When building a new business website, choosing a web hosting service and a suitable domain name tend to be among the most important concerns. And while there’s no denying that these aspects are critical, most organizations focus on their practicality, affordability, and overall appeal. However, your domain name and hosting provider could influence another important factor – your SEO efforts. These aspects can have a noticeable impact on search engine traffic, so consider these key features if you’d like to enhance your SEO strategy using web hosting and your domain name:
Think of the site availability
Users can’t find your website if it’s never actually there. If your site goes through frequent maintenance, crashes often, or takes several attempts to load, this will have quite a negative impact on your SEO. While no web host will be perfect, too many issues can affect the usability and the performance of your website, and it might even turn customers and search engines away from your site. For that reason, you should consider only the best hosting providers that can tackle potential issues quickly and efficiently, and swiftly respond to your complaints if a problem ever arises.
Focus on your domain name
When it comes to business websites, the domain name is absolutely essential for success. The name you select has to be memorable, easy to spell, short, and as unique as possible. If you already have an established brand, consider using it in the domain name to build recognition. Implementing keywords in the domain might also help with positioning on search engine results pages, as well as encouraging users to click on your website. Remember that the more effective your domain name is, the better your chances will be of appealing to a wider audience and reaching higher levels of success with your SEO strategy.
Use the right domain extension
In an effort to protect their brand name, many companies will use domain extensions such as .com, .biz, .net, and similar versions. While these are all top-level domains that are always a safe choice, uniqueness might be a better tactic for improving your SEO efforts. For instance, you can choose a personal .me extension for your business website. This extension is quite SEO-friendly, operates similarly to more traditional domains, and is treated by Google in the same way, but it comes with a number of additional benefits. A personal domain extension has a more distinct meaning, it can appear more trustworthy and authoritative, and it truly represents the ideal call to action.
Ensure your website is secure
Businesses of all types and sizes are often the targets of cybercriminals. When looking for the best web hosting solution for your website, you have to remember that it’s not just your own information that needs to be protected, but also the valuable data of your consumers. If a cyberattack ever occurs, all of your data will be compromised, and an inadequate host won’t’ be able to protect you. Your SEO strategy could be affected by this as well, as search engines tend to notice frequent successful attacks. But if you opt for a reputable host and acquire an SSL certificate, you can ensure the safety and security of your website.
Don’t overlook the speed
Even though it’s often overlooked, the speed of your website is just as important as the right domain name. Keep in mind that users rarely have the patience to wait forever for pages to load, as even a few seconds of delay come with significant losses. And Google is no different. This search engine tends to rank fast websites more highly than others, which is proven by the drop in rankings slower sites have seen in recent years. Clearly, great hosting is crucial in this instance as well, helping to support your SEO efforts while providing the best user experience possible.
Aim to prioritize exclusiveness
When selecting the best web hosting solution, aim to go for virtual private servers (VPS). This will provide you with dedicated server space, instead of forcing you to use a shared network, which can be of great help in increasing the loading speed and the availability of your website. A VPS can also be utilized for different purposes, serving as an affordable backup for your site. With a VPS, the total content of your website will be saved, including your posts, consumers, and any other aspect that might be important for staying active. This can have a noticeable impact on your rankings and the overall visibility of your site.
Evidently, web hosting and your domain name can have quite a significant impact on your SEO strategies. If you want to streamline your operations and accelerate success, focus on the aspects mentioned above for better website optimization.