6 Ways Web Hosting and Domain Name Can Affect SEO

In simple terms, search engine optimization (SEO) represents the tactics and processes used to improve websites in an effort to increase their visibility on search engine results pages. When visibility is high, clicks and site visits increase, and profitability tends to rise with them. That is why most site owners focus on optimizing their websites for the more popular SEO aspects such as content creation, keyword implementation, and earning backlinks. Although often overlooked, web hosting and domain names are equally as important to achieving SEO success, and here are just some of the ways they can make an impact:

1.     Selecting a domain name

Your company’s domain name is vital to its SEO success. For the most effective solution, your domain name should be short, unique, catchy, simple to spell, and easy to remember. A distinct extension such as a personal me domain can also be a great option. It’s a safe, trusted, and SEO-friendly domain that represents a brilliant call to action. Using your brand name in the domain is another popular option. While this can be a good option for building uniformity, trust, and a solid presence, it can be a bit tricky for new businesses without an established name. Consider these aspects before selecting the best domain name for your brand.

2.     Keywords in domains

Whether or not to implement keywords in domain names is a common dilemma as well. Many brands believe that including keywords could lead to better SEO results, higher rankings, reaching a wider audience, and having a positive effect on the bottom line as a result. Even though this isn’t exactly proven, a keyword in your domain isn’t likely to hinder your SEO efforts either. If you’d like to implement a keyword, make sure it’s short and simple, relevant to your products and services, and doesn’t stand out too much from the rest of the domain name. This could help to enhance your SEO efforts as well.

3.     Website speed influence

When selecting the best web hosting solution, speed should be a priority. Modern internet users are quite impatient, and will rarely wait around for a website to fully load. In fact, even a few seconds of delay in loading times could significantly increase your bounce rate, forcing you to continue losing site visitors as the delay times increase further. Google tends to reward good loading times by ranking fast websites quite favorably, which is why this aspect should be among your main concerns as well. With a great web hosting solution, you will have the opportunity to improve the speed and efficiency of your site, thus building a solid foundation for SEO success.

4.     Site safety and security

Brands are often the targets of cybercriminals, especially companies dealing with large amounts of data. For many organizations, experiencing a cyberattack won’t just present a threat to sensitive business information, but may put the data of customers and business partners in jeopardy, too. If this ever occurs, search engines will take note and your rankings may be affected in the process. Not to mention that consumers and business partners might view your business as untrustworthy as well. That is why website safety and security are imperative. Acquiring an SSL certificate is always recommended, but make sure you select a web host that offers additional safety features to help search engines realize your website is secure.

5.     Website availability

If your website is never up and running, no user will be able to find it. If your site crashes frequently, goes through maintenance quite often, or takes a number of tries to load, all of these aspects could negatively impact your SEO efforts. While no web host will be perfect and issues may arise with every provider, it’s important to avoid problems that are too large and too common, to prevent an influence on the usability and overall performance of your website. To achieve this, make sure to choose a reputable and established hosting solution that provides exceptional customer service and is available 24/7 to tackle any potential issues.

6.     Network exclusivity

Shared networks are a common solution offered by web hosts, which means that users share their server space with other websites. Even though this is a good option in many cases, businesses may benefit more from virtual private servers (VPS). This solution will provide your brand with dedicated server space, increasing the loading times and site visibility as a result. A VPS could also be utilized as an affordable backup option for your site, thus keeping your content, data, and important information safe and active. All of those factors can positively impact the visibility and positioning of your website on search engine results pages.

Evidently, web hosting and the domain name can affect your SEO strategies in quite powerful ways. Do your research, choose carefully, and ensure you make the right decision to increase the overall success of your website.