as:
|
| case 1:window.location="services.asp" ;break;
|
| --
| ==============================================
| Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| WEBMASTER Resources(tm)
|
| FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
| ==============================================
| To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
| http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
|
| | > Agree
| > - that's why there should always be at least a bare bones text nav (say at bottom of page) w/ a
| > link to say a sitemap page when ever
| > you use DHTML
| > - and a no frames page w/ same for a framed site
| >
| > --
| >
| > _____________________________________________
| > SBR @ ENJOY (-: [ Microsoft MVP - FrontPage ]
| > "Warning - Using the F1 Key will not break anything!" (-;
| > To find the best Newsgroup for FrontPage support see:
| > http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| > _____________________________________________
| >
| >
| > | > | Yep. Seems to be true that Google can parse Flash links.
| > |
| > | As far as I know, no SE spider can parse javascript links, though. So, a
| > | link that is dynamically written, e.g.,
| > |
| > | <script>document.write("<a href=" + "'" + somejsvar + '"' + ">"
| > |
| > | (i.e., just about every 'menu system' out there, like OpenCube, Xara,
| > | Coalesys, HierMenus, AllTheWeb, etc.) will be opaque to spiders.
| > |
| > | --
| > | Murray
| > | ============
| > |
| > | | > | > See http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_16603
| > | >
| > | > --
| > | >
| > | > _____________________________________________
| > | > SBR @ ENJOY (-: [ Microsoft MVP - FrontPage ]
| > | > "Warning - Using the F1 Key will not break anything!" (-;
| > | > To find the best Newsgroup for FrontPage support see:
| > | > http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| > | > _____________________________________________
| > | >
| > | >
| > | > | > | > | Quick question...
| > | > |
| > | > | If you put your mouse over a link and you can NOT see the URL in the
| > | > browser's status bar, is that a
| > | > | good indication that search engines will not be able to follow the link?
| > | > |
| > | > | --
| > | > | ==============================================
| > | > | Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
| > | > | WEBMASTER Resources(tm)
| > | > |
| > | > | FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
| > | > | ==============================================
| > | > | To assist you in getting the best answers for FrontPage support see:
| > | > | http://www.net-sites.com/sitebuilder/newsgroups.asp
| > | > |
| > | > |
| > | > |
| > | >
| > | >
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|
 
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