Understanding JavaScript SEO Server side Rendering vs. Client side Rendering

Java Script has become the most common web designing language used to design websites. It is regarded as one of the most simplest and efficient ways to design websites. But Java has different methods of implementation. And the way you utilize Java actually affects the reach of your website. If you find out the method that suits you the best you will not only rank better in search engine results but your users will also have a better experience finding and browsing through your website.

It not only enough to learn the coding language, you also need to learn the technology surrounding it for better results. Believe it or not, JavaScript and search engine optimization actually go hand in hand. As a developer, if you understand the relationship between the two then you can make the best out of your web designing. Digital marketing becomes much simpler if the design of your website itself is SEO-friendly. A website can be rendered on two sides, either on the website’s server or on your browser. Both these sides are different and produce different results. We can analyze both sides to find out what works best for your website in terms of search engine optimization.

Client side Rendering

When your website’s JavaScript is rendered in your browser itself, it is called client side rendering. This is the default setting for your JavaScript if you do not opt for any other setting. When you go for the default JavaScript framework setting, it is automatically rendered in your browser. All you have to do is design the HTML code along with your JavaScript and then the JavaScript does the rest of the work. This is called client side rendering where the content is collected automatically in your browser instead of the website’s server. So client side rendering is actually a rather simple method where you get the frameworks and your work is just to put the pieces together and your website is ready to use.

Pros and Cons of Client side Rendering

Pros

As we know now, client side rendering does not use the website’s server, it reduces cost significantly. All the work is actually upon the client who is trying to view your page. This is precisely why this method is called client side rendering.  So one of the biggest pros of client side rendering is, it takes the burden off of the website owner and is much cheaper.

Cons

Even with this benefit, there are two major drawbacks of client side rendering that you may want to consider before you opt for it as your preferred method of designing JavaScript websites. The first one is that, since a lot of burdens are on the client who views your web page, it may sometimes lead to an unfavorable user experience. While JavaScript is easy to use, it is also known for experience a lag in loading the page. This may cause the visitor to get impatient with your website and ultimately leave your website. This will negatively affect the reach of your website. The second reason is that the website developed by client side rendering is actually tough for search engines to locate. So many of these websites do not rank well on search engine results. So if you are looking to develop an SEO friendly website then client side rendering might not be the right choice for you as such JavaScript content is prone to get missed and not included in search engine indices.

Server side Rendering

Server side rendering is different from client-side rendering, when you use server side rendering the JavaScript renders directly on your server. This makes the task of your clients smoother since you expend less effort on your websites. The site is completely ready to use because you have not necessary to put in any work to produce the framework of JavaScript to allow your site. And that’s why it is called server side rendering because it is on the server of your website.

Pros and Cons of Server side Rendering

Pros

JavaScript has an inherent nature of showing a lag in loading the page. But as we discussed, client side rendering actually exaggerates this problem causing you to lose website visitors at times. But when your JavaScript is rendered directly on the website’s server, it actually helps reduce the lag saving you a lot of time. So this helps the search engines and other visitors get a faster and smoother user experience. This provides a better user interface and at the same time significantly reduces crawl budget problems relating to speed.

As the website is ready for clients to use readily, there is no issue of partial indexing as in the case of client side rendering. With client side rendering, partial indexing actually affects the reach of your website as this makes it difficult for search engines to locate your page and rank it well on search engine results. When you bypass this obstacle, your website actually becomes SEO friendly and it is readily available for the search engines to find and market it to visitors when they do a related search.

Cons

While all these pros may make it look like the best option, you have to consider your budget and resources. This is because server side rendering can actually be expensive and require a lot of resources. Since your clients don’t have to do any work in viewing your page, you have to get your website ready for them and put it on your server. Using a server to run your website can cost a lot as compared to client side rendering. And since service side rendering is not the default setting for JavaScript framework, you have to put in a lot of resources to design the whole web page and maybe also hire developers to get the website up and running.  An additional drawback of service side rendering is that it is not compatible with third party JavaScript. Hence, if you require to publish reviews from other JavaScript websites then you would not be able to do so.

Client side Rendering vs. Server side Rendering

Now that we have analyzed the pros and cons of both methods, it is fairly clear that in order to determine which works better, you need to consider the needs of your website. In our opinion, if budget and resources are not a constraint for the developer then one can surely opt for server side rendering to get the best user experience as well as better ranking on search engines.