Servers in your target location

[jarvi]

Anyone else find it a bit strange (and annoying) in a world that is rapidly turning into global economy, that importance is placed on hosting a site in the same country as the target market? We are now able to buy and sell goods and services to people regardless of locations more easily than ever before and yet search engines don't seem to understand this concept.

Am I missing something?

[davemerry]

I'm in total agreement with you James, in my mind the server location has no relevance to the content or the target market of the website. The fact that it is even something we have to worry about blows my mind as short sighted and not well thought out by search engines if it is indeed a ranking factor. I want to choose my hosting provider based on the service, rather than the location!

That being said I think a lot of people think that server location has a lot more prominence in SE algorithms than it actually does. Sure its best practice, but I have sites hosted in different continents to the target market as a requirement for licensing restrictions, yet they still outperform UK hosted .co.uk's with a few special ingredients .

I'd rather have it hosted in the target country, but if I can't then whatever, it's really not a big deal.

[baldidiot]

I'm going to have to disagree with you guys on this one, I think server location is very important - if you go a country specific version of google (eg: google.co.uk) there is an option for "only links from the uk". You could have the best site in the world, but if it's hosted in germany it simply wont show up in those results.

And I use that button all the time!

[jarvi]

I'm not saying it's not important in algorithms etc. I'm saying it's silly that it is important. eg my business is based in Australia, I use a hosting company based in Scotland and the servers are located in the USA. I'm able to target my business to anywhere if I want. This is all organised without leaving my chair and they could have just as easily been located next door. I would still have organised it from my chair and paid via credit card.

It also highlights different search methods I suppose. I never use the "only from links" because if I am buying something then I am happy to look at overseas vendors as well. Sometimes I will just include the location in my search query. That's probably because everything is so damn overpriced in Australia that we can often buy and ship from the USA/UK/Asia more cheaply that we can buy it locally. Madness...

[jarvi]

I forgot to ask one thing. When you select the only from the UK, how is this decided? Is it based only on server location? If that's what the location is based on, where is the answer to the question within WMT about target used?

[baldidiot]

I forgot to ask one thing. When you select the only from the UK, how is this decided? Is it based only on server location? If that's what the location is based on, where is the answer to the question within WMT about target used?

I'm not 100% about the answer, but I've always heard people refer to server location. Plus it makes sense by the wording "pages from the uk" rather than "pages targetted to the uk".

Here's an example search to get you thinking though...

If you go to google.co.uk and search "haye vs klitschko preview", one of the top results (currently) after the news items is bonusebetting.co.uk's preview of the event. However if you click "pages from the UK" the preview on my site (which, incidentally is a .com) jumps to the position above it. I'm assuming both of our sites are located in the UK and targetted to the UK, so why the change? Weird, huh!..

[big fish]

there is a logical assumption that if you are in germany doing a search, then german results are probably more relevant thank india results. this makes sense, so while the world is flat, search engines are not

[jarvi]

Bonus Betting appears to be hosting in Germany so that may explain the change.

I totally agree that there should be some way of targeting I just don't think server location is a good indication because of the world's move to a global economy. I would have thought the country specific domains should take precedence over server location.

As a bike rider, I know the world is definitely not flat. In actual fact, it doesn't matter what direction you go it's always up hill. Except for maybe Florida where I have ridden a bit, so I understand your comment Ben.

[baldidiot]

Bonus Betting appears to be hosting in Germany so that may explain the change.

In which case it doesn't explain why it shows up in a "pages from the uk" search. Hmmm....

[GaryTheScubaGuy]

I'm going to have to disagree with you guys on this one....

Bald Man I've written a retort on this once, twice and then a third time just now but I deleted it to avoid conflict, so thanks for putting yourself out there.

I agree 100%.

Its a major metric and its not even rhetorical....its in their patent app.

Good on you for stepping up.

[GaryTheScubaGuy]

Okay so I've read back through this thread now (should have before but I'm lazy) and I'm going to tell you this without any exceptions...its a major algorithmic factor.

I'm not going to show you exactly why I know this because every Cowboy and his Sidekick's lurk here so how about you just take my word.

..............hmm

Send me 2 references from anyone here and I'll PM you what I can prove....yes, prove.
(beyond a shadow of a doubt without exception)

[jarvi]

Just to repeat what I said in my other posts. What I'm questioning is the relevancy of it being a factor in the first place. I'm not disagreeing with your findings Gary and happy to take your word for it. There's no conflict from my end, perhaps just not understanding what am I saying/asking. This isn't a pure SEO issue, more of a business one that for lack of a better area I posted in the SEO forum.

To be potentially limited by geographic location is just frustrating when country borders in business are becoming much easier to traverse.

[universal4]

Although it has been many years, I have not been a server for a long time but do sorta miss that interaction at the table with the guests.

I'm not so sure I would want to limity my target market to just servers though, no matter what country they ar.....

...ooops....



Rick
Universal4

[xecutable]

I'm going to have to disagree with you guys on this one, I think server location is very important - if you go a country specific version of google (eg: google.co.uk) there is an option for "only links from the uk". You could have the best site in the world, but if it's hosted in germany it simply wont show up in those results.

And I use that button all the time!

Not true! All you have to do is set up your Webmaster to target United Kingdom. For example type 'Betting Analysis' in google.co.uk, you will see e-sportbets somewhere along the first page (I think). I am hosted in USA. Click on the option you just mentioned. I am still there aren't I?

This video, made by Google, explains it very very well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9r3PayqaZM

The tool is under Google Webmaster Tools -> Site Configuration -> Settings -> Geographic target. Whatever country you set there, you will come up if a searcher chooses the option Show Pages only from ...... whatever country. That being said, if you are targeting a specific country, I doubt the hosting server matters.

Btw you don't have to believe me, set it yourself to whatever country you want and test it around a week later.

[baldidiot]

Not true! All you have to do is set up your Webmaster to target United Kingdom. For example type 'Betting Analysis' in google.co.uk, you will see e-sportbets somewhere along the first page (I think). I am hosted in USA. Click on the option you just mentioned. I am still there aren't I?

This video, made by Google, explains it very very well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9r3PayqaZM

The tool is under Google Webmaster Tools -> Site Configuration -> Settings -> Geographic target. Whatever country you set there, you will come up if a searcher chooses the option Show Pages only from ...... whatever country. That being said, if you are targeting a specific country, I doubt the hosting server matters.

Btw you don't have to believe me, set it yourself to whatever country you want and test it around a week later.

Ok maybe doesn't show up is a bit strong, but only having your GWT target set to UK won't have you as high up in the serps for pages from the uk as having a UK GWT target and a UK server. Look at the example I gave above from my site (.com, UK target in GWT, UK host) and bonusbettings site (.co.uk which is automatically set as UK in GWT, and german server) - he out ranks me for the term until you select "pages from the uk" and then it switches. If server location doesn't matter then the ordering wouldn't change.

(ps. bonusbetting/Ben - hope you don't mind me using your site as an example, it's just a good one! )

[xecutable]

True, I checked it out. But that geotargeting option is still good enough to get you in those "local" searches as well. Now he won't miss out on people looking for "in UK only", although he appears 3rd not first as in the original search. (to me at least)

P.S If .co.uk + uk server helps you out in the UK searches, does it hurt you in .com searches?

[baldidiot]

True, I checked it out. But that geotargeting option is still good enough to get you in those "local" searches as well. Now he won't miss out on people looking for "in UK only", although he appears 3rd not first as in the original search. (to me at least)

P.S If .co.uk + uk server helps you out in the UK searches, does it hurt you in .com searches?

True, but seo is often made up of lots of little changes. Do enough of them and you could go from 50 to 5.

Plus if you're using a .co.uk you're already saying you want to target the uk, with the implied google.com repercussions, so why not go the whole hog?

[xecutable]

Plus if you're using a .co.uk you're already saying you want to target the uk, with the implied google.com repercussions, so why not go the whole hog?

Agreed, co.uk is a very specific domain might go as well with UK hosting. I see hosting as a minor issue, as you can always change it in 10 mins, and have your site update in a few days and you are done.

I have a theory, and it's just a theory nothing more, that behind all this is money. A good way to ensure revenue for the hosting companies in the UK, the US is to ask Big G to include the hosting IP in their serp algorithm. Now I might be way off the track here, but it just makes sense to me. If you are happy with your host, its uptime, monthly charge, etc, why in the world would I change it, it's perfect?

Big G then comes, and tells me well yeah, it's perfect, but if you want to get even higher on the serps, come join an UK hosting company, if that's what you are targeting. And now you are in a way forced to switch. But it's good for the economy I guess, and I doubt it will go away.

But let's stick to the "original" story that it's done for the benefit of the user.

[universal4]

Well said.....

And based upon that, I would call an algo that gives a site a higher rank to one over the other based upon the hosting provider FLAWED just in concept alone.

Rick
Universal4

[GaryTheScubaGuy]

Hi Universal - good to see you chime in. I wondered why I hadn't been seeing you. (I always like to see you as I had a pair of golden Conures I cherished - Goldie & Harley)

It goes beyond this ridiculous limitation as well in some countries like S. Africa and Ireland. Unless you have a local address and bank account you can't even BUY a domain.

executable: believe it or not Mate it does. Its not a major metric but I have seen it make a difference, plus google actually states this as a metric in their patent application.