Google’s Warning: JavaScript Hurts Product Search Visibility

With search engine optimization being such a huge part of how e-commerce works today, any update from Google is something businesses and developers can’t afford to ignore. And Google’s latest warning? It’s all about how online merchants use JavaScript to manage their product data.

If you’re using JavaScript to generate product details on your website, this is your wake-up call: Google recommends rethinking that approach.

What Exactly Did Google Say?

Recently, Google updated its developer guidelines, particularly focusing on JavaScript-generated product markup. Now, if you’re wondering what that even means, let me break it down.

Product markup is basically a way to organize the details about your products—like prices, availability, or descriptions—on your website. This markup helps Google understand what you’re selling and ensures that your products appear in the right search results. Simple, right? Well, sort of.

Many websites today rely on JavaScript to generate this markup. The good thing about JavaScript is that it makes your website dynamic and flexible. 

However, Google is warning that this approach might not always be the best when it comes to product data. They suggest putting this crucial information directly into the HTML (the backbone of your website) instead.

Google’s key message? JavaScript-generated product markup can slow down Google’s ability to crawl (or scan) your website, which is particularly bad news if your product information—like prices and stock levels—changes frequently. Google might not see those updates right away, which could mean customers see outdated information in search results.

What’s the Big Deal?

So, what’s the real issue here? Google flagged two main problems:

Infrequent Crawls: If you’re using JavaScript to manage your product data, Google might not crawl your website as often as you’d like. This can be a huge issue for e-commerce sites, especially when product availability or prices fluctuate regularly. For example, imagine running a sale, but Google hasn’t updated the discounted price in search results because it didn’t crawl your site fast enough. Ouch!

Server Load: JavaScript makes your site dynamic but demands more resources. When Googlebot (Google’s tool that scans websites) comes knocking, your server needs to handle that extra load. If your server can’t cope with Googlebot’s demands, your website may not get indexed properly, meaning fewer products are shown to potential customers.

To simplify, if you’re relying on JavaScript to display your products, Google might not always see what you want it to see or may see it too late. That can directly impact your visibility in search results, which is a serious concern for online stores.

What Changed in Google’s Documentation?

This isn’t just a casual heads-up from Google. They’ve updated two key pieces of developer documentation to drive home their point:

Merchant Listing Structured Data:

• Google explicitly recommends that merchants put product data directly into the HTML for the best results in search rankings.
• They caution that using JavaScript to generate product markup could slow the crawling process, which is especially troublesome for sites with frequently changing product details.

Generating Structured Data with JavaScript:

• There’s now a clear warning about dynamically generated product data via JavaScript. If you continue using this method, Google emphasizes that you should ensure your servers can handle the increased traffic from Google’s bots.

Why the Sudden Warning?

This isn’t the first time JavaScript has been in the spotlight regarding SEO, but it’s definitely one of Google’s more direct warnings. 

Martin Splitt, a developer advocate at Google, recently provided some extra context. He explained that while Google can process JavaScript just fine, it adds a layer of complexity that isn’t always necessary. Sometimes, JavaScript gets blamed for issues that aren’t its fault, but when problems arise, they’re often tricky to diagnose.

Google can handle JavaScript—most of the time. But when it doesn’t or when something goes wrong, it can be a pain to figure out what the issue is.

This new guidance doesn’t mean Google’s capabilities are regressing. Instead, it’s a precaution for merchants and developers to ensure everything runs smoothly on their end. Given the stakes (i.e., making sure your products appear in search results), it’s advice worth taking seriously.

What Does This Mean for Online Stores?

If you’re running an e-commerce business, this advice from Google could be a game-changer. The way your site is structured and how product information is handled can have a big impact on your visibility in search results. 

If Google can’t access your product data quickly or reliably, it could lead to fewer customers finding your site.

Let’s break this down in simpler terms: if your product information changes often—maybe you run promotions, change prices, or restock popular items—you need Google to stay updated. 

Relying on JavaScript to deliver this data could result in delays, meaning your potential customers could see outdated prices or availability, which could lead to missed sales opportunities.

What’s Next? 

What should you expect now that Google has put this warning out there? Here’s what might happen moving forward:

Less Reliance on JavaScript for Product Data: Developers and businesses will likely start shifting their product markup into HTML, ensuring that Google can crawl their site more reliably.

Increased Server Power: For those who decide to stick with JavaScript, investing in better servers that can handle the extra load is crucial. As Google ramps up its crawling efforts, your server needs to keep up.

Google’s Tech Evolving: Don’t be surprised if Google continues to improve how it handles JavaScript in the future. While this guidance is important, Google’s technology is always evolving, and things could improve over time.

What Can You Do Right Now?

If you’re concerned that your site might be affected by this update, here’s what you can do:

Review Your Setup: Check whether you’re using JavaScript for your product data. If you are, consider moving it to the HTML.

Test Your Site: Google offers tools to help you see how your site is performing. Try using their Structured Data Testing Tool and the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to check how well your product data is being crawled.

Check Your Server Capacity: If you’re sticking with JavaScript, make sure your server can handle increased traffic from Googlebot. You don’t want your server to crash, just as Google is trying to index your site.

Monitor Crawling Rates: Keep an eye on how often Google is crawling your site. If it seems like product changes aren’t being picked up quickly, it could be a sign that JavaScript is slowing things down.

Key Takeaways

• Google advises against relying solely on JavaScript for product data, recommending instead that it be placed in the initial HTML for better crawl results.
• JavaScript-generated product data can lead to less frequent crawls, meaning Google may not timely pick up crucial updates like price changes or stock availability.
• Using JavaScript for product markup can increase the strain on your server as Googlebot attempts to render the data, which could slow down indexing or cause issues with visibility.
• Merchants should consider moving product data to HTML to ensure Google’s bots can easily crawl and update the site’s information, reducing the risk of outdated product listings.
• Use Google’s tools to test how well your site is being crawled and monitor your server’s ability to handle Googlebot’s traffic to avoid any issues with product visibility in search results.