Have you ever wondered why some websites load faster and some take an infinite amount of time? Well, the answer is simple, it all depends on the web hosting provider, the size of the images uploaded on the website, other media files if any, and the server location. The next few questions that come to mind are:
What is the server location? How does it affect website performance? How can it ensure productivity?
Before we delve further into the topic, let us take a quick look at what is server location and does server location affect SEO.
Does server location affect your SEO in Kenya?
Server location is the location of the data centre where your website is hosted. This location can be anywhere in the world irrespective of where you are based.
It’s easy to forget that one of the most important elements dictating your website speed has nothing to do with the front or back-end design. While the design of your website is important, when looking to cultivate the fastest website possible, you should narrow your focus not on infrastructure, but rather, your hosting server location.
In our current digital world, it’s somewhat difficult to imagine that the performance and speed of such non-physical elements are completely dictated by a physical device. While it may seem unlikely, the actual physical location of your server from your end-users plays a direct role, if not the most important role, in determining final performance.
When thinking of server location in terms of speed and proximity, it’s not always about distance, but also hops. Hops in this case refer to the number of routers and exchanges taking place between the user and the hosting provider. Often, the further the distance, the more hops and added latency for faraway users.
Does Server Location Matter for your SEO?
In the end, speed is the goal and having a slow site can even be a negative ranking factor. The answer to the question you had on server location and if it impacts website performance then the answer is a well resounding, yes! After all, it is an important factor in determining the loading speed of your website.
The Importance of Hosting Server Location for Website Success
Before meeting with your design team, or curating content, the first decision you must make regarding a new website is where the server will be located. In fact, many believe deciding on server location is the foundational step to cultivating a successful website.
But why? In our world of ultra-fast internet connections, does server location still hold the same weight as it did in the late 90’s? The answer to this question is 100% absolutely yes!
Choosing the right server location
To avoid your website from being negatively impacted by the server location you can either
- Choose a server location closer to your customer base
- Choose a web hosting provider that offers CDN
A Content Delivery Network is a network of servers located in strategic geographical locations that store cached content. One of the most important features of CDN is that ensures your website loading time remains the same irrespective of your users’ location to that of the server, reducing the world wide wait.
