Member Avatar for HelenLF

As I understand it, Google can't read flash
and
Google gives higher weight to keywords and phrases that are nearer the top of the page. (Or have I got it wrong)

So, if I am putting a flash slideshow on a homepage, does it matter if this is positioned higher in the page than the main text content?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by beearcade

Dani AI

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Short version for : visual placement matters for users, not for crawlers. What matters to search engines is the HTML DOM and semantic markup — not a Flash object that browsers and search engines no longer handle reliably. Adobe ended Flash support in 2020, so any essential copy, links or headings inside the slideshow should also exist as real HTML on the page (Adobe Flash Player EOL).

Practical steps to keep SEO safe and UX good:

  • Put the main headline and important text in semantic HTML (H1/H2, paragraph content) so crawlers and assistive tech see it first. This echoes but clarifies: headings belong in the HTML, not inside Flash.

  • If the slideshow must appear visually at the top, keep the textual content earlier in the DOM and use CSS to change visual order (flex/grid) so crawlers still encounter the text first. Example pattern:

    <!-- HTML: main content first for bots -->
<div class="main-text">...H1 and summary...</div>
<div class="slideshow">...embed/fallback...</div>

/* CSS: display slideshow above visually */
.wrapper { display: flex; flex-direction: column-reverse; }

  • Provide an HTML fallback or caption list under/next to the slideshow with the same copy and links. Replace Flash with an HTML5/JavaScript slider for mobile and accessibility.

  • Follow the basics in the Search Central SEO starter guide for crawlable content and structure (Google SEO starter guide).

Notes tied to thread: and are correct that Flash content is risky for indexing; is right that meta-keywords are not useful — focus on visible HTML, semantic structure, and performance instead.

Recommended Answers

All 6 Replies

Member Avatar for canadafred

I wouldn't think it would matter very much. The bot will pass it by in search of other web content.

Member Avatar for snapshot

The placement of texts on pages might not be that important since such theories belong to the past at the time of meta tags since nowadays the search bots look for fresh contents and count links.

Member Avatar for AirForceOne

In my own experiences, it is better for crawlers to pick up your main targeted keywords at the very beginning of your pages. Using H1, bold or italic keywords would be more efficient for ranking purpose. :)

Have a nice day,

Member Avatar for infinique

If your site is purely flash, you can only play around with Title Tag, Meta Keywords and Meta Description. It's not the end of the world but it's way tougher.

Member Avatar for HelenLF

If your site is purely flash...

No, the flash is just a small part of the homepage, I just wondered if it's position would impact on the SEO.

Member Avatar for beearcade

meta keyword is not of any use these days.

Edited by beearcade because: n/a
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