Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a process that you undergo to ensure that the visibility of your website within search engines and their results pages (SERPs) is as high as possible. When done correctly, this ensures that your website will be one of the first search results people see when they search for relevant keywords on search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing.
Good web hosting can make all the difference when it comes to helping your website with its SEO efforts by allowing you to quickly load all the pages in your site at lightning speed, which can help increase your site’s rankings with search engines.
Why Do You Need Good Web Hosting?
The quality of your web hosting has a major impact on your website’s rank in search engine results pages (SERPS). You can get penalized by Google if you use low-quality, cheap web hosting. Not only will this bad hosting slow down your site and make it difficult to load. But it can also lead to malware and spamming.
You’ll want to make sure that you’re using a reliable, fast host with good customer support. There are plenty of options out there, so find the one that best suits your needs and budget. If you have any questions about choosing a web hosting company, feel free to contact our team!
The Impact of Web Hosting in SEO
Many people do not realize that the web hosting company you choose can have a major impact on your search engine optimization efforts. Below, we’ll explore the key factors to take into consideration when evaluating web hosting providers and how they can affect your ranking in organic search results.
#1 – Caching
Web hosts typically use caching to speed up load times for sites they host. This is a good thing. You want your website to load quickly so users don’t get frustrated while navigating through it. But this can actually hurt your site’s rankings if you are using a lot of images or other media files that need updated often.
When cached data becomes outdated, it will only display old information. Which may make it seem as though your site hasn’t been updated recently. For example, if an image needs to be changed once every few days, and the cache expires after four days, then potential visitors could see an old image instead of one that has just been updated.
#2 – Server Resources
The more resources (bandwidth) a server has available, the faster it can process requests. If there is less demand than what is being provided by the server. Then those resources remain idle which means they are available to help serve your content faster when needed.
On the other hand, if your website goes viral and generates a huge spike in traffic, then all of those resources will be utilized to handle requests until they become overwhelmed. By utilizing multiple servers, each with its own set of resources, companies like GoDaddy provide stability during periods of high traffic volume.
They also offer their customers varying levels of service which allows them to find a plan that best fits their budget. These measures allow GoDaddy clients’ websites to run smoothly even when faced with spikes in traffic. Helping them avoid the negative effects mentioned above.
#3 – Ping Times
Ping time refers to the length of time between making an HTTP request and getting a response from another computer across the Internet. Most web hosting services have geographically-proximate servers. Meaning that no matter where you are accessing your account, the nearest server will respond to your ping request. This improves loading times since it reduces latency.
Additionally, some higher-end web hosting services offer low-latency networks. These networks route connections based on proximity to your location. Reducing the distance between you and the web server providing access to your content. Low latency networks are especially important if you want to ensure fast loading times for videos hosted on YouTube. It’s important to note that these technologies are designed specifically for real-time communications such as video chats and VoIP conversations.
There is no guarantee that a lower-priced hosting package will include the same quality of service. Likewise, if you’re running a CMS system. You should know that most CMS solutions are built on top of Linux-based systems, and many web hosting providers offer Linux-based solutions.
#4 – Securing your Site
The last factor to consider is site security. Web hosting providers offer different levels of security, and it’s a wise idea to evaluate the features they offer before signing on. Even if you are running a blog or small business website, you should keep in mind that attacks can happen at any time.
Consider purchasing an SSL certificate to protect sensitive data, and look for a web hosting provider that offers two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication is a security measure that requires you to enter a code sent to your phone in addition to your username and password.
This adds an extra layer of protection for your data, and will require hackers to have physical access to the phone in order to bypass the security feature. In the end, you want to choose a web hosting company that provides the right mix of resources and services to meet your needs. The goal is to have a site that runs smoothly and is secure.
Hosting Parameters That Affect Website SEO
Google rewards websites that are mobile-friendly. Mobile-friendly means the website’s content will display well and be easy to use on a smartphone. If your website is not mobile-friendly, it will rank lower in Google search results than sites that are. Site speed also affects ranking; if your site takes too long to load. You’re likely going to get visitors who give up before they see what you have to offer. The same goes for pages that take too long to load, as they won’t show up in Google’s search results as often.
The best web hosting providers know these things and can ensure that all of these factors are optimized for your website. So it ranks higher in search engine rankings. Websites need an excellent server with an abundance of memory and disk space available to operate at peak efficiency. They need up-to-date software with security patches applied regularly to ward off hackers. A database needs powerful processing capability for storing large amounts of data without slowing down the system.
Redundant Servers
Finally, customers want redundant servers – servers that back each other up – because crashes happen when least expected! Should one server go down, another takes over seamlessly. That way your site stays online even when there’s a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy that knocked out power to huge swathes of people and businesses. The most reliable web hosts include features like 99.9% uptime guarantee, 24/7 customer support, daily backups, spam filtering and virus scanning.
In order to make the right decision when choosing a provider for web hosting services, potential clients should ask themselves how much time they are willing to spend managing their account while looking into how much downtime they could expect. How is website hosting and uptime/downtime related? Outages from events such as Hurricane Sandy can cause significant damage to a business. When people cannot access a website, they may turn to competitors’ sites instead which causes loss of revenue. The top three benefits of using a high quality hosting company include: guaranteed uptime, reliability and flexibility. Find out more about these benefits by reading this blog post.
Tips To Choose a Good Host
Finding a web hosting company that can help you boost your SEO efforts is one of the most important parts of starting a website. And while you may think all web hosting providers offer the same services. There are some key differences to take into account before deciding which service will best suit your needs.
1) Does the website host allow for keyword optimisation?
2) What is their data backup policy?
3) What kind of customer support do they offer?
4) What is their uptime guarantee?
5) How many visitors does the website host servers typically handle?
6) What level of security is offered by the website hosting provider and how often does it occur?
7) How much bandwidth do they provide on average per user?
8) Is there an easy to use interface so I can set up my site with ease?
9) What are the terms of agreement between me and this particular web hosting company?
10) If I get hacked will my website be restored from backups in minutes or hours as opposed to days?
11) How quickly would someone be able to access my website if needed?
12) Are websites hosted on these servers allowed to use scripts like WordPress or Joomla?
Choosing a Web Host
Finally, one of the biggest factors to consider when choosing a web host is what type of server they use. Servers come in different shapes and sizes with each offering different benefits and drawbacks. Meaning you need to know what type of server will work best for your website before finalising any decisions. For instance, shared hosts (such as GoDaddy) tend to have larger networks and more bandwidth than VPSs but don’t offer control panels for customisation.
VPSs on the other hand are more expensive but give you more control over your virtual environment. For example, if you’re running an e-commerce store then VPS might be worth considering due to its flexibility but if you’re just looking for basic hosting then shared hosting could be a better option since it’s cheaper and easier to use.
It’s also important to note that even if you’re using shared hosting and find out later down the track that you need a little more power. Chances are there’ll still be room to upgrade. You’ll always want to make sure you compare prices, features and policies before signing up with any web hosting provider.
Consideration for Budget Users Section: Conclusion
For those of you on a budget, it’s worth considering how web hosting can make or break your SEO efforts. The wrong provider could result in a website that is off the map when it comes to Google’s search results. It’s best to find a reputable company with affordable rates and knowledgeable customer service staff.
Choose a host who will answer any questions you may have about their services. If your site has multiple pages, be sure to ask if they offer unlimited bandwidth as well as space for uploading files and databases. You’ll also want to find out what types of operating systems are supported by the host. Ensure compatibility with both Linux and Windows operating systems so all your visitors can access your site.
A good place to start is by researching what other people are saying about their experiences with various hosts – including blogs, forums, and social media sites like Twitter. Remember, not all hosts are created equal so finding one that fits all your needs might require some digging around. Once you’ve narrowed down your options, take advantage of free trials before making a final decision. Then once everything is set up, continue monitoring your site using online tools to ensure everything is running smoothly.