Changing Your Web Hosts

Posted on: 03-8-2006 Posted in: SEO Techniques Questions

Cricket:

I am curious if I switch web hosts how that will affect my current SEO rankings.

I am with several hosts now and I think it is needless to spend money on others when I can just have one host.

When switching are there any special considerations I need to take?

Craig Mullins, Pleasanton, CA
Pleasanton Daycare Childcare

Hi Craig!

As long as your website does not experience extended down time during the move, changing web hosts really has no impact on your current search engine results. Since you would not be changing the actual domain name, your Google PageRank also remains intact. If for some reason your site is down for a few moments when search engine spiders come to visit, they will return a short time later to check for your site again.

I like to set up the new hosting account at least a week before I need to make the move so that I have ample time to become familiar with the new web host and their control panel.

I keep my primary business domains with a separate registrar from my hosting company. This means I can have everything already set up at the new host and then make a simple change in the nameservers in my registrar control panel. These days a nameserver change with your domain registrar is usually propagated within a few hours, and sometimes within minutes.

I do not cancel service with the old hosting company until everything is up and running with the new web host for several days to a week to allow time for the DNS records to be updated worldwide.

I WILL DEFINITELY SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

J. Cricket Walker