JS faceted search vs static category pages — the SEO trap

JS faceted search vs static category pages — the SEO trap
Client replaced category pages with a slick JS-powered faceted search. Rankings cratered.
— Static category/landing pages: crawlable, indexable, each one a ranking target with its own URL and copy.
— JS faceted search (Algolia/Meilisearch front-ends): killer UX, but if the filtered states aren't real crawlable URLs, Google sees one empty container page.
The move: keep the JS search for users, but generate static, server-rendered landing pages for your top 30 filter combos — /running-shoes/waterproof/ as a real URL with real copy.
Don't let the search index BE your site structure. The convenient combos (brand+category) need hard URLs; the infinite combos stay behind a noindex'd, robots-disallowed query layer.