Several factors can influence the SEO of a website. Some may seem insignificant at first, but they have a major impact. The choice of host can favour or oppose website indexing on search engines.
This article will help you make an informed choice.
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What is a web host?
A website host is a computer server owner that offers services to store data on a site. These are storage spaces that will later be available on the Web. There are several types of website hosts.
What are the different types of web hosts?
There are 4 different types of hosts that can be chosen:
- Shared hosting: this is a server you share with others. It costs less and can be used for small websites;
- Dedicated hosting: this is a server used only for your own site. This is a good idea for more complex sites. It is more expensive;
- VPS hosting: this is the best for companies in constant growth because it offers flexibility for storage.
- Cloud hosting: it does not depend on a single server. They are virtual servers, not physical.
How to choose the right type of web host?
In order to make the best possible choice, several internal and external elements must be evaluated. To do this, you must assess both the needs of your business and the characteristics of the hosts.
To find the right host, you must analyze your business and its needs. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What type of business are you? The size of your service offering or the number of products sold on the market is decisive. A showcase site will not need to store much data compared to an e-commerce site.
- Do you regularly post new content? Publishing blog posts three times a week requires storage space.
- Do your products and services sell locally or internationally? Having a large market can increase the demand for storage.
- What is the volume of visits each day? Is it visited by several thousand people every day or only occasionally?
To find the best web host that suits your needs, it is necessary to check the following:
- What is the performance of the host?
- Does it have an automated storage system?
- Is it possible to get an SSL certificate?
What impact does a web host have on my website's SEO?
Since your entire website will be stored on the host, it is essential to see if it is good enough for your needs. The following are the impact of web hosts on website SEO.
1. Download time
The time required to download a page should not be too long to avoid being penalized by search engines. A host that is not performing well enough could harm SEO. A website that loads quickly prevents people from leaving your platform unexpectedly.
2. Server location
A nearby server will undoubtedly be faster for your customers attempting to connect to your account. If your company is located in Lagos, choose a host in the same city.
3. Downtime
If your host experiences frequent downtime, your site may no longer appear in search engines. A website that goes down too frequently will no longer be indexed.
4. The quality of technical support
Choosing a host that is easy to reach is also important in case of problems. This will make things easier and prevent further issues.
5. Server Security
A quality server is essential to avoid certain problems such as website hacking or spam. Make sure your host has software that prevents malicious sites. Also, consider choosing secure HTTPS over regular HTTP to further secure your data.
Finally, several factors must be considered before selecting a suitable host for your website.