Dumb SEO Questions

(Entry was posted by Dave Elliott on this post in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 10/16/2014).

Does Google read Flash?

So flash and seo? I always assumed that google didn`t read it but came accross this article by barry schwartz  http://searchengineland.com/google-can-index-almost-any-text-in-a-flash-swf-file-55580 and had a look at the google guidelines referenced. https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/72746?hl=en and this appears to be wrong!!!

What the hell? Is this right, has something changed, is this a common seo myth that i have fallen for? AND if Google can read swf text can it also recognise text in images, and that is less of a problem than I thought??
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YOUR ANSWERS

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

  • Dave Elliott: So flash and seo? I always assumed that google didn't read it but came accross this article by barry schwartz  ;http://searchengineland.com/google-can-index-almost-any-text-in-a-flash-swf-file-55580 and had a look at the google guidelines referenced. ;https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/72746?hl=en and this appears to be wrong!!!

    What the hell? Is this right, has something changed, is this a common seo myth that i have fallen for? AND if Google can read swf text can it also recognise text in images, and that is less of a problem than I thought?
  • Edwin Jonk: And links too. Google does follow them. Still it is only the text. Also Google can read text in images but it is too CPU intensive (as far as I understand). For example Google might do OCR for academic papers [1] and, thereby, you might find images of text in a vertical search engine like Google books. However I wouldn't count on it...

    [1] ;http://googleblog.blogspot.nl/2008/10/picture-of-thousand-words.html

View original question in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 10/16/2014).