How to Fix JavaScript Rendering Issues

What is JavaScript Rendering?

JavaScript (JS) rendering refers to the process through which web browsers execute JavaScript code to display content dynamically on web pages. This process enhances interactivity by modifying page elements after the initial HTML is loaded.

In SEO terms, it’s crucial as search engines like Google need to accurately crawl and index these dynamically generated elements. JavaScript rendering influences site performance and visibility in search engine results. Search engines can crawl JS, but they cannot take user actions.

For example, if JavaScript code on your site toggles on and off the visibility of a snippet of written content when a user clicks a button:

A CSS class is added and removed to display:none; In this case, the content is still in the source code and is visible to search engines while maintaining the interactivity for users.

The written content is injected into the source code via JavaScript. In this case, search engines will not have visibility of the content, as they will not simulate clicking the button.

Many times, your site will be crawled first with an HTML only crawler, followed by one that renders JS. That is why it is safest to ensure all of your key content is accessible within HTML only source code. Fetching and executing JavaScript can delay content availability, impacting user experience and rankings. Effective handling of JavaScript improves responsiveness, leading to better engagement and retention rates.

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Why is JavaScript Rendering Important for SEO?

JavaScript rendering is crucial for SEO as it determines how search engines access, process, index, and rank your website’s dynamic content. Proper rendering ensures that search engines can access and understand your site’s full content, directly impacting your search rankings.

Benefits of Optimized JavaScript Rendering

1. Enhanced User Experience: Faster load times and smoother interactions
2. Improved SEO Rankings: Full indexing of pages boosts search visibility
3. Increased Traffic: Better rankings typically drive more visitors

Risks of Poor JavaScript Rendering

1. Decreased User Engagement: Slow or incomplete pages frustrate visitors
2. Lower Search Rankings: Inadequate indexing results in missed opportunities
3. Revenue Loss: Both of the previous factors can lead to reduced conversions

Common JS Rendering Issues & How to Resolve Them

JavaScript rendering is crucial for creating interactive websites and ensuring proper indexing by search engines. However, several common issues can affect your site’s performance and SEO. Here are the key problems and their solutions:

HTML and Rendered Meta Elements Differ

When HTML meta tags don’t match rendered content, it creates a significant discrepancy between what search engines initially see and what users experience. This mismatch can lead to search engines indexing incorrect information or damaging trust in the page or brand’s authority (E-E-A-T signals), potentially harming your site’s rankings.

It can also result in misleading search snippets, affecting click-through rates from search results. Users may feel deceived if the page content doesn’t align with what they expected based on the displayed search result, leading to higher bounce rates.

Solution: Ensure meta tags align are consistent pre- and post-JavaScript rendering.

Hidden Content

Content that requires user actions to be visible poses a unique challenge for search engines. These bots typically can’t interact with elements like buttons or tabs, meaning they can’t access information hidden behind such interactions.

This limitation can result in a significant portion of your site’s content being overlooked during indexing. Valuable information might not contribute to your search rankings, and your site could appear less comprehensive, trustworthy, or relevant than it actually is.

Solution: Make sure critical content is rendered with HTML. For JS required content, pre-render important elements or use server-side rendering for accessibility.

View Your Page without JavaScript

To see how your webpage will load without JavaScript entirely, you can open up Dev Tools in a Chrome browser and disable JavaScript.

1. Open Dev Tools (right click > “inspect”, or cmd/ctrl+shift+C)
2. Navigate to the Run Command menu (cmd/ctrl+shift+P)
3. Search for “JavaScript”
4. Click “Disable JavaScript”
5. Refresh the page

Page Load Performance Issues

Large JavaScript files can significantly delay page loading or block rendering entirely, creating a domino effect of problems. Slow load times not only frustrate users but also signal to search engines that the site offers a poor user experience. This can lead to lower rankings in search results.

Users are likely to abandon slow-loading or inconsistent pages, increasing bounce rates and reducing opportunities for conversions.

Solution:

• Audit your website’s load performance and core web vitals metrics to identify problem areas.
• Minimize and compress JavaScript files.
• Load scripts asynchronously to prevent blocking.
• Defer non-essential scripts.

JavaScript Errors

When JavaScript errors occur, users may see incomplete or broken pages, leading to a frustrating experience. This can result in immediate abandonment of the site and damage to your brand’s reputation. From an SEO perspective, if search engine bots encounter these errors, they may be unable to render and index your content properly, leading to lower rankings or even complete exclusion from search results.

Solution: Regularly check for and fix errors using browser developer tools, website audit services, and crawler tools such as Screaming Frog.

Search Engine Crawling Limitations

When bots struggle to render JavaScript-heavy pages, it can severely impact your site’s visibility in search results. Search engines may only see a fraction of your content, leading to incomplete indexing. This can result in lower rankings for relevant keywords and missed opportunities to attract organic traffic. Important elements like internal links or structured data might not be recognized, further diminishing your site’s SEO performance.

Solution:

• Use Google Search Console to test crawled pages.
• Implement server-side rendering (SSR) or dynamic rendering.

Dynamic Content Indexing

Search engines may overlook JavaScript-loaded content, creating a significant blind spot in their understanding of your site’s content. This can lead to key information being inaccessible to search engines, even though it’s visible to users. As a result, your site might not rank for relevant keywords targeted within dynamically loaded content. This discrepancy between what users see and what search engines index can lead to missed opportunities for organic traffic and lower overall search visibility.

Solution: Use server-side rendering or prerendering techniques.

Best Practices for JavaScript SEO

1. Avoid cloaking: Ensure users and search engines see the same content.
2. Prioritize critical content: Make key information available in the initial HTML.
3. Test regularly: Use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or URL Inspection Tool.
4. Optimize rendering strategy: Consider server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), or hybrid rendering based on your site’s needs.
5. Implement dynamic rendering: Serve pre-rendered content to crawlers while maintaining interactive experiences for users.

How to Monitor JavaScript Rendering for Website Health

Monitoring JavaScript rendering is essential for maintaining optimal website performance, user experience, and SEO. To effectively track and address rendering issues, utilize key tools such as Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, and Lighthouse. These platforms provide valuable insights into how search engines render your site and help identify performance bottlenecks.

Implement a regular auditing schedule to catch issues early and focus on critical performance metrics like First Contentful Paint (FCP) and Time to Interactive (TTI). Combine real user monitoring with Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) data with synthetic monitoring to get a comprehensive view of your site’s performance under various conditions.

Basic optimization techniques such as minification, compression, effective caching strategies, and utilizing content delivery networks (CDNs) can typically get websites operating fairly efficiently. Additionally, prioritize removing or deferring render-blocking JavaScript, implement code splitting and lazy loading, and consider server-side rendering (SSR) for faster initial page loads.

Dealing with JavaScript SEO is a bit more complex than many standard SEO activities and requires a bit of a deeper level of technical knowledge. If you’re encountering JS issues on your brand’s website and don’t have the resources or in-house expertise to address them, we’re here to help! Our Website Health Scan will provide you with a line of sight into any JavaScript errors and other issues.

By consistently applying these monitoring and optimization practices, you can ensure your JavaScript-heavy website remains healthy, performant, and SEO-friendly, ultimately maintaining high search rankings and providing an excellent user experience.