Web Hosting and SEO - Search Engine Optimisation

We have seen many organisations completely ignore Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) when considering a hosting package, web hosting and seo should be a key consideration in the selection process. SEO is an important step in creating a website and should should be taken into serious consideration before you even begin to build your website, one of the considerations here is hosting.

Country Specific Domain Names

If the majority of all of your customer base is located for example in the UK, then you should get hosting in the UK – get your own UK hosting here. However if your server is located in the US for example you can still localise your domain to improve rankings on Google UK search.

Staying on the example of serving a customer base largely or complete based in the UK using a TLD: .co.uk tells search engines that your are indeed based in the UK. Even having a .co.uk domain name and a server hosting your website in Germany or the US having that crucial .co.uk is a strong enough statement
However don’t be tricked into typing ‘UK Web Hosting’ into Google and going with the first result as some UK Web Hosting companies actually have servers based overseas and with the combination of a .com domain name your chanced of appearing in the Google UK search from the web and pages from the up is limited.

In an ideal world in this scenario you should have reliable hosting in the UK and a .co.uk domain name, however there are ways around it if you do not.

If you are based in the UK and own a .com and not .co.uk, you could purchase .co.uk TLD  - get your uk domain here and forward your .com to the .co.uk however there is risk in this if you site has build up a good reputation and has a strong back link campaign and high page rank. You can always try to localise your domain.

But in conclusion to rank in a regional specific area you either need hosting in your country or a local TLD e.g. .co.uk, you don’t necessarily need both. 

Avoid Cheap Web Hosting - consider both web hosting and seo …

Simply knocking up a quick website, rushing the design, back end coding and on site search engine optimisation and finally wacking it onto the cheapest server you find is not going to deliver any success at all, if you are serious about creating a professional authoritative website then you really needs to invest wisely in web hosting. As mentioned above why attract unwanted visitors from unwanted locations.
Sometime cheap hosting companies will offer ridiculous amount of free space, however this can have an adverse effect on down time, and this means that your website may not always be available upon request. This not only has a knock on effect on SEO but also website usability as it may cause problems for website visitors to visit your website when they want to, what is worth adding here also is if search engine spiders cannot access your website and follow links throughout your site this will obviously have an effect on your SEO campaign.

Again some webhosts that offer cheap hosting use a method where your domain is redirect to the back of another Website. This can cause problems with the search engines reaching your website and website content.

I have also found that some cheap hosting providers host sites that have been banned from the search engines; this of course will have more than a negative effect on search engine rankings.

Avoid Hosting Multiple Domains on the Same Server

Yes it does seem very tempting to buy server space and hosting more than one domain. Let’s just say that search engines e.g. Google may frown upon this type of behavior. Search Engines may believe that the company hosting these multiple domains is attempting to artificially link together hence trying to manipulate search engine with the objective of increase rankings in the search engine results pages. However this can and often does results in a decrease in SERP rankings.

In conclusion consider web hosting and seo as working to compliment each other in your efforts to achieve effective search engine ranks, check out the resources below.

Fore our recommended web hosting packages click here

Technorati Tags: Search Engine Optimisation, SEO, UK Domain Names, UK Web Hosting

Ok you’re first step  on How To Create A Website I recommend you read this entire section before selecting your domain name. This section provides some great tips that most website don’t, it is very important you choose the right domain for your long term strategy.

Note: If you already know about domain names and feel confident in selecting the right one please skip this section and go straight to Register Your Domain Name or if you’re looking for tips on choosing a domain name click here.

So here we go…

Explain what is a domain name?

A domain name is an address for your website, much like a street address for your home.
People surfing the internet use this address (domain name) to find your website or your company online, people type your domain name into the box as shown below to get to your website: -

For example our domain name is http://www.howtowebsite.co.uk the ‘howtowebsite.co.uk’ part of the address shown above is the domain name.

You don’t have to worry about the http://, in todays browsers (a browser is the a piece of software you use to surf the internet – typically this is Internet Explorer) it is not necessary to type this in to successfully reach the desired website.

However here is a bit of background on what http:// means. Http:// stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol; this is a method of transferring data between a web server (what is a web host / server?) and a web browser, this then formats the files into Web pages, and displays them to the user, hence the webpage you are viewing right now.

Why do I need a domain name?

1. A domain name provides easy access for other people to get to your website.

2. You can sell it for a profit later if it increases in value – see ‘The Most Expensive Domains Ever’.

3. Much prettier solution than other services; wouldn’t you rather have www.your-domain.co.uk than
http://www.free-domains-for-you.co.uk/your-domain - the first example is a lot easier to remember and tell people.

4. Comes across a lot more professional. This shows you have made an investment in the long term success of your company and its online branding.

You’re Now Ready To Read our 8 Great Tips To Choosing A Domain Name

Technorati Tags: Domain Names, UK Domain Names,