Faster Webpage Loading and Its Impact on User Experience and SEO: Understanding Client-Side and Server-Side Rendering
Faster webpage loading times significantly influence user experience and SEO, with page load speed being a crucial factor in Google’s algorithm.
A front-end web developer must determine the most effective way to render a website to deliver a fast experience and dynamic content.
Two popular rendering methods are client-side rendering (CSR) and server-side rendering (SSR).
Each website has unique requirements, and understanding the difference between client-side and server-side rendering can help align your website with business goals.
### Google & JavaScript
Google provides extensive documentation on how it handles JavaScript, with Googlers offering insights and answering JavaScript questions through various channels—both official and unofficial.
For example, in a “Search Off The Record” podcast, it was discussed that Google renders all pages for Search, including those heavy in JavaScript.
This sparked significant dialogue on LinkedIn, with key takeaways including:
– Google doesn’t track the expense of rendering specific pages.
– Google renders all pages to see content—irrespective of JavaScript usage.
The broader conversation has dispelled many myths and misconceptions regarding Google’s approach to JavaScript and resource allocation.
Martin Splitt commented on LinkedIn:
>“We don’t keep track of ‘how expensive was this page for us?’ or something. We know that a substantial part of the web uses JavaScript to modify content on web pages. We just have to render to see it all. It doesn’t matter if a page uses JavaScript because we can only be reasonably sure to see all content once it’s rendered.”
Martin also acknowledged a queue and potential delay between crawling and indexing, which isn’t solely because of JavaScript, and the presence of JavaScript isn’t the root cause for URLs not being indexed.
### General JavaScript Best Practices
Before diving into the client-side versus server-side debate, it’s crucial to follow general best practices for these approaches to be effective:
– Don’t block JavaScript resources via Robots.txt or server rules.
– Avoid render blocking.
– Steer clear of injecting JavaScript in the DOM.
### What Is Client-Side Rendering, And How Does It Work?
Client-side rendering is a relatively new method for website rendering.
It gained popularity with the advent of JavaScript libraries, like Angular and React.js, often used in this rendering style.
With it, JavaScript is rendered in the browser instead of the server.
The server sends a minimal HTML document containing JS files instead of a full HTML page.
Although initial upload time is slower, subsequent page loads are fast as they aren’t dependent on different HTML pages per route.
Client-rendered sites manage logic and retrieve data from an API “independently.” Pages are available after the code execution because each page and its corresponding URL are dynamically created.
The CSR process is:
1. The user enters a URL in the address bar.
2. A data request is sent to the server at the specified URL.
3. On the client’s first request, the server delivers static files (CSS and HTML) to the client’s browser.
4. The browser downloads HTML content first, followed by JavaScript. The HTML files connect with the JavaScript, initiating the loading process by displaying symbols defined by the developer, although the website isn’t yet visible.
5. Post JavaScript download, content is dynamically generated in the client browser.
6. As the client navigates, web content becomes visible on interaction.
### What Is Server-Side Rendering, And How Does It Work?
Server-side rendering is a more traditional method for displaying information.
A web browser requests information from the server, which fetches user-specific data to populate and sends a fully rendered HTML page to the client.
Every new page visit triggers the server to repeat this process.
Step-by-step, SSR works as follows:
1. The user enters a URL in the address bar.
2. The server serves a ready-to-render HTML response to the browser.
3. The browser renders the now viewable page and downloads JavaScript.
4. The browser executes React to make the page interactive.
### What Are The Differences Between Client-Side And Server-Side Rendering?
The primary difference between these approaches is in their operational algorithms. CSR shows an empty page before loading, while SSR displays a fully rendered HTML page from the start.
SSR offers a speed advantage over CSR since the browser doesn’t have to process large JavaScript files. Content usually becomes visible in milliseconds.
SSR improves SEO as search engines can easily crawl and index visible content, visible as text form in the browser.
However, CSR is a more cost-effective solution for website owners.
It shifts the rendering load to the client (bot or user), and enhances site interactions with fast response post-initial load.
With CSR, fewer HTTP requests are made to the server, unlike SSR which re-renders pages each time, leading to slower transitions.
SSR can strain under high server loads with multiple simultaneous user requests.
CSR has a drawback of longer initial loading times, affecting SEO as crawlers may leave the site before content loads.
This dual-phase approach can cause pages to show empty content if JavaScript content is missed after first crawling and indexing an HTML page. CSR often requires an external library.
#### When To Use Server-Side Rendering
Improving Google visibility and SEO rankings recommends server-side rendering.
It’s optimal for e-learning platforms, online marketplaces, and applications with simpler interfaces and static information.
#### When To Use Client-Side Rendering
CSR is typically used for dynamic web apps like social networks or messengers due to their ever-changing content.
The focus is on enhancing user experience over SEO.
### Which Is Better: Server-Side Or Client-Side Rendering?
Deciding the better approach involves considering both SEO and user experience benefits.
Evaluate the project and how your rendering choice impacts SERP rankings and user experience.
Generally, CSR suits dynamic websites, while SSR is ideal for static sites.
#### Content Refresh Frequency
Websites with highly dynamic information, like gambling or FOREX sites, may benefit from CSR or a combination of CSR for specific landing pages based on user acquisition strategies.
SSR shines when user interactions are minimal as it enhances accessibility, load times, SEO, and social media support.
CSR, on the other hand, is cost-effective for web application rendering, and enhances First Input Delay (FID).
When using CSR, consider rendering meta tags, canonical URLs, and Hreflang tags server-side for crawlers to identify them immediately instead of waiting for rendered HTML.
#### Platform Considerations
CSR can be pricier due to higher developer rates for React.js or Node.js compared to PHP or WordPress developers. Limited plugin availability for CSR frameworks contrasts with WordPress’s extensive plugin ecosystem.
For headless WordPress setups, such as those using Frontity, hiring both React.js and PHP developers is essential.
Remember, not all WordPress plugins suit headless setups, which might limit functionality or demand custom development.
#### Website Functionality & Purpose
Sometimes a hybrid solution is best, using both SSR and CSR within the same website or page.
For example, product description pages in online marketplaces benefit from SSR for easy indexing, whereas pages with high personalization might need CSR for user experience, not SERP rankings.
In summary, choosing between CSR and SSR depends on your website’s unique needs, focusing on performance, SEO impact, and user engagement from project development onward.