Flash Websites Downgraded In Search Results
Google announced that starting July 14th, 2014 Flash websites will be downgraded in search results on devices that do not support Flash. Presumably this would affect mobile usage only, as Flash is not supported in iOS or Android 4.1 and above. On mobile the new search results would state that the site uses Flash, and may not work on your device. In addition to the warning that the site may not render, these search links will also be smaller than normal results.
This move likely signals the final nail in the coffin for Flash-based sites, as HTML5 has already replaced Flash as an animation technology. Websites that will be hardest hit will be those that are built partially or completely on Flash, like many restaurant websites seem to be.
Sorry Flash. Heavy flash sites will now get a warning & smaller link in Google search results.
https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2014/07/promoting-modern-websites-for-modern Paul Irish, July 15, 2014 via Twitter
Restaurants every where will wonder what happened to their SEO juice.
— Joseph Scott, July 16, 2014 via Twitter
GOOD. nothing worse than a restaurant website I can't see on my phone
— Paul Irish, July 16, 2014 via Twitter
Google made this move in order to provide better user experience for mobile and tablet users. Flash sites would be missing large chunks of content on iOS and most Android devices, so this announcement was long-expected.
