The limited resources search engines allocate for rendering JavaScript-heavy websites.
Why JavaScript SEO Rendering Budget Matters
From my perspective, rendering budget is a critical factor for any website that relies on a JavaScript framework. Google has a finite amount of time and resources to crawl and render a site. If a search engine crawler visits your website and finds that every single page requires a significant amount of time and resources to render, it may simply not get to all of your pages. This can lead to a long delay in indexing new content and a failure to re-index important updates to existing pages. A well-optimized JavaScript site is one that uses its rendering budget efficiently, ensuring that all its important pages are rendered and indexed.
Across Different CMS Platforms
The management of rendering budget depends on your CMS and how you build your site.
WordPress
WordPress’s default structure is a perfect example of how to optimize for rendering budget. It uses standard HTML, so search engines can instantly crawl and index the content. If you’re building a custom front-end with a JavaScript framework on top of WordPress, it is crucial to use a server-side rendering (SSR) approach to ensure you don’t waste your rendering budget.
Shopify
Shopify’s standard themes are server-side rendered, which means you typically don’t need to worry about rendering budget. However, if you are using a headless commerce approach with a JavaScript framework, you must implement server-side rendering or a pre-rendering solution to ensure all your product pages are crawled and indexed.
Wix
Wix handles its own JavaScript rendering, so you typically don’t have to worry about rendering budget. The platform’s system is designed to be SEO-friendly and to ensure that all your content is visible to search engines.
Webflow
Webflow generates clean HTML, so rendering budget is not a major concern. The platform’s native capabilities ensure that all your content is easily crawlable and indexable.
Custom CMS
With a custom CMS, you have the most control but also the most responsibility. You can build a system that is perfectly optimized for a search engine’s rendering budget by using a server-side rendering (SSR) approach. This is the most effective way to ensure that all your pages are rendered and indexed.
Across Different Industries
The impact of rendering budget can vary by industry.
E-commerce
E-commerce sites often have thousands of pages, making a limited rendering budget a major issue. It’s crucial to ensure that all your product and category pages are rendered and indexed, so a server-side rendering (SSR) approach is often the best solution.
Local Businesses
Local businesses with a smaller number of pages may not need to worry as much about a rendering budget. However, it is still a best practice to use a server-side rendering (SSR) approach to ensure all your key pages are indexed.
SaaS Companies
SaaS companies often use a JavaScript framework for their marketing pages and dashboards. It is crucial to ensure that their marketing pages are rendered and indexed, while their user dashboards can remain a client-side rendered application.
Blogs
Blogs built with a JavaScript framework can suffer from a limited rendering budget, as a search engine may not get to all of their articles. A great strategy is to use a pre-rendering solution to ensure that all your articles are rendered and indexed.
Do’s and Don’ts of Rendering Budget
Do’s
- Do use server-side rendering (SSR). This is the gold standard for JavaScript SEO. It ensures that a search engine crawler always receives a fully-formed HTML page.
- Do use a pre-rendering solution. If you are using a client-side rendering (CSR) approach, a pre-rendering solution is a must.
- Do use Google Search Console. The URL Inspection tool will show you exactly how Google sees your pages.
Don’ts
- Don’t use a pure client-side rendering (CSR) approach. This is the number one mistake and can lead to a page having little to no visibility in search results.
- Don’t block search engines from crawling JavaScript files. A search engine needs to access your JavaScript to properly render the page.
- Don’t use JavaScript to hide your content. This can lead to a penalty and a loss of organic traffic.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Failing to use server-side rendering (SSR) or pre-rendering: This is the most common and devastating mistake.
- Having a slow rendering speed: A slow rendering speed can consume your rendering budget and lead to a low indexation rate.
- Having a JavaScript error: A JavaScript error can prevent a search engine from rendering your page, leading to a loss of organic traffic.
FAQs
How does a search engine know how much rendering budget to give a site?
A search engine’s rendering budget is based on several factors, including your site’s authority, its crawl rate, and the time it takes to render your pages. A site with a faster rendering speed and a high crawl rate will have a larger budget.
How can I check if my website has a rendering budget issue?
You can use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to see how long it takes for a search engine to render your page. You can also monitor your indexation rate for a sign of a problem.
Can a website be both fast and SEO-friendly?
Yes. The entire point of modern JavaScript SEO is to build a fast website that is also fully crawlable and indexable. By using server-side rendering and other optimization techniques, you can achieve both speed and SEO success.
What is the difference between rendering budget and crawl budget?
Crawl budget refers to the number of pages a search engine will crawl in a given period. Rendering budget refers to the resources and time it will allocate to render those pages.
Does using a CDN help with my rendering budget?
A CDN can help with your rendering budget by serving your JavaScript and other assets from a server closest to the user, which can reduce the time it takes to render your page.
