Search engine optimization (SEO) is a complex and lengthy process, and no one in the field knows Google's formula in its entirety. When you want to promote a website, you have to address many aspects of it—there is no single action you can take that will immediately boost the website in search results.
One of the most important parameters in website promotion is its infrastructure. That is, where and on which server the website is stored. Website hosting has a significant impact on SEO, and here are some of the reasons why:
Website loading speed
Is your website slow, fast, or somewhere in between? There are many factors that affect website loading speed, and one of the most important is the hosting service. For example, an Israeli website should usually be hosted on a server located in Israel, otherwise it is likely to be relatively slow. The physical location of the server is important, but so are the quality of the server, the bandwidth allocated to you, the type of hard drive, and more - all of which affect the loading speed of the website. It's no secret that Google prefers fast websites. Quality hosting = fast website = promoted website. A simple formula by all accounts.
Website availability
A website that crashes frequently is a website that Google cannot read and index properly, and it will not be able to advance in search results. It is important to choose web hosting that guarantees (and maintains) high website availability and quickly handles cases where the server crashes.
Secure hosting is not just peace of mind
Website hacks are commonplace. You can take certain steps to better secure your website, but ultimately you are significantly dependent on the security provided by your hosting services. Hosting that is not well secured and is frequently hacked will cause your website to be hacked as well. When Google identifies a hacked website, or a website that has been implanted with malicious code, it downgrades it in search results and sometimes even warns users against entering the dangerous website. High-quality website hosting will ensure adequate security, virus scans, and even offer you cleanup services if your site is hacked. When your site is secure, it definitely helps its promotion in search engines.
Server-side SEO
Server-side SEO, or technical SEO, is an important part of website promotion. Server-side SEO involves a variety of actions performed on the server itself that help optimize the website. It may come as a surprise, but not all website hosting services can do this properly. In order to perform technical optimization, you need access to certain parts of the hosting server and the correct settings. To this end, it is important to choose a high-quality web hosting service that understands the needs of website owners and promoters and can provide solutions to advanced technical issues when necessary.
IP reputation and blacklisting
If you host your website on shared hosting, you are essentially sitting on the same IP address as many other websites. This is usually not a problem, but if some of the websites on shared hosting are blacklisted as spam or malicious, it can negatively affect all websites hosted on the same IP address—including a drop in Google rankings and even complete blocking. It is important to choose professional, high-quality web hosting that does not allow problematic "behavior" from the websites hosted on its servers and knows how to deal with such problems when they arise.
Flexibility and upgrades
It is very gratifying when a website is successful and thriving. Such success may create a sudden and urgent need to upgrade the hosting in order to accommodate a larger number of visitors or increased activity on the website (for example, upgrading from shared hosting to hosting on a virtual server). The ability to upgrade your hosting package quickly, efficiently, and smoothly is very important for maintaining your website's search engine ranking. If your website crashes under the load, its promotion may be compromised. Make sure that the hosting service you choose allows you to upgrade and change your hosting package quickly and without any problems.