The loading graphic may be more to prevent a Flash of Unstyled Content (FOUC) than to mask loading times: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_of_unstyled_con

The loading graphic may be more to prevent a Flash of Unstyled Content (FOUC) than to mask loading times: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_of_unstyled_content https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_of_unstyled_content Single page apps have quite a bit of control over rendering, however Google prefers that indexed markup be pre rendered from the server. Juggling the two competing priorities leads to byzantine technical issues. Front end development for content sites can be complex.