Companies that offer server rental services usually specify the location of the server equipment. We also inform our clients about it and offer different options for different needs they may face. When ordering services, lots of people ignore the location of the server, but you should necessarily pay attention to this factor. The importance of the server location is briefly described in this publication. So, today we will have a more detailed look at it.
What does server location mean and what does it affect?
When we speak about server arrangement, we usually mean the region or the city where the data-processing center (DPC) that contains hardware is located. In fact, this place can be anywhere in the world, so you have an opportunity to choose a location, regardless of the place of your company's registration. Headquarters location isn't important as well. But you shouldn't make a random choice, as it's essential to focus on several important factors. So, what depends on the server location?
Server location affects page load speed
People got used to the rapid Internet. Understandably, long-term site loading reduces visitor loyalty. Numerous marketing studies are vivid evidence of it. For example, the Kissmetrics analysis showed a direct causal relationship between the page load rate and the user bounce rate. According to this company's data, 30% of website visitors are ready to wait no more than 10 seconds. Then, about 3% of respondents admitted their waiting limit was 1 second. The same study showed that every additional second of loading costs 7% of the conversion. Thus, a slow website loading can lead to financial losses.
High performance is important for other projects as well, including online games. Load speed is among the top factors that influence popularity. Users will certainly like it, as there will be no delays, the game rating will grow as well, and the number of players will increase due to good reviews. All this will positively affect an income.
It's important to choose a reliable service provider, but such a problem, as slow loading, can be influenced by server location. That's why it's necessary to choose the server carefully. The closer it is to the user, the higher the data rate.
Server location affects privacy
Different countries have different rules and regulations on information security. In some states, the legislation allows certain authorities to access servers and track information on the sites they host.
This is not about storing prohibited or illegal content. One of the goals of choosing a server location is to protect users' information and your own business. The subject is also important in countries with a high level of censorship. If the publications, services, or goods offered do not correlate (even indirectly) with the legislation of the country in which the server is hosted, there may be various problems.
Choosing the right server location is enough for ensuring confidentiality. To be able to do this, one should study the current laws on the protection of personal information in the relevant region, and decide whether this location is suitable for one's purposes.
Server location affects search optimization (SEO)
The impact of server location on SEO is a controversial issue that leads to discussions among specialists in this field from time to time. No one is completely sure about how the location of the server affects search promotion. Many people still believe that the site rating in search results may vary depending on the location of the data center where the server equipment is located.
For example, you use SEO strategies aimed at promoting in Stockholm, but the server is located in Belarus. Due to this, the efficiency of resource optimization may decrease, and the Swedes will not get to know about your products or services.
For the sake of fairness, let's mention that Google representatives say the opposite. John Muller of the Search Quality Assessment Department was asked a question, "Does change the location of an IP address affect SEO?". So, he replied in his tweet, "Usually not. We get enough information about geotargeting, for example, from TLD settings and geotargeting in Search Console. "
In fact, no one knows how algorithms of different search resources work and how they affect the rating of sites located in different regions or countries. However, most SEO professionals strongly recommend selecting a server located in the same country as your target audience. At least this will have a positive impact on performance and download speed.
How to select the correct server location?
To select the correct server location, one should consider two main factors. Those are:
- the location of the main target audience of the project;
- whether there are any confidentiality requirements and whether special measures should be taken to protect information.
Let's have a look at a small example. Imagine that your company is engaged in clothing production in Russia. Both external and internal communications are carried out in Russian, so delivery orders come from different cities of the Russian Federation and nearby countries with a large percentage of the Russian-speaking population. Thus, the main segments of the target audience are residents of the CIS. In this case, renting a server located in Russia is optimal.
Let's have a look at another example. So, you sell software for agronomists in English. Your main customer base is farms in California. In this case, it is better to host the server in the USA and this state should be preferable.
Let's have a look at the negative example as well. You're launching an online store. The Netherlands market is the main customer base. Thus, placing a site on a server in the United States increases the geographic distance between the client location and the server. So, the speed of receiving data at the user's request will increase. If your server were located in Amsterdam, the download time would be reduced. And this would increase the speed of the site.
What do we offer?
King Server has its own network of servers in data centers in the USA (California, New York), the Netherlands, and Russia. We provide high performance of our equipment 24/7. Each server is pre-tested. Besides, we use only reliable components from well-known world manufacturers for the hardware assembly. Our customers can choose the optimal server location based on their needs. Contact us and we will help you to find the best option and fare! And if you are still hesitating, get acquainted with the reviews of our satisfied customers.
