SSG Vs SSR

What are they?

SSG stands for "static site generator" while SSR stands for "server side rendering", each having their own advantages and disadvantages. Understanding them is crucial when deciding which method is best for your website or web application. Below is an overview of how they work.

Before we delve further, let's explore another widely-used option known as client-side rendering (CSR). This approach renders the website's content directly on the client's browser, enabling the development of robust and powerful applications. However, it comes with a significant drawback: CSR is often incompatible with SEO requirements. Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a crucial role in determining your website's visibility and ranking on search engine results pages, which is why static site generation (SSG) or server-side rendering (SSR) are preferred alternatives.

What is SSG

Static site generators are tools that generate HTML pages at build time which happens before a website is deployed or redeployed. The website's content and structure are pre-rendered, resulting in a collection of static HTML files which are ready to be served to the user.

One key advantage with SSGs is the lack of server processing. Because the content is already rendered, it removes the need for a server to process any data and loads static HTML files quickly in the clients browser. Because it is not relying on a server's processing, SSGs are also scalable able to handle high amounts of traffic. Another benefit is better security, as the lack of server side code makes it less vulnerable to certain types of attacks.

SSGs are great for SEO as the static HTML files create a website that has pre-rendered content which can be readily crawled and indexed by search engines. Having eliminated the need for dynamic server requests, the pages load faster resulting in improved performance. With SSGs, you can ensure that your website is easily discoverable, accessible, and favorable in search engine rankings, ultimately driving traffic and enhancing your overall SEO strategy.

One possible disadvantage with SSG is that updates made are not instant and await the build time and deployment of optimized code. To explain this a little more, build time refers to the duration it takes for a SSG to compile and generate the optimized version of a website. This is typically done running npm run build or yarn build. It is only after this process is done with the latest content can it be deployed to your hosting platform to display the updates.

Some example JavaScript frameworks that are static site generators are Gatsby which uses React and Gridsome which uses Vue. Some example projects of mine using Gatsby include both the Cool Studio website and Camist website. An example of Gridsome is this very website you're reading this off of. Note: It looks like Gridsome may not be receiving future updates so I'd recommend using Gatsby.

Some use cases for static site generators include blogs, documentation websites, marketing landing pages, and any content-focused site where real-time interactivity is not required.

What is SSR

Server side rendering is a technique in web development to render the pages on the server as fully rendered HTML files and then send them to the clients browser. This presents the initial advantage of a faster initial page load as the server send the complete HTML markup and reduces the need for client side rendering.

SSR offers a significant benefit for SEO by enabling seamless crawling and indexing of your web pages by search engines and social media platforms, thereby enhancing SEO. SSR achieves this by sending complete HTML files from the server, making it simpler for search bots to crawl and index the content. This ensures that your website's content is efficiently recognized by search engines, improving its visibility and ranking potential in search results.

An advantage SSR has over static sites is that the data it fetches is dynamic, meaning it can be updated in real time. Dynamic data can be incorporated in the rendered HTML, meaning it can access databases, APIs and a CMS to provide up to date information. Because of this, SSR applications are useful for when personalized content or real-time updates are required.

It's worth noting that SSR does come with some trade-offs. Server-side rendering can increase server load and response times compared to static file serving. Additionally, more complex applications may require careful management of server resources to ensure optimal performance.

Some example JavaScript frameworks that utilize SSR are Next.js which uses React and Nuxt.js which uses Vue. Some example projects of mine using Nuxt V2 is the Barerooms website and another using the current latest version Nuxt V3 is the Comoonity website. I currently have not done a project in Next.js yet but I am familiar with it and expect to use it at some point in the future. Its also worth mentioning that these frameworks utilize many types of rendering modes, meaning you can have static generated pages whilst others are rendered on the server-side. Giving you the best of both worlds.

Server-side rendering is commonly used for e-commerce platforms, web applications with user-generated content, and websites that require real-time data updates.

Which one is the right approach?

Simply put, it depends on the project.

If your project requires dynamic content in real-time and complex server side logic, then SSR is the way to go. While more static content like marketing websites and blogs would ideally use SSG. In my experience, static sites perform better due to the pages being prerendered. SSR can work very well, it just requires fine tuning. Both of these approaches work for great for SEO and are the preferable way to create powerful websites with all the benefits of client-side rendering applications.

By considering your project requirements, performance needs, development complexity, and SEO considerations, you can make an informed decision on whether to use a static site generator or server-side rendering. Understanding the trade-offs and benefits of each approach will help you create a successful and efficient website.