Even though React is mostly lauded for making front-end development more efficient, there is more to it than meets. Actually, this popular library can be problematic for search engines. And this doesn’t come as s surprise considering React has an increasing amount of your HTML and CSS code moving into Javascript.
That’s not to say you should never create your website using React. As long as you understand what is expected, rest assured you will get through it without the hassle. With that said, here are a few reasons why optimizing React for SEO is challenging.
Empty First-Pass Content
You probably know that React applications rely heavily on JavaScript, and often run into problems with search engines. But why is this even the case in the first place? Well, React employs an app shell model by default. The initial HTML doesn’t contain any meaningful content, and a user must execute JavaScript to see the page’s actual content. That’s why you should make it the norm to write and structure your site’s code as it will work to your advantage.
Loading Time and User Experience
If you’ve done your homework, you probably know that fetching, parsing, and executing JavaScript takes time. Furthermore, JavaScript may need to make network calls to fetch the content. For this reason, the user may have to wait a while before they can view the requested information.
Keep in mind Google has laid out a set of web vitals that relate directly to user experience. This is what they use in ranking criteria. You should strive to build fast and powerful websites since a longer loading time affects the user experience score. This eventually prompts Google to rank a site lower.
The Bottom Line
These are just but some of the things you need to know about React SEO. Whatever you do, make sure your website complies with SEO best practices if it is to enjoy a better ranking on major search engines. Skimp on this and it might be difficult for you to give your competitors a run for their money.
To prevent this from happening, be sure to check out MediaOne’s Marketing official website. Here you can learn more about react SEO without necessarily having to move a muscle. It is then that your website will stand out from the competition without taking a toll on your business finances.
