When I decided to build my portfolio, I had one clear goal — it shouldn’t just look good; it should be fast, SEO-friendly, and scalable.
After experimenting with React, Vite, and even plain HTML setups, I finally settled on Next.js.
In this post, I’ll explain why Next.js became my go-to framework — not just for my portfolio but for most of my future projects too.
The Power of Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
One of the biggest reasons I chose Next.js was Server-Side Rendering (SSR).
With React, pages are rendered on the client side — which means the browser has to download and execute JavaScript before it can display content.
But with Next.js:
- HTML is pre-rendered on the server,
- Search engines can see full content instantly,
- And users get a faster first paint.
This directly boosted my SEO performance — Google’s crawlers could instantly read meta tags and structured data without waiting for hydration.
Static Site Generation (SSG) for Speed
My portfolio’s blogs and project pages don’t change every second — that’s where Static Site Generation (SSG) came in.
Next.js let me generate static HTML for all blog posts and pages at build time.
The result?
- Pages load in milliseconds.
- Zero backend server required.
- Hosting on Vercel became effortless (and free!).
It’s the perfect combo of speed + simplicity.
Built-in SEO Optimization
One of my key focuses was ranking my portfolio well on Google.
Next.js made this extremely easy:
<Head>component for custom meta tags.- Dynamic Open Graph and Twitter metadata for better link previews.
- Automatic route-based file structure for clean URLs.
- Easy integration with structured data (JSON-LD).
All of this gave me complete control over SEO — without needing any plugins or hacks.
File-Based Routing = Simplicity
Instead of manually setting up react-router or complex route configurations, Next.js uses file-based routing.
Every .js or .tsx file in the /app or /pages directory becomes an automatic route.
This made managing blogs, project pages, and future expansions super intuitive.
Image Optimization out of the Box
My portfolio includes high-quality project screenshots — but large images can slow down your site. With Next.js Image Optimization, I could easily:
- Serve responsive images in modern formats (WebP, AVIF)
- Lazy-load images
- Automatically handle resizing and caching
Just one IMAGE component improved my Lighthouse performance scores significantly.
Full-Stack Capabilities
Next.js isn’t just frontend — it allows building API routes directly inside the project, without needing a separate backend.
For example, I can easily add:
- A contact form handler
- Newsletter subscription
- Comment system (in future)
Everything stays within the same codebase — making it perfect for MVPs and small SaaS tools.
Effortless Deployment with Vercel
Since Vercel is built by the same team behind Next.js, deployment couldn’t be easier.
- Push code to GitHub → site auto-deploys
- Every branch gets a preview URL
- Automatic image caching, CDN distribution, and HTTPS
Within minutes, my portfolio was live globally — fast, reliable, and zero config.
Why I’ll Keep Using Next.js
Next.js isn’t just about convenience; it’s about building scalable, production-ready apps with minimal setup.
For future projects — whether it’s a blog platform, startup MVP, or an AI-integrated app — it gives me:
Performance SEO readiness Scalability Developer experience
I can experiment freely without worrying about boilerplate or setup.
Final Thoughts
Building my portfolio with Next.js wasn’t just a tech choice — it was a mindset shift. It taught me the value of performance, SEO, and user experience working together.
If you’re a developer who’s still on plain React, give Next.js a try. You’ll realize it’s not just “React with routing” — it’s a complete framework designed for real-world apps.
Tech Stack Used
Next.js 14 → App Router + SSR + SSG
Tailwind CSS → Styling and responsive layout
Framer Motion → Smooth animations
Vercel → Deployment and global CDN
Hi! I'm Hitanshu. How may I help you?