SEO Guide for building a new website in HTML or Flash

This document includes basic guidelines for attributes and features to include in new HTML sites and Flash sites.

HTML Sites

URL’s
Use static URL’s whenever possible, or if using dynamic URL’s, ensure you do not use session ID’s as they block search engine spiders.

Title, Meta-description, Meta-keywords
Provision should be made for the inclusion of individual title, meta-description and meta-keywords on every page.

H1 tag
Include best search terms for the page in an H1 tag near the top of the page. Format the font and size by redefining the H1 tag in your stylesheet.

H2 tags
Use H2 tags to highlight any subheadings. Format the font and size by redefining the H2 tag in your stylesheet.

Text content
Include high quality text content on each page. Aim for 200-500 words on every page. Identify your main search terms and include them near the start of every paragraph.
Try not to hide your text content within images – it cannot be read by search engines.

Bold text
The first few times you use your main search terms in the text content, format each instance in bold.

Contextual hyperlinks
Examine the text content for any terms that may relate to another page, or even another website. Hyperlink these terms to the appropriate place.

Alt-tags on images
Ensure all images can have an alt-tag applied to describe them

Navigation
Where possible use text links for navigation rather than image buttons. Give each link in the navigation a title or id tag.

Drop-down navigation
Sometimes drop-down navigation is necessary. Depending on the way of implementing it, it can block search engines. Avoid JavaScript, Java or Flash to create these drop-down’s. Ensure the main link that generates the drop-down also links directly to the top level page for that category.

Sitemap
Include a sitemap for site users and search engine spiders to use. Also provide an xml sitemap to aid indexing by Google Sitemaps.

Links page
Often the process of exchanging links is required to boost search engine listings, so make provision for having a links page on the site.

Flash Sites

Flash sites are notoriously bad at gaining search engine results. Although most search engines can now read the text within swf files, they are not generally applied to the index because of the opportunity for hiding spam text within the file.

The general advice for Flash sites is that title and meta-tags should be included on each page that shows a Flash file. The rest is down to inbound links.

Flash Site Inbound Links

A links page should be applied as an HTML page, and linked to from below the Flash file, not within it. A link swapping campaign is then recommended to help attract inbound links from other subject-related websites.

Link swapping campaigns are notoriously time consuming and involve identifying appropriate sites, collecting the site details and contact details. Adding the outgoing link to your site then contacting the site owner to request an inbound link. Verification is then required and any denied requests would then have their outgoing link removed from your site.

HTML Mirror Site

We always recommend creating an HTML mirror site to sit alongside the Flash site, using all the recommendations for a standard HTML site as detailed earlier in this document. This site should mirror everything that is possible from the Flash site.

Each page within the HTML mirror site should point out that it is a text representation of the main Flash site and should provide a link into the Flash site. This allows visitors arriving from search engines to access the main site.

If you cannot create a full scale mirror site, it is wise to create an HTML page to describe each of the main sections in detail within the main Flash site. This will act like a mini-mirror site and will still attract visitors from search engines.

The main home page of the site should provide an HTML link to the HTML mirror site. This would normally be a small link below the Flash that reads “No Flash” or simply “HTML”.