Does Changing Website Hosts Affect SEO?

Web hosting and Search Engine Optimization (SEO), although distinct, are closely related when it comes to building a website presence. Web hosting allows you to store a website’s files on a server, while SEO improves its visibility and helps it rank higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). You can think of web hosting as the virtual store and SEO as the advertising and signage that helps customers find your store. 

Can Web Hosting Affect SEO?

Yes. Web hosting plays an important role when it comes to SEO. When you select a web hosting service, you rent a space on a server to store your website’s data. The quality of your web hosting influences website speed, security, accessibility, and reliability, all of which are key factors in SEO.

How Does Web Hosting Affect SEO?

Site Speed or Page Speed

Websites that load quickly rank higher in terms of SEO, as high site speed reduces waiting time and enhances user experience. On the other hand, websites with longer loading times usually experience higher bounce rates. This means users exit the website without interacting, causing a dip in its search engine ranking. So, it is crucial to choose high-performance servers that use tools like built-in caching solutions and SSD storage for faster loading.

Server Uptime and Downtime

Uptime is when a website is active and accessible to users, web crawlers, and search engine bots. If the web servers are down frequently, search engines might not be able to access the website as often. This can eventually lower its SEO performance.

Server Location

Users who are located far from a website’s servers often experience slightly longer loading times. In that case, a good SEO practice is selecting a server location that is the closest to most of your target audience.

Security

Search engines usually favor secure sites. So, choosing a web hosting service that offers SSL certificates and malware scanning can improve SEO rankings and build user trust.

How to Switch Website Hosting Without Hurting SEO

Backup Your Website

Ensure you have a backup of data before making any changes to your website. This ensures you don’t lose important data if something goes wrong during the migration.

Choose a Reliable Provider

Suppose you are switching web hosting providers; make sure you only choose better-performing servers. For this, you will need to do your due diligence, i.e., research the best web hosting providers before finalizing one. Go through what the providers offer, especially in terms of uptime, security features, and customer support. Additionally, read customer reviews instead of solely relying on the service provider’s claims. 

Make the Transfer

Here’s a hack for you! Keep the current host active when you transfer the website from the current hosting provider to a new one. This way, your website remains live and accessible while you make the switch. 

Read more: How to Transfer Web Hosting From One Company to Another

Update DNS Settings

Post-migration, update your Domain Name System (DNS) settings so that they point to the new host. This step is crucial for redirecting web traffic to the new server while ensuring users don’t experience downtime. You also need to implement 301 redirects to direct the search engine and users to the new location of the URLs.

Track Site Performance

Monitor your website regularly to check whether it is performing well with the new hosting provider. Track its loading times and uptimes regularly to ensure it provides smooth user experience.

How to Choose an SEO Friendly Hosting Service?

Type of Hosting

Shared, Virtual Private Server (VPS), dedicated, cloud, and managed hostings are the different types of services you can choose from. Shared hosting is often not recommended. This is because your website shares resources with other sites, which can result in slower load times and security issues. On the other hand, VPS and dedicated hosting offer more control, higher security, and better speed, making them ideal for SEO. Cloud servers are a suitable choice if you are looking for options that offer more scalability.

Price

When choosing a new web hosting service, factor in the value it provides rather than just the cost. Consider the providers offering the best speeds, uptimes, and security features at reasonable prices. A comparison of the top providers with detailed quotes can help make an informed decision.

Support

Hosting issues, such as slow response times, server downtimes, and security breaches, can severely impact your website’s SEO. So, make sure you choose a provider offering 24/7 customer support.

FAQs

Will my Google rankings drop if I switch hosting providers?

Yes and no. Switching to a better host can significantly improve your ranking. However, switching to a hosting provider with poor uptime or no fast loading speed can lead to a negative user experience. 

Does server location matter for SEO when switching hosts?

Yes. The server’s location is directly related to the website’s loading speed. A server that is closer to the target audience will take less time to transfer information and data. This will lead to quicker loading times for your website. So, consider servers that are closer to your target audience when choosing a new host.

Will changing to a faster host improve my SEO?

Yes. A faster host can help in two ways. It can reduce the loading time of your website and its web pages, which can improve user experience. Additionally, a better user experience can lower a website’s bounce rate and improve SEO performance.

Will changing hosts affect my backlinks or domain authority?

No. Switching web hosts does not majorly affect backlinks or domain authority. This is because domain authority is linked to your domain name, which can remain unchanged even when you switch hosts.