When building JavaScript MVC (Model-View-Controller) applications, it’s important to consider search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure your website or web application is easily discoverable by search engines. One important aspect of SEO is having SEO-friendly URLs, which are human-readable and descriptive.

In this article, we will explore how to implement SEO-friendly URLs in JavaScript MVC applications by using the pushState() method available in the history API.

What are SEO-friendly URLs?

SEO-friendly URLs are URLs that are designed to be easily understood by both users and search engines. They typically include relevant keywords that describe the content of the page.

For example:

• Non-SEO-friendly URL: https://example.com/product?id=12345
• SEO-friendly URL: https://example.com/product/seo-friendly-url

Using the pushState() method

The pushState() method is part of the history API and allows us to add entries to the browser’s history stack. By using this method, we can change the URL displayed in the address bar without triggering a full page reload.

To implement SEO-friendly URLs in your JavaScript MVC application, you can follow these steps:

1. Detect user interaction or state change in your application that requires a URL update.
2. Use the pushState() method to change the URL to the desired SEO-friendly URL.

Here’s an example implementation:

const updateURL = (url) => {
  const newURL = `/product/${url}`; // Generate the SEO-friendly URL
  document.title = url; // Update the page title
  history.pushState({}, '', newURL); // Change the URL without triggering a page reload
};

In the above example, a function updateURL is defined which takes the desired URL as a parameter. It then generates an SEO-friendly URL based on this input and updates the browser’s history by using the history.pushState() method.

Handling URL Changes

In order to handle URL changes, you need to listen for the popstate event, which is fired when the user navigates through the history stack (e.g., using the back/forward buttons). This event allows you to update your application state accordingly.

Here’s an example implementation:

window.addEventListener('popstate', (event) => {
  // Handle URL change
  const currentState = history.state;
  // ... update application state based on the URL
});

In the above example, the popstate event listener is added to the window object. Whenever the URL changes, the event handler is invoked, and you can update your application state accordingly.

Conclusion

Using SEO-friendly URLs is crucial to improve the visibility of your JavaScript MVC applications in search engine results pages. By utilizing the pushState() method in the history API, you can easily implement SEO-friendly URLs without reloading the entire page.

Remember to always consider SEO best practices when designing and developing your applications, as it can greatly impact your website’s performance and visibility.

#SEO #JavaScript #MVC #URLs