Redirect Flash Site for Google Only - Is this against TOS?
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A photographer client has a flash website, purchased as from a (well respected) template company.
The main site is at the root domain, and the HTML version is at www.example.com/?load=html
If I visit the site on a browser without Flash installed, I am re-directed automatically to the HTML version.
I'm concerned as the site has some great links and the HTML version is well optimised, but doesn't appear anywhere in Google for chosen keywords (ranks perfectly for brand related searches).
Google is indexing the Flash version of the site, but I would rather it didn't (there's no real content (just Javascript to load the SWF) and all of the pages load under one URL).
How can I block the Flash version from Google but still make the incoming links count towards the HTMl version of the site?
If I re-direct Google to the HTML version, is this cloaking, and is it frowned upon?
Thanks for any advice you can offer.
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My suggestion: redirect mobile browsers to the HTML version as well as for the search bots. If the browser is not a search bot or a mobile device, and has Flash installed then redirect to the Flash version (not using a 301!) with a parameter to take the person to the same content on the Flash site (in the swf you can read the parameter and load the relevant part). Mobile users or search bots arriving via those links with parameters can be 301'd to the HTML version.
Now mobile users and search bot get a nice HTML version. Flash users get the 'rich' experience. Search engines can crawl all the content nicely. Furthermore, it would stand up to a manual review.
Many more details in answer to a similar question here:
http://www.seomoz.org/q/converse-com-flash-and-html-version-of-site-bad-idea
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I am not sure if I understand your intention correctly but canonicalization sounds like a solution for your problem (to the point of not having to do redirection for Google at all). Apply rel canonical from flash towards html version and juice will flow towards the correct one. Flash will no longer be indexed but its HTML equivalent.
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