JavaScript is a popular programming language used for adding interactivity and functionality to websites. It can be utilized to create fun games or provide hidden ways to interact with website content. However, JavaScript is not limited to just entertainment purposes. There are many reasons why businesses should consider using JavaScript on their websites:
- JavaScript can be used to to add image sliders, drop-down menus, and pop-ups, making your site more engaging.
- It can be used to add features to your website, like form validation, interactive maps, and real-time search results.
- Because JavaScript is a client side programming language, it can be used to offload some of the processing work from the server to the browser on the user’s side.
- It can be used to interact with web APIs, which will let you add even more external functionality to you site. Some examples of this includes social media sharing buttons, weather widgets, or news feeds.
- JavaScript can even be used to create web applications like chat applications, and other productivity tools. Because it’s running on the browser, it’s faster and more responsive compared to other web applications that have to be loaded from the site’s server.
Google’s John Mueller suggests that it is essential to keep the <head> HTML element section free of unnecessary code so that search engine crawlers can easily understand your website. He gave this advice in response to a query on a Reddit thread about whether HTML code placement could have an impact on SEO.
So, the short answer is, the placement of HTML is important to SEO, especially f it doesn’t appear at the top of the page.
Once the <head> section of your HTML is clear of JavaScript, Mueller said that you should use the rendering tool to se if the page is rendering correctly. This is to make sure everything is running smoothly. The tool can be found in Search Console.
“The html headers (<head>) should be pretty much on top. I’d move any JS to below the HTML headers, and check with the rendering tool in search console that the JS doesn’t mess up the <head> section.”
According to Search Engine Journal, JavaScript can cause poor user experience by delaying the rendering of webpage during load times. This is why moving the JavaScript further down the HTML code is important. You want to let the browser deal with the HTML code first. The page will load first (which will be good for the user), and then the JavaScript after that will be loaded, completing the process.
Source: Reddit and Search Engine Journal
