Beyond the standard HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and image files, websites often rely on a variety of ‘other’ internal resources to function. This category can include everything from web fonts (WOFF2), videos (MP4), and audio files (MP3) to data files (JSON, XML) and even text files (.txt). While these files are often overlooked in a standard SEO audit, they can have a significant impact on page speed, crawl budget, and user experience.
Think of your website as a theatrical production. The HTML, CSS, and JS are the script, set, and actors. The ‘other’ resources are the props, sound effects, and lighting. If the props are too heavy or the sound files are too large, the whole production can slow down. For a broader look at your site’s components, see our guide on the resources category.
The SEO Impact of Unoptimized Resources
Every resource that a browser has to download adds to the total page weight and can increase load times. For a deep dive into performance, this guide from web.dev is an excellent resource.
- Page Speed: Large, unoptimized video, audio, or font files can dramatically slow down your site, harming your Core Web Vitals and user engagement.
- Crawl Budget: If search engines are spending time crawling large, unnecessary files (like log files or data exports that have been accidentally linked), it can waste the crawl budget that should be spent on your important content pages.
- Rendering: Some resources, like web fonts, are critical for rendering the page correctly. If they are slow to load or blocked, it can lead to a poor user experience and a negative evaluation from Google.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Auditing Your Other Resources
The goal is to ensure that all linked resources are necessary, optimized, and crawlable when they need to be. For more on optimizing specific file types, this guide from Google on indexable file types is a useful reference.
- Crawl Your Site: Use an SEO audit tool like Creeper to get a complete inventory of all internal resources linked from your site, not just the standard HTML and CSS.
- Analyze the Resource Report: Filter your crawl data by content type to review the different kinds of files being loaded. Pay close attention to the size of video, audio, and font files.
- Optimize Large Files: For any large media files, consider compressing them or hosting them on a more performant platform (like YouTube for videos). Ensure your web fonts are in the modern, compressed WOFF2 format.
- Check for Crawl Blocks: Make sure you are not accidentally blocking important resources like fonts or JSON files in your `robots.txt` file. Google needs to access these to render your pages correctly.
By auditing all of your site’s resources, you can ensure a faster, more efficient experience for both users and search engines. This is a key part of a successful on-page SEO strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I block font files in robots.txt?
No, you should not block font files. Google needs to render your page to understand its layout and user experience, and this includes loading your custom fonts. Blocking them can lead to a failed mobile-friendliness test and a misunderstanding of your page’s content.
What is the best format to use for videos on my site?
For performance and compatibility, it’s almost always better to host your videos on a third-party platform like YouTube or Vimeo and embed them on your site. Self-hosting large video files can consume a massive amount of bandwidth and slow your site down. If you must self-host, use a modern, compressed format like MP4 with the H.264 codec.
How can I find all the ‘other’ resources my site is loading?
A website crawler like Creeper is the most effective tool. It will crawl your site and provide a categorized list of all resources it finds, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, PDFs, and any other file types. This allows you to see a complete inventory of your site’s assets.
Are your site’s resources weighing you down? Start your Creeper audit today to get a complete inventory of all your internal files.