Server location/SEO

Does the location of your server affect your SERPs? I have always wondered this.

 

Well it depends on how far down the indirect scale of effect you want to go.

Google has DC's spread all over the world, and localized region ones (ie co.uk) so if you have a UK hosting company, and a UK niche site, then you're probably going to rank better in the UK based search results.

If you have a .co.nz or whatever, and are hosted in the US, then you're response time for the .co.nz google spider, is going to be longer and have a negative impact on your SEO rankings.

This is just another small percentage of your total SEO score and no one really knows exactly for sure the effects of this scenario, however most SEO experts assume it is a ranking factor.

 

I have just spoken to another SEO guy and he said the reasons I gave doesnt justify wanting to move to a US based server.

I will send you a little more info via PM about this.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keIzr3eWK8I"]YouTube - Can the geographic location of a web server affect SEO?[/ame]

[Video] Matt Cutts: Can the geographic location of a web server affect SEO? - vBulletin SEO Forums

 

Thanks for that Nick but I am not sure if it fully answers my specific circumstance

 

Seeing as though I have no clue what your specific circumstance is, I figured I'd just post the information that I recall reading before. It's just a general answer that "yes, Google takes the server's location into consideration."