Hosting is like the oxygen of any online business. It is the concept of servers people get all confused will not. Having a dedicated server is necessary for any major e-commerce business and high-traffic website. You do not want to turn potential customers away do not because your web pages won’t load.
SEO and hosting are web host knit. We talk about dedicated servers and shared servers as they are obvious to everyone working with SEO. The dedicated server invokes the image of a physical server kept in the corner of a room that your site uses. Well, that is not the case. You do not have a tangible entity in your store. You simply have complete control over the server you are using right now.
Your website hosting company likely offers both kinds of hosting for their clients. We have companies who prefer shared hosting, and then we have others who like to be the lone wolf on a server. While shared servers are easy to handle and more cost-effective, dedicated servers often come with a hefty price tag. That much, those are not the only defining factors of web servers and hosting.
Dedicated hosting vs. shared hosting for SEO
Price is the deciding factor for small businesses and startups, says our Sioux Falls SEO representative. Shared hosting may be cheaper in any universe; dedicated hosting has the advantage of exclusivity.
For dedicated hosting, you need not worry about other companies slurping on all the resources while your website labors to load the landing page. There is a cap on how many resources each site can use on a shared server. You will never have to worry about that on a dedicated server.
When is a dedicated server a better choice?
Usually, most servers have their algorithms in place. They have their codes to determine all hard drive usage. The use of compression to store and transmit data. Minimizing page load time comes with reducing network connection as well.
Here are particular situations where shared hosting is not a good idea,
- Hard drive use: you may have another website that is using a buggy code. It demands more HDD use and limits the use of the same by other sites that share the host.
- DDoS attacks: on a shared host, if one of the sites incurs a DDoS attack, the server is directly under attack. Now, due to no fault of your own, you may have to face massive downtime because some other site wreaked havoc. Chances are, they will also take your site down with them since these attacks target network hardware and server resources.
- You are prone to hardware failure: this can be annoying since in most cases it is the “other” website’s fault. Hardware failure increases in frequency because of manufacturing flaws rather than due to improper usage. Now, 4-5 sites using the same hardware increase the probability of failure as compared to a single site using single hardware.
- Not much control over the software of the server: while you are on a shared host, you do not have much control over the mechanics and software of the website server. Your server will run in a pre-determined architecture, in a controlled environment. You cannot run custom scripts, you cannot debug the software if you suspect foul play, and if one affects the server, you go down with it.
What is a “bad neighborhood”?
You can think of this as the underbelly of the Bronx or the port areas of Shanghai. Just staying there does not make you a suspicious character, but when the cops come, you may go down with the crooks by dint of association.
Let us say; you have a server that four other websites are now using. 3 out of these four sites are following Google Webmaster rules and regulations. Only 1 of them is rather spammy. Remember, all 5 of you will be sharing the same root IP address. Once Google chances upon this spammy site and finds you in the same address, chances are, Google will consider you guilty by association.
In this event, dedicated hosting seems like a much more fun option. Although it is undoubtedly costlier. If you want to go for shared hosting for money reasons, always shop around before you pick one. High-quality hosting is possible even for shared servers. Look for reliable reviews, testimonials, and a solid client list before you check the prices.
Word of caution
Never use those free web-hosting offers. Although they keep your website clean and malware-free, they will lace your real content with spammy ads and iframe content. These directly affect the ranking status of sites. You may find yourself a couple of places down from your initial Google ranking.
How to pick a great-shared host?
Great shared hosts, this is not an oxymoron and yes, it is possible to find one. Here are 5S’s you should start looking for,
- Site speed: well, a huge part of the rate will depend on your site load. Images, videos, plugins, and more. Run your site once for the test before you can blame your shared server.
- Site Availability: look for their history of downtime. Your website needs to be up and running anytime your visitors want to access it.
- SEO: your web host will not fix your SEO for you. Your site speed, content, and experience will determine your SEO on the server.
- Security: this should be your prime concern. Shared hosts need to provide additional security. When one site brings in a DNS attack, others should stay safe inside secure firewalls.
- Server location: although we don’t want you to home your server inside your office. We want you to know where they are, SiouxFalls, NY, Vermont, or Honolulu. You want to make sure; you are in the same country if not the same state. Underwater
communication comes with a lot of lag. If you have your servers in Russia or Germany, it is time to switch.
Hosting and SEO are closely related. Good hosting directly contributes to better SEO. From site speed to device optimization, hosting can determine the number of factors that influence search engine optimization.
Author:
Krista Perry is a data analyst and strategist at the Sioux Falls SEO team. She has been working with a large number of companies that are trying to get a firm foothold in the online world.
Image source: Pixabay
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