Headless CMS and its SEO advantages
A Content Management System (CMS) is a platform for creating, managing, and optimising digital content such as on web pages, blog posts, etc.
There are two different types of content management systems each with its own flexibility to manage and optimise the content on a website.
In this article, I am going to cover what a Headless CMS is and the SEO advantages of using one compared to a traditional CMS.
Headless CMS Definition
A headless CMS is a content management system where the content in the body is separated from the head and utilises an API to give site owners more flexibility to display and deliver the content across different devices.
Headless CMS VS Traditional CMS
A traditional CMS allows a site owner to have control of both the backend and the frontend of a website by connecting these together. The system can store all the data such as products, images, and text in the backend as well as handle the website layout in the frontend.
On the other hand, a headless CMS only deals with the content in the backend. The data is stored in the backend without being responsible for how this is laid out on the frontend.
Instead, the site owners are given the flexibility to work with any framework they want and deliver the content to users across different devices through an API.
The headless CMS is particularly useful for bigger sites that require the content to be updated more frequently. The downside of a headless CMS compared to a traditional CMS is that developers will have to build the frontend from scratch, which can add more complexity to the process and costs.
What Are The SEO Advantages Of Using A Headless CMS?
Building a site with a headless CMS can provide SEO advantages in different ways:
- Flexible – it gives the opportunity to work with any SEO friendly JavaScript framework
- Adaptable and compatible -the raw data can be optimised and used on any application or device
- Secure – the content is stored in the back end this reduces the risk of security attacks
- Automatable – it allows site owners to automate the publishing process allowing for content updates to be made in one place and displayed instantly on all channels
- More control – it allows site owners to have more control over their URLs
- Faster -developers can carry on implementing design at the same time as the content is being created
If you have a large site that requires frequent content updates, a headless CMS is certainly worth exploring. The flexibility of this system provides your developers with opportunities to build better and more secure websites that in return are faster for your users.
Useful Resources
Google provides a good overview on “How to build a website on Google App Engine using a headless CMS like ButterCMS” that is worth checking out.
If you use the WordPress CMS and want to learn more about the WordPress headless CMS available it’s worth reading the article from SearchEngineLand “WordPress Parent Company Acquires Headless CMS Frontity”.
For further information on what a headless CMS is & some additional information, this article on Contentful is very useful “What is a Headless CMS”.