Last updated on June 24th, 2009
Web hosting can be found for as little as $3 a month. But where you host your website shouldn’t be a decision based solely on price.
Not all web hosting companies are created equal. Even the search engines recognize that, and how your site is hosted can impact your search engine performance.
Low-cost hosting companies usually lump together multiple web sites on one IP address. That IP address earns a reputation in the search engines based on all the web sites it represents, affecting how your site is viewed by the search engines just by virtue of association.
Here’s how Pat Reuning, a senior SEO associate at SEO Advantage, explains it:
“When you choose a budget host, your site is placed on the same IP address as other, sometimes undesirable, websites. Chances are, it will be considered less important by the search engines. Of course not all the sites you’re sharing the IP address with are undesirable, but by sharing an IP address with other sites, you run the risk of being affected by those other sites’ optimization tactics. That is, if one of those sites has a penalty imposed by the search engines, your site will receive the same penalty. In order to achieve the best long-term benefits for your website on the Internet, you should make sure that your host is providing a dedicated IP address for your site.
There also seems to be an indication that search engines give more weight to sites with dedicated IP addresses. You get more credibility compared to shared web hosting. It’s similar to how a lending company will give you more consideration if you own a home rather than rent an apartment.”
At SEO Advantage, all our clients – big or small – enjoy a dedicated IP address and great support. Just another of the many items to consider for optimal SEO performance.