SEO preloading: optimising access to essential resources

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What is SEO Preloading?

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Over the years, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has become an essential element in a company's visibility. website.

A lesser-known aspect of SEO is pre-loading, which consists of optimising the loading time of a page by anticipating future user requests.

In this article, we present 10 key points about SEO preloading and its impact on site performance.

1. What is preloading?

Le preloading is a technique that speeds up the loading of a page by loading certain resources in advance, even before the user has expressed the intention to consult them. The aim is to anticipate the user's needs by reducing to a minimum the time between their request and the provision of the requested information.

2. How does preloading work?

This technique is based on the use of meta tags HTML or JavaScript to tell the browser which resources are potentially required when a page is loaded. These resources can be images, files CSSscripts and fonts.

The different preloading meta tags :

• •  indicates that a resource will be needed to load the current page or a future navigation.
  •  The resource: specifies that a resource is likely to be useful when browsing in the future.
  •  : tells the browser to establish a connection with the origin (server) of the resource in anticipation.
  •  : asks the browser to perform a resolution DNS for the origin of the resource, which reduces the time taken to load the associated files.

3. Criteria for selecting resources to be preloaded

To be effective, preloading must be limited to the following resources really indispensableIt is also important not to overload the browser by preloading too many resources simultaneously. It is also important not to overload the browser by preloading too many resources simultaneously.

4. What can be preloaded?

In general, we recommend that you preload the following items:

• Images essential to the main content of the page
• CSS files important for the visual appearance of the site
• The JavaScript scripts and libraries needed for certain functions to work properly
• The fonts used on the site
• Videos and other media integrated directly into the page (embed).

5. Optimised performance with preloading

One of the main reasons for setting up a pre-loading system is to improve the quality of the service. performances and the loading speed of your website. By anticipating the download of certain resources, you reduce the waiting time for the user, which translates into a better browsing experience.

6. The impact of preloading on SEO

Page load time is a criterion taken into account by Google in its natural referencing algorithm. A fast site offers a better user experience and will therefore tend to rank higher in search results. Preloading can therefore help to improve your visibility and your ranking in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page).

7. The limits and risks of preloading

While preloading can speed up the loading time of a site, it also has a few disadvantages:

• Risk of excessive bandwidth consumption if too many resources are preloaded
• Possibility of overloading the browser's cache memory
• Not all the preloaded resources will necessarily be used by the user during their visit, wasting bandwidth and energy.

8. Adapting preloading to different devices and browsers

Performance, storage capacity and the specific characteristics of devices and browsers vary. It is therefore important to take these differences into account when implementing preloading, in order to provide an optimal experience for all users.

9. Monitoring and analysing your performance

To assess the effectiveness of your preloading and monitor its impact on your performance, it is essential to regularly measure your site's loading time using tools such as Google PageSpeed InsightsLighthouse or GTmetrix.

10. Alternatives to SEO preloading

Preloading is not the only solution for improving the performance of your website and optimising your natural referencing. You can also implement other techniques such as :

• Minimise the size of your images and use more powerful formats (WebPAVIF)
• Use a CDN (Content Delivery Network) to distribute your resources quickly and close to the user
• Setting up a server-side and client-side cache
• Optimising your CSS and JavaScript files (minification, grouping, async/defer)

In short, SEO preloading is an optimisation technique that reduces page load times by anticipating user needs.

By using appropriate HTML tags, you can help the browser to load quickly only those resources that are essential for smooth, enjoyable browsing.

However, preloading must be used sparingly to avoid unnecessary consumption of resources and to avoid degrading the user experience rather than enhancing it.