Best hosting for Google rankings: what actually matters
Your web host affects speed, security and uptime, all of which Google notices. Here is what to look for, and what is just marketing.
Hosting is the computer your website lives on. Most people choose it once, on price, and never think about it again. But your host has a real effect on how fast your site loads, how often it is down and how secure it is, and Google pays attention to all three.
Does hosting affect SEO?
Indirectly, yes. Google does not rank websites by which company hosts them. It does reward pages that load quickly and work reliably, and a slow or overloaded server makes both harder. If your site regularly takes several seconds to start loading, visitors leave and rankings suffer.
What to look for in a host
UK or nearby data centres
If your customers are in the UK, servers in the UK or Europe keep response times short. Many good hosts also use a content delivery network (CDN), which stores copies of your site closer to visitors.
Fast server response
Look for hosts using modern hardware (SSD or NVMe storage), up-to-date PHP versions for WordPress, and built-in caching. These make the first byte of your page arrive quickly.
Free SSL certificate
Your site should load over https with a padlock. Browsers warn visitors about insecure sites, and there is no reason to pay extra for a basic certificate.
Daily backups you can restore yourself
Mistakes happen. A host that keeps automatic daily backups, and lets you restore a single folder or the whole site in a few clicks, can save your business.
Proper support
When something breaks, you want a real person who understands WordPress, not a ticket that takes three days.
Shared, managed or cloud?
- Shared hosting is cheapest. Fine for small brochure sites, but you share resources with many other websites.
- Managed WordPress hosting costs a little more but usually includes caching, security and updates. A sensible choice for most small businesses.
- Cloud or VPS hosting gives you dedicated resources. Worth it for busier sites or online shops.
Red flags
- "Unlimited everything" for a few pounds a year, with no detail.
- No backups, or backups you have to pay to restore.
- Very old PHP versions and no way to upgrade.
- Frequent downtime you only hear about from customers.
Not sure if your hosting is holding you back? Speed and server checks are part of our free SEO audit.