How to Run a Tech SEO Deep Dive on a SPA

Single Page Applications (SPAs) are awesome for users. They feel fast and smooth. Like a native app. But for search engines? Not always that friendly. That’s why running a tech SEO deep dive on a SPA is so important. And yes, it can be simple and even fun!

In this article, we’ll walk through how to do it.

🤖 What Makes SPAs Tricky?

Unlike traditional websites, SPAs use JavaScript to update content dynamically without reloading the page. That’s great for user experience — but bad news for crawlers that rely on HTML they can see right away.

Here’s what SPAs do that complicate SEO:

• Dynamic content load — search engines may not wait for JavaScript to finish.
• One HTML file — makes it hard to have unique metadata per “page.”
• Missing server-side rendering (SSR) — causes blank pages in search results.

🔎 Step 1: Check the Basics (Yes, They Still Matter)

Before diving deep, make sure the simple stuff is covered. These may sound basic, but skipping them can doom your SEO from day one.

• Is the SPA crawlable? Try using Google’s URL Inspection tool in Search Console.
• Does each “page” have a unique URL? SPAs should use history mode routing — not hashbang URLs (#).
• Are title tags and meta descriptions updating dynamically? Check via browser DevTools.
• Is a sitemap.xml present and updating as needed? SPAs need good sitemaps too!

If some of these fail, that’s your first fix.

🧪 Step 2: Rendering Test

The most important and fun test: Can Google see your content?

Here’s how to test it:

1. Use Google Search Console → URL Inspection. Paste a key internal URL.
2. Hit “Test Live URL” to let Googlebot fetch it.
3. Click “View Crawled Page” → “View Tested Page” → “Screenshot.”
4. If it’s blank or missing critical content, your SPA is not rendering properly.

For cross-checking:

• Try Mobile-friendly Test.
• Use the Rich Results Tester to see what structured data is visible.
• Most fun: Use Google’s Puppeteer or Rendertron to simulate rendering yourself!

Bonus: Check with curl -A Googlebot to see if raw HTML has content right away.

🚀 Step 3: SSR vs Pre-rendering

You now know if Google can render the app. But should it have to?

Google’s rendering queue might delay or miss content loaded with JavaScript. To avoid this, you have two main options:

1. Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

Tools like Next.js or Nuxt.js let the server prep the page with content before sending it to the browser.

• Best performance for SEO
• Modern and scalable

2. Pre-rendering

If SSR is too big a shift, use pre-renderers like Prerender.io or Rendertron.

• Creates static HTML for each page
• Serves that to bots only
• Content is always crawlable

Choose one depending on your tech stack. Either way, ensure your content is visible first-load for Googlebot.

🔗 Step 4: Link Architecture Check

With SPAs, some devs get lazy with links. They forget that search engines need HTML anchor links. Buttons or other JavaScript triggers don’t cut it.

Best practices for linking:

• Use <a href=”…”> tags — even in a React or Vue app.
• Ensure your internal links have descriptive anchor text.
• Check for any broken links — use a crawling tool like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb.

When bots can crawl from link to link, they’ll better understand your site structure and index it correctly.

🧭 Step 5: Metadata Testing

Every “page” in your SPA should have its own:

• Title tag
• Meta description
• Open Graph / Twitter Cards tags
• Canonical tag

Use browser DevTools → Elements to check head tags update through navigation.

If everything stays the same no matter what route you’re on? That’s a red alert.

Consider using React Helmet or Vue Meta to manage metadata in dynamic apps.

📈 Step 6: Measure Real-Time Impact

You’ve fixed rendering, metadata, and links. Nice! But how do you know if it’s working?

Check metrics in:

• Google Search Console: Look for increases in indexed URLs and impressions over time.
• Google Analytics: Set up events to track pageviews on route changes.
• Lighthouse reports: Test for SEO score improvements.

Another tip: Use Bing Webmaster Tools to get a second opinion. Bing is more transparent with render issues!

🐞 Bonus Tip: JavaScript Error Capture

JS errors can silently break rendering.

Make sure you have logging (Hotjar, Sentry, etc.) to detect:

• JavaScript crashes
• APIs not loading
• Data not arriving on time

No one wants a broken product page hiding 404s behind a loading spinner.

🎯 Wrap-Up Time

SPAs are awesome — but only when search engines can understand them.

To run your deep dive successfully:

1. Check crawlability and routing basics
2. Test rendering using Google tools
3. Implement SSR or pre-rendering to simplify Google’s job
4. Use proper metadata and anchor links
5. Benchmark and watch for improvement over time

The best part? Once you set this up, your SPA can outperform standard sites in speed, experience, and rankings.

Now go, be the SPA SEO hero your project deserves! 🚀