This feature is a translation of the current Google Analytics tracking code into the ActionScript 3 programming language that dramatically simplifies the ability to track Flash, Flex and AS3 content. This new Flash tracking code provides all the rich features of the current JavaScript-based version, including campaign, pageview and event tracking and can be used to track Flash content such as embedded videos, branded microsites and distributed widgets, such as online games.

Developers have the choice of using a Flash Component or a AnalyticsLibrary Component, for complete control over tracking objects directly in AS3.

For more detailed information, check out the introduction and implementation guide over on Google Code. Then, watch the video demo on YouTube.

Q: Why is this news important?
A: Because all SWF files that may have had relevant and informative content were essentially invisible to all search engines before this announcement.

Q: Why is Adobe doing this?
A: To legitimize Flash sites as a viable, search friendly option and to give the Flash haters one less reason to complain.

Q: Which versions of the SWF file format will benefit from this improved indexing and searching?
A: All of them. Yeah, every single one. Yup, that kind too.

Q: What do content owners and developers need to do to their SWF content to benefit from improved search results?
A: Zip, Zilch, Nada. Now go have a margarita and tell your clients how much of a genius you are.

Q: What technology has Adobe contributed to this effort?
A: A custom Flash Player that returns links and text from within the flash file.

Q: How are Google and Yahoo! using the Adobe Flash technology?
A: To deliver improved web search capabilities for SWF applications.

Q: When will the improved SWF searching solutions go live?
A: Google is rolling them out now and Yahoo! is hot on their heels.

Q: How will this announcement benefit the average user/consumers?
A: You can now sit through garish animations knowing that the content your about to see is, in fact, relative to your search.

Q: When will the new results register on Google?
A: Now.

Q: How will this announcement benefit SWF content producers?
A: This announcement will help legitimize the use of Flash as a platform for building sites with content that needs to be indexed by search engines.

Q: Does this affect the searchability of video that runs in Adobe Flash Player?
A: Unfortunately, no.

Q: Will Adobe Flex applications now be more easily found by Google search, including those that access remote data?
A: Yes, yes and yes.

Q: Does Adobe recommend a specific process for deep-linking into a SWF RIA?
A: No one at Adobe named names, but SWF Address does a good job. They also recommend creating a site map XML file.

Q: Is Adobe planning on providing this capability to other search vendors too?
A: Yeah. All you Windows Live Search users can breathe easy now.

For some deeper reading, here are a couple more articles including an official press release from Adobe and Google:

The official word from Google
Adobe Press Release

On a final note, I’ve read a couple places that even with these advances, content loaded dynamically into flash will not be crawled. If this is true, then it makes this news a little less punchy.