Many of BluDomain‘s Flash websites come with optional HTML versions that are supposed to help improve your BluDomain site’s SEO. Recently I had occasion to review the potential effectiveness of an optional BluDomain HTML version’s series of pages from an SEO perspective for a client. Before I get into the results let’s review what BluDomain explains and advises are the benefits of having the $50-$100 BluDomain HTML option.

A duplicate HTML version of your template. It automatically takes on all edits made within the administrative editing area of your flash site. The HTML site is also compatible with Apple’s iPad. The HTML site is highly beneficial for search engines, each word and image is searchable and as such your site will gain much more search engine exposure.

So how beneficial are BluDomain’s HTML template options for “search engine exposure”? First lets explore the SEO qualities of the BluDomain HTML versions.  This post began as a simple comment but with search engine marketing being so crucial to marketing success I decided to review all the BluDomain website templates offering an HTML option.  My procedure for doing this was to manually review the source code for the “About” page (or similar) of each template, checking the scoring elements of SEO Doctor‘s audit of the About page  together with using webconfs.com Search Engine Spider simulator to see the crawlable elements and indexable content of the About (or similar) page.

Summary of BluDomain Template HTML SEO findings

Surprisingly little additional SEO and “search engine exposure” is provided with the BluDomain HTML option.  Currently BluDomain offers ten (10) templates with HTML options. But my review revealed that:

• 40% of BluDomain’s available  HTML site options do not present any search engine indexable page content
• 60% of BluDomain’s available BluDomain HTML site options provide very SEO unfriendly URLs, while the remaining 40% could use improvement.
• 30% of BluDomain’s available BluDomain HTML site options do not have search engine crawable internal navigation/menu links
• None of BluDomain’s templates offer SEO valuable H1 and H2 tagged headlines,

From BluDomain’s HTML template demonstration examples provided on BluDomain’s website, the HTML template options are not well constructed for improved site SEO, providing little to no expected real-world improved search ranking results.

A high performance SEO alternative to BluD0main HTML option is to use a well constructed WordPress website theme in conjunction with a Bludomain Flash template.  WordPress is very compatible with BluDomain and is able to be installed in almost all BluDomain hosting accounts.  WordPress generated blog posts and pages are well-respected for providing top-tier SEO and social network marketing.  A well designed premium theme is easy to style and can not only a blog, but all the pages such as About, Contact and Investment and even replace the standard Bludomain splash/landing page.  Plus unlimited additional pages, and features like video, mobile version, sitemap generation and more for no additional cost.We have packages beginning as low as $197 which include WordPress install, setup/configuration for good SEO and even an easy to style premium theme (an $75+ value), which includes the feature to create a new Splash page with free lifetime theme upgrades. We even install and pre-configure over 12 needed high value plugins and setup URL generation for SEO best practice. Using WordPress for the site’s SEO provides superior SEO, more features plus the best blog platform at a price that compares favorably to BluDomain’s cost with just 2-3 options, like video, mobile and HTML.

Individual Bludomain Template HTML audit observations

Below are observations for the About page of each of BluDomain’s HTML option websites:

Aubrey | Avery | Harper | Nolan | Milo | Rosie | Reese | Alice | Garth | Project One

 

Bludomain template name Aubrey
HTML option cost $50
Audited HTML page: http://www.bludomaintemplates.com/aubrey/html/#!/about_me

Significant SEO related observations -

• The URL would be better if it did not include the “html/#!/”, moving the unique page file “about_me” name closer to the domain name.
• None of the page’s content is present in the About page source code. Confirmed by Search Engine Spider simulator.  The content is not indexable because it is not present in the page’s source code. Search engines need to “see” and read each individual page’s content in order to list pages in their indices. If your page content is not in the search engine’s index it is not able to be ranked and presented in search results.
• No provision for SEO invaluable H1 and H2 headlines, SEO Doctor confirmed.
• No internal crawlable links.  Confirmed by SEO Doctor and Spider Simulator.  The excerpt below from SEOmoz.com explains why crawlable internal links are important

… They (search engines) also need to have access to a crawlable link structure – structures that let spiders browse the pathways of a website – in order to find all of the pages on a website.

 

 

BluDomain template name: Avery
HTML option cost $100
Audited HTML page: http://www.bludomaintemplates.com/avery/html/#!/3/robyn/22

Significant SEO related observations -

• Same as for Aubrey above, with the exception that the internal links are crawlable

 

BluDomain template name: Harper
HTML option cost: $100
Audited HTML page: http://www.bludomaintemplates.com/harper/html/

Significant SEO related observations -

• Same as for Aubrey above, with the exception that the internal links are crawlable

 

BluDomain template name: Nolan
HTML option cost: $100
Audited HTML page: http://www.bludomaintemplates.com/nolan/html/text_section.php?active_btn=10&order_num=1&sub_type=single&sec_id=57&text_id=8

Significant SEO related observations -

• Same as for Aubrey above, with the exceptions that all the internal links are crawlable.
• Importantly, the content of the page is able to be spidered and indexed.
• Unfortunately it provides very complex and very SEO unfriendly URLs. Learn more.

 

BluDomain template name: Milo
HTML option cost: $50
Audited HTML page:http://www.bludomaintemplates.com/milo/html/#!/details

Significant SEO related observations -

• Same as for Aubrey above

 

BluDomain Template name: Rosie
HTML Option cost: $100
Audited HTML page:  http://bludomaintemplates.com/rosie/html/test_section.php?active_btn=7&order_num=1&sub_type=testimonial&sec_id=40

Significant SEO related observations -

• Same as for Aubrey above, with the exceptions that all the internal links are crawlable.
• Importantly, the content of the page is able to be spidered and indexed.
• Unfortunately it provides very complex and very SEO unfriendly URLs. Learn more.

 

BluDomain template name: Reese
HTML Option cost: $100
Audited HTML page:  http://www.bludomaintemplates.com/reese/html/text_section.php?multi_id=&active_btn=2&order_num=1&menu_type=single&secID=40

Significant SEO related observations -

• Same as for Aubrey above, with the exceptions that all the internal links are crawlable and,
• Importantly, the content of the page is able to be spidered and indexed.
• Unfortunately it provides very complex and very SEO unfriendly URLs. Learn more.

 

BluDomain template name: Alice
HTML option cost: $100
Audited HTML page: http://bludomaintemplates.com/alice/html/text_section.php?curr_page=1&sec_id=3&active_btn=&multi_id=3

Significant SEO related observations -

• Same as for Aubrey above, with the exceptions that all the internal links are crawlable.
• Importantly, the content of the page is able to be spidered and indexed.
• Unfortunately it provides very complex and very SEO unfriendly URLs. Learn more.

 

BluDomain template name Garth
HTML option cost: $100
Audited HTML page: http://bludomaintemplates.com/garth/html/text_section.php?multi_id=2&active_btn=3&order_num=1&menu_type=single

Significant SEO related observations -

• Same as for Aubrey above, with the exceptions that all the internal links are crawlable.
• Importantly, the content of the page is able to be spidered and indexed.
• Unfortunately it provides very complex and very SEO unfriendly URLs. Learn more.

 

BluDomain template name: Project One
HTML option cost: $100
Audited HTML page: http://bludomaintemplates.com/projectone/html/text_section.php?multi_id=2&active_btn=10

Significant SEO related observations -

• Same as for Aubrey above, with the exceptions that all the internal links are crawlable.
• Importantly, the content of the page is able to be spidered and indexed.
• Unfortunately it provides very complex and very SEO unfriendly URLs. Learn more.