What is Angular?
Angular is a structural TypeScript-based framework for building single-page, dynamic web applications using JavaScript.
Making Angular SEO-Friendly
Option A: Use Server-Side Rendering
The normal workaround to this problem is to enable server-side rendering (SSR) using the Angular Universal library. Doing this generates the final HTML elements for search engine web crawlers to use. But, is SSR better for SEO?
It can be expensive. The mandatory server (and associated hosting fees) needed for SSR implementation is resource-intensive, time-consuming and costly. Poor implementation can confuse web crawlers and cause a drop in your search results.
It can be complicated. SSR also requires implementing code on both the client and server-side, creating potential duplicate code issues. You could solve this with a Node.JS back-end, but that locks you into just one back-end technology.
Implementing SSR for a small application is overkill and doesn’t justify the server maintenance costs.
Option B: Use Prerender® Instead of Angular Universal
Prerender® renders your dynamic web pages into static HTML pages that web crawlers can consistently read, understand and index. It erases the need for the manpower and busy work normally required for server-side rendering.
Prerender® is a more cost-effective option for smaller applications – it’s free to use up to 250 pages!
And, Prerender® is included in Google’s list of tools to use for dynamic rendering, making it one of the few third-party software recommendations with Google’s seal of approval. How do you create dynamic Angular web pages best for both users and Google?
By using Prerender®.
Frequently-Asked Questions
Why Is It Difficult for Search Engine Bots to Crawl Angular Pages?
Rendering standard HTML pages is a simple two-step process: crawl and index. Search engine bots request a page from your website, scan the text and links, then index it. At that point, your page can be ranked among others in order of relevancy for any search query.
Google is on record as saying that it can crawl JavaScript content. While that is technically true, most SEOs agree that JavaScript adds a level of complication you must simplify in order to get your Angular site indexed efficiently.
This is because JavaScript pages require Googlebot to render the content first before crawling and indexing can happen. That added step takes more time and resources, and it often means Googlebot will need to visit a page multiple times before it indexes all the content. If Google is one of your main sources of traffic, you just can’t afford to wait.
How Does Dynamic Rendering Help Achieve SEO Goals?
Dynamic rendering allows site owners to serve content based on the user agent requesting it. In other words, it serves static HTML to search engine bots and dynamic JavaScript to site visitors. So, while your audience enjoys your content as intended, bots can crawl and index frequently. This allows for your content to vie for top search engine rankings, which means you can drive more traffic – and potential customers – to your site.
Dynamic rendering also allows you to provide a great user experience when people visit your site. And, what benefits your users will nearly always benefit your SEO.
What Are Other Benefits of Using Prerender for Angular SPAs?
- Better Response Times: drop your page load latency down significantly, easily pass Google Pagespeed Insights and other speed tests, and get your pages efficiently cached
- Simple Implementation: Identify your techstack, install the middleware that’s appropriate for your codebase and test to make sure it’s working
Which JavaScript Framework is best for SEO?
Each JavaScript framework was created with different needs in mind, so it’s difficult to make an apples-to-apples comparison on any one characteristic, including SEO-friendliness. It may be better to evaluate characteristics like functionality, mobile-friendliness, ease of use, etc. on a case-by-case basis to see whether Angular – or another framework – is the right choice for your site.