Guide to Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

As web applications become more complex, providing a fast and efficient user experience is increasingly important. Server-Side Rendering (SSR) has emerged as one of the most effective solutions to enhance both performance and SEO. By rendering content on the server instead of the client, SSR can significantly improve load times and user experience. 

In this guide, we’ll explore what SSR is, its key benefits, the challenges it presents, and the best practices for implementing it in your projects.

What is Server-Side Rendering?

Imagine a world where web pages load instantly with all their content ready, without having to wait for pieces to download one by one. That’s the magic of Server-Side Rendering (SSR). Instead of relying on your browser to load and render the content, SSR shifts the heavy lifting to the server, sending a fully rendered page to your screen right from the start.

This contrasts with Client-Side Rendering (CSR), where your browser receives only a basic structure of the page and then uses JavaScript to fetch and render the rest of the content. While SSR is perfect for fast-loading websites with better SEO performance, CSR is typically used for highly interactive applications that require dynamic content updates.

Key Benefits of SSR

• Improved SEO: SSR provides search engines with fully rendered HTML content, making it easier for them to index and rank your site. This is crucial for improving visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Faster Initial Load: Since the content is already rendered on the server, the initial page load is significantly faster. This reduces the time to first meaningful paint (FMP), contributing to a better user experience.
• Better Performance for Users with Slow Internet Connections: SSR is ideal for users with poor internet connections because they receive the fully rendered page without waiting for JavaScript to execute in the browser.
• Enhanced Social Media Sharing: When sharing links on social media platforms, SSR ensures that the correct preview of your webpage is displayed, which may not always happen with CSR.

Challenges of SSR

While SSR has its advantages, it comes with some challenges that developers need to address:

• Server Load: Since the server is responsible for rendering the page, heavy traffic can lead to performance bottlenecks. Optimizing server-side rendering performance becomes critical in high-traffic scenarios.
• Complexity in State Management: Managing the application state between the server and client can be tricky, especially when the content relies on dynamic data.
• Slower Subsequent Page Loads: While the first-page load is faster, navigation between pages may be slower since SSR requires the server to render each page before delivering it to the client.
• Caching: Effective caching strategies are necessary to prevent re-rendering the same content repeatedly. Without proper caching, SSR can negate some of its performance benefits.

How Does Server-Side Rendering Work?

This is what happens when you access a page that uses SSR:

1. You send a request for a page by entering a URL in the address bar or a link.
2. The server will render the page by invoking data and building all of the HTML later.
3. The server delivers to you the whole page in your browser, so you get something immediately.
4. JavaScript completes the page with interactivity like animations and buttons.

The latest frameworks make it easier to support SSR. Some of the most popular ones are:

1. Next.js for React: Next.js is a React framework that supports SSR, which pre-renders data on the server before the page is initially rendered in the browser.  It can be offered through, getServerSideProps functions such as:

export async function getServerSideProps(context) {

  const res = await fetch(‘https://api.example.com/data’);

  const data = await res.json();

  return {

    props: { data },

  };

}

const Page = ({ data }) => (

  <div>

    <h1>Server-Side Rendered Page</h1>

    <pre>{JSON.stringify(data, null, 2)}</pre>

  </div>

);

export default Page;

2. Nuxt.js for Vue Websites: Nuxt.js accomplishes the same for Vue websites so that server-side rendering of pages becomes a breeze. If you are building an application without a frontend framework, you can use a templating engine like Handlebars or EJS with Express.js:

const express = require(‘express’);

const app = express();

app.set(‘view engine’, ‘ejs’);

app.get(‘/’, async (req, res) => {

  const data = await fetchData();

  res.render(‘index’, { data });

});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log(‘Server running on port 3000’));

3. Express.js for Personal Sites: In non-Vue or non-React sites, Express.js will perform page rendering server-side with assistance from template engines like Handlebars or EJS.

Best Practices for SSR

• Optimize for Performance: Make sure your server-side rendering is as efficient as possible. Use tools like Webpack and Babel to minimize JavaScript bundle sizes and improve page load times.
• Use Caching Effectively: Implement strategies like server-side caching, static caching, and client-side caching to reduce server load and speed up rendering.
• Hydration: Ensure that after SSR, the client-side JavaScript “hydrates” the HTML to make the page interactive. This allows the application to seamlessly transition between server-rendered and client-rendered content.
• Error Handling: Implement robust error handling for SSR, as server-side rendering may encounter issues that client-side rendering doesn’t, such as network failures or server misconfigurations.
• Lazy Load Non-Essential Content: Reduce the initial load time by deferring the loading of images, videos, and other non-essential content until after the main content is displayed.

SEO vs. Performance Considerations of Server-Side Rendering

When implementing Server-Side Rendering (SSR), there’s a key balance between improving SEO and optimizing performance. Both aspects are crucial for providing a fast and visible web experience, but they can sometimes create tensions that need to be managed properly.

SEO Benefits of SSR

One of the greatest advantages of SSR is its positive impact on search engine optimization (SEO). Since SSR delivers fully rendered HTML from the server, search engines can easily crawl and index the page’s content. This enhances the site’s visibility in search engine results, especially for websites with dynamic or heavy content that could be difficult to properly index with Client-Side Rendering (CSR).

By sending a fully rendered page from the server, SSR ensures that Google and other search engines can access all the content from the start, increasing the chances of higher ranking in search results. This is crucial for sites that rely on search engine presence to drive traffic.

Performance Considerations

While SSR improves SEO by providing pre-rendered content, it also poses performance challenges. Rendering a page on the server can be resource-intensive, particularly for websites with high traffic or applications that generate dynamic content on a large scale. The more complex the page, the longer it takes the server to process and render the content before sending it to the client.

Although the initial load time is faster compared to CSR, the server’s response time can be affected if not properly optimized. If the server is not equipped to handle heavy loads, users may experience delays, which could negatively affect the user experience and counteract the SEO benefits.

Balancing SEO and Performance

To make the most of SSR, it’s essential to find a balance between SEO and performance. Some strategies include:

1. Caching Optimization: Implementing an effective caching strategy can significantly reduce the load on the server, improving both performance and the availability of pre-rendered content for search engines.
   
2. Lazy Loading and Pre-fetching: Loading only the essential resources on the initial page and deferring the loading of other less important elements until the user interacts with the page can help improve performance without sacrificing SEO optimization.
   
3. Server Scalability: As the site grows, it’s crucial to have servers capable of handling large volumes of requests without slowing down page load times. Using high-availability hosting services or auto-scaling systems can mitigate performance issues.
   

In summary, while SSR is an excellent strategy for improving SEO, it’s important to consider its implications on performance. Implementing best optimization practices and finding the right balance between load speed and content indexing is key to ensuring an exceptional user experience and favorable SEO ranking.

SSR vs. CSR: Which One Should You Use?

Taking the idea from the Vue framework documentation site, vue.org, we can summarize the key aspects of using SSR and SCR

When to Use Server-Side Rendering?

• If SEO is important (e.g., blogs, news sites, or e-commerce platforms).
• If you need faster initial loading for users (e.g., landing pages, marketing sites).
• If your data changes frequently and must be up-to-date when loaded.

When to Use Client-Side Rendering?

• If you’re building highly interactive applications (e.g., social media platforms, dashboards).
• If you want to reduce server costs and rely more on the user’s browser.
• If your app needs offline functionality, like Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

Conclusion

Server-Side Rendering is an excellent way to make websites load faster, enhance SEO, and provide a more excellent user experience. It is not for everyone, though. If your concern is SEO and quick loading, SSR is your solution. If your app requires deep interaction, Client-Side Rendering may be more suitable. Hydration makes SSR pages interactive but demands immaculate planning.

By understanding the difference between SSR and CSR, and where and when to use them, you can make wiser choices when creating your next web app.

Need help deciding on the best approach for your project or looking for additional support we offer IT Staff Augmentation services that scale with your project.