Hosting can majorly impact how well your site takes to SEO. This article will show you exactly what you need to look out for to make an informed decision.
Many details and factors need to be considered while building your website. Among them, it is important to note that choosing the right website hosting provider can have a huge impact on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how well you rank compared to other sites on the web.
Depending upon the size of the site and the amount of traffic your site has are also important when choosing a hosting server.
Search engines reward sites, by ranking them higher, when the site gives valuable information, in an effective way, to the people performing the web search. Choosing the right or wrong server host can have a big impact on your SEO rankings.
There are some important SEO factors to consider when choosing your website’s hosting.
SEO-Friendly Hosting: Top Factors To Consider When Choosing a Web-Hosting Provider
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Uptime/Downtime
It really matters how much downtime your hosting provider has. They need to be reliable. That means the amount of time your server is up and running can’t be lower than 99%. If your site experiences a lot of downtimes, it cannot be accessed by users.
Google and other search engines will penalize your site if it suffers from too much downtime.
SSL Certificates
Investing in quality hosting services with great security features will help earn the trust of your visitors. Some hosting providers offer free SSL certificates together with their packages, helping you save on website upkeep costs.
Without an SSL certificate, your website cannot function under the HTTPS protocol. That means traffic between your site and the visitor won’t be encrypted, which will mark your site as insecure, and detur visitors from visiting it.
Additionally, Google confirmed, that SSL integration is a ranking factor.
Speed
Speed is crucial to SEO rankings. Users don't like waiting for websites to load. They will click off of your site quicker than you can blink an eye. Fast loading speeds, on the other hand, will improve your ranking because users will have a better experience and stay on your site longer.
Location of the Server
Linked to the hosting speed, the server will be faster the closer you are to the server. This means your site will have a faster loading speed.
The more servers the location has, the faster your website will load, thereby leading to better SEO rankings.
Backups
Backups for your data are critical. If your site loses all of its data due to a technical glitch, a virus, or a hacker, a search engine will have nothing to rank. Research each provider’s backup policies before making your final decision on a website server.
Help & Support
Having competent and efficient customer support will ensure your website keeps running smoothly. The ability for your server to fix any glitches or problems quickly will help keep your sites ranking high on the search engines.
How to Select Your Hosting Server for Better SEO Ranking
No matter which type of hosting you decide on, whether it be a shared server, a VPS server, a dedicated server, or a cloud server, it is important to select the one that will best serve your own individual website needs.
Changing servers can be a lot of work, and it can damage your SEO rankings in the process. You can't always make the best choice just by looking into a server's RAM, OS, bandwidth, storage, and CPU alone. The following are some helpful tips to choose the right server, so your site will achieve the high SEO ranking you want for your business.
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Compare Reviews
You can compare hosting companies’ reviews by going to their site or by checking third-party review sites like Trust Pilot.
Avoid reading reviews on affiliate sites. Social media platforms are also a way to get credible reviews.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of fake reviews floating around, so try to stick to reliable sources. Your site’s SEO rankings will be impacted by the service you choose.
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Check Server Location
Having your hosting server located closest to where your target market is the best to increase SEO rankings. For example, a local business in the United States should make sure their server is located somewhere closest to the U.S.
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Compare the Technology
Make sure the server host you use is geared up to the technology level you need to grow your business. Most hosting companies support a majority of platforms, such as Zen Cart, WordPress, Magento, and others. But you must make sure the platform you want to use can be supported on the host's server.
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Review in House Tech Support
No matter how much homework you do on a server, issues are bound to arise at some point. Look into how they handle situations when they come up. Do they respond immediately? Do they respond via email only? Do they have a tech support team you can talk to? Are they available on a 24/7 basis?
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Compare Uptime/Downtime
Sites like Netcraft let you research a list of current and updated hosting companies that are ranked on their uptown. It is simple to use and provides details from the past week's records. This will aid you in choosing the best service provider for better SEO ranking.
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Speed
As stated above, speed is of the ultimate importance when it comes to SEO ranking, so make sure your choice in service providers have the highest and most reliable speed.
Check out Ultratools or PickupHost can help you with your research on speed.
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Other Features
Freebies and upgrade capabilities matter. Does the company offer a free domain, site builder help, subdomains, or a CDN (Content Delivery Network, such as a blog)? SEO also ranks and rewards sites that provide relevant and current content.
Wrapping Up
The long and short of it is, if you want a higher SEO ranking, make sure you do your research before choosing a hosting server. Looking at neutral sites like PC Magazine and TechRadar will provide ratings in different categories, which can really shore up your choices to ensure you make the right decision.