When searching for a song on Google, YouTube results may show up. Similarly, searching for text on Twitter may show results from a specific source. I prefer building websites with JavaScript and Ajax rather than using server-side rendering. Any insights on this topic would be appreciated.
Server-side rendering (SSR) is important for search engine optimization (SEO) because it allows Google bots to crawl and index website content more easily. Websites like DeviantArt, X, and YouTube may appear in Google search results despite using client-side rendering because they employ strategies to make their content accessible to search engine crawlers. These strategies might include:
- Prerendering: Prerendering tools like Prerender.io generate static HTML versions of web pages, which are then served to search engine bots. This allows bots to easily understand the page content without having to execute JavaScript.
- JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data): JSON-LD is a structured data format that can be used to provide search engines with additional information about a website’s content. This information can help search engines better understand the website and its relevance to search queries.
- Server-side data fetching: Websites may fetch data from their servers using JSON and then render the content on the client-side. While this approach still relies on client-side rendering, the data is initially provided by the server, making it easier for search engines to access.
While SSR is beneficial for SEO, it’s not the only factor influencing search engine rankings. It’s important to focus on building high-quality websites with relevant content, optimized for speed and usability.