Single Page Application (SPA): Advantages & How to Create It

Single Page Application is a term that is becoming increasingly popular in the world of website development.

In this increasingly advanced digital world, web applications are becoming more complex due to user demands for interactive and responsive user interfaces.

Amidst these circumstances, the emergence of this web app has become an appealing remedy.

Evolved from the conventional approach, these web applications no longer necessitate reloading the entire page with each user interaction.

Instead, the web content undergoes asynchronous updates, thus providing a more enjoyable user experience.

By using the JavaScript programming language, SPAs are capable of loading only a small portion of the page to optimize page load efficiency.

Discover a more detailed discussion about what is Single Page Application in the following details!

What is a Single Page Application?

Single Page Application, commonly known as SPA, refers to a web application that provides a single page to handle all kinds of activities within the application.

One significant advantage of SPA is that it eliminates the need for users to navigate between different browser pages.

This is particularly beneficial when users engage in activities such as visiting links, filling out forms, and various other interactions.

So, how does the SPA work?

All user activities are managed asynchronously by JavaScript (AJAX). This means that page transitions are handled using a routing system that doesn't require browser loading.

With the presence of SPA, users can experience fast loading processes, thereby enhancing the user experience (UX).

Advantages of Using Single Page Application

While you are now understanding what a single page application is, you might also be curious to know about the advantages of this web application.

Apart from enabling faster loading processes, some other benefits of SPA are: 

1. Reduced Network Bandwidth Usage

Bandwidth refers to the network speed calculated every second during the data transfer process.

One of the main advantages of SPA is reducing network bandwidth usage.

It is mainly because SPA has a unique structure and functionality, as there is only one main page that needs to be loaded when the user first accesses the application.

Afterward, all changes and new content will be loaded asynchronously. Thus, its presence can save the network bandwidth used to download new pages.

2. Proses Loading yang Cepat

Another advantage of the single page application is its fast loading process.

The speed of this loading process is quite advantageous, especially when compared to Multiple Page Applications.

This is mainly because all HTML elements in the application interface are downloaded from the start when the page is first loaded.

As a result, the server only needs to fetch a small amount of code to create and update the user interface (UI).

This condition also means that the fewer requests directed to the server, the shorter the loading time becomes.

3. No Additional Query Needed

SPA refers to a web application that operates without additional queries.

Besides expediting the page loading process, the absence of additional queries directly impacts the required budget.

This provides developers with a unique opportunity to handle the same amount of traffic while effectively reducing the expenses related to additional server usage.

Disadvantages of Using Single Page Application

Despite being considered advantageous, this type of web application has several factors to consider.

One of the main drawbacks of SPA is its dependency on JavaScript.

This can be concerning, especially if users disable JavaScript in their browsers.

Additionally, it's worth noting that SPA is a web application that downloads all data at the beginning, leading to a relatively time-consuming initial loading process.

In some cases, implementing SEO optimization into this web application is also considered challenging. In order to address this consideration, you can refer to the comprehensive guide below!

Best SEO Practices for Single Page Applications

Despite being perceived as a challenging approach, there are various practices to enhance the SEO-friendliness of SPA. Some of these practices include:

1. Server-Side Rendering

Implementing server-side rendering (SSR) involves merging the website as part of the server's request/response cycle. 

In order to execute SSR in a JavaScript structure, the SPA must be run on a virtual DOM (Document Object Model). 

This virtual DOM is then converted into HTML strings to be inserted into the page before being delivered to end-users. 

SSR, in this case, enables the website to be easily detected by search engines without relying on whether users are running JavaScript or not.

2. Pre-Rendering

Another best SEO practice for SPA is pre-rendering. 

Pre-rendering allows users to run it in browsers without displaying the view, such as Firefox or Chrome. 

Similar to SSR, pre-rendering renders not directly on the server but can be integrated into the build process, using tools like Gulp or Webpack. 

However, this approach also has its limitations, as each route in the SPA needs to go through the pre-rendering process individually, consuming a considerable amount of time.

3. Use SEO-Friendly URL

To make SPA SEO-friendly, John Hartley (Associate Team Director of DYNAMIT) suggests using two different types of URLs in SPA: URL slug and URL ID. 

URL ID generally contains a unique ID related to each content fragment on the web page. Meanwhile, the URL Slug contains a series of words separated by hyphens (-). 

URL slug is considered essential as it makes it easier for users to read and share. To support an optimal SEO implementation, URL slugs should contain relevant, clean keywords and avoid fragments like hashtags.

4. Meta Tag

Another essential SEO component for single page applications is Meta Tags. 

From page titles, meta descriptions to canonical tags, they should be directly rendered into the page source to complement the functionality of server-side and pre-rendering.

5. XML Sitemap

In addition to improving user accessibility, a well-formatted XML Sitemap enables search engines to access website content more comprehensively.

That concludes the explanation of what Single Page Application is, its advantages, and disadvantages, as well as how to make it SEO-friendly.

Understanding the concept of SPA allows you to take a step forward in comprehending how a web page works.

Familiarizing yourself with these strategies also helps you recognize tactics that should be applied in SEO to optimize website quality.

If you encounter challenges in optimizing your website, SEO services by cmlabs are ready to accompany your journey to improve organic digital marketing and excel in online search results.