So, you’re here to find out about the best hosting for SEO, huh? Well, let’s cut to the chase. Picking the right hosting for SEO it’s not about who’s got the shiniest features or the cheapest deal. It’s more nuanced than that.
When it comes to SEO, things like uptime, speed, server location, and WordPress support aren’t just tech jargon.
They’re the real deal. They can make or break your SEO.
If you are in a rush, I can give you my top pick straight away, so to now waste your time further:
The 7 Best SEO Hosting Services of 2023
- Kinsta: Best for premium managed WP hosting.
- SiteGround: Best for shared, cloud, and dedicated hosting
- WP Engine: Best for WordPress blogs.
- Bluehost: Best for seamless WordPress integration
- HostGator: Best for uptime and speed.
- GoDaddy: Best for extensive server locations.
- Cloudways: Best for cloud-based WP hosting.
But if you are not ready to pick one and you want to make a more informed decision instead, stick around as we will analyse them one by one based my personal experience after years of using a ton of different hosting service providers.
1. Kinsta
Kinsta is a premium managed WordPress hosting provider that’s known for its top-tier performance and reliability. If you’re serious about your website’s speed and uptime, Kinsta is a solid choice. They’re not the cheapest option on the market, but they deliver where it counts.
SEO Features I Like
- High-speed architecture: Kinsta uses Google Cloud Platform’s premium tier network for all of your sites to ensure lightning-fast load times.
- Global presence: With 24 global data centers, you can choose a location closest to your audience for even faster content delivery.
- Free CDN and SSL: Every plan comes with a free Content Delivery Network and SSL certificate, both of which are important for SEO.
SEO Features I Don't Like
- No email hosting: Kinsta doesn’t offer email hosting, which can be inconvenient if you prefer having all your services in one place.
- No domain registration: You’ll need to register your domain with a third-party service.
Pricing (Monthly)
- Starter – $30
- Pro – $60
- Business 1 – $100
- Business 2 – $200
- Business 3 – $300
2. Siteground
SiteGround is a well-rounded hosting provider that offers a range of hosting services. They’re known for their excellent customer service and high-performance hosting. If you’re looking for a host that offers a balance of performance, features, and price, SiteGround is worth considering. I personally use Siteground for this website so I cannot recommend it more.
SEO Features I Like
- Free CDN and SSL: SiteGround includes a free CDN service to boost your website’s speed and performance, and a free SSL certificate to secure your site.
- Daily backups: Automatic daily backups are included with every plan, ensuring that your data is always safe.
- Built-in caching: SiteGround includes built-in caching tools to increase the speed of your website.
SEO Features I Don't Like
- Limited storage: The storage on their plans is quite limited compared to other hosts.
- Higher renewal rates: The promotional pricing for the first term is great, but the renewal rates can be quite high.
Pricing (Monthly)
Shared Hosting
- StartUp – $11.95
- GrowBig – $19.95
- GoGeek – $34.95
Cloud Hosting
- Entry – $80
- Business – $120
3. WP Engine
Let me tell you about WP Engine now. If you’re looking to take your WordPress site to the next level without the development headaches, WP Engine is your answer. I’ve seen teams create fantastic sites while WP Engine takes care of the technical side of things, ensuring everything runs like clockwork. It’s like having your own IT team, without the extra responsibilities. Cool, isn’t it?
SEO Features I Like
- No email hosting: Just like Kinsta, WP Engine doesn’t offer email hosting. It’s a bit of a letdown, but it’s something you can work around although not ideal.
- Pricey: WP Engine’s plans are more expensive than many other hosts. It may not be ideal for smaller businesses or those just starting out, but you get what you pay for.
SEO Features I Don't Like
- No email hosting: Kinsta doesn’t offer email hosting, which can be inconvenient if you prefer having all your services in one place.
- No domain registration: You’ll need to register your domain with a third-party service.
Pricing (Monthly)
- Startup Plan: $25
- Professional Plan: $49
- Growth Plan: $95
- Scale Plan: $241
- Custom Plan: Pricing varies for 30+ sites. You’ll need to contact WP Engine for a quote.
4. Bluehost
Switching gears, let’s talk about Bluehost. Now, if you’re planning to build a WordPress site, you might want to lean in a bit closer. Bluehost is a hosting provider that’s often recommended for its strong integration with WordPress and for a good reason. I used it many times for websites I built in the past.
SEO Features I Like
- WordPress integration: Bluehost and WordPress go together like peanut butter and jelly. They’re one of the top recommended hosting providers by WordPress.org, and they offer easy 1-click WordPress installation.
- SEO Freebies: With Bluehost, you get a free CDN service to boost your website’s speed and a free SSL certificate to secure your site.
- 24/7 customer service: Ever had a website issue at 3 am? I did. With Bluehost, that’s not a problem. Their customer service is available round the clock, which is pretty awesome.
SEO Features I Don't Like
- No free site migration: If you’re thinking of moving an existing website to Bluehost, brace yourself. They charge a fee for site migration which is a bit of a bummer.
- Pricing: Bluehost offers a low introductory price, which is great. But once renewal time comes around, the rates can jump up quite a bit. So, keep that in mind.
Pricing (Monthly)
- Basic – $2.95
- Choice Plus – $5.45
- Online Store – $9.95
- Pro – $13.95
5. Hostgator
HostGator is a well-known name in the hosting world and for good reason. They’re known for their speed and reliability, making them a great choice for those who want a fast, stable website. It’s also a pretty cheap option which is always nice.
SEO Features I Like
- Speed: HostGator is known for its speed, which is a crucial factor in SEO.
- Uptime: HostGator offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, meaning your site will likely be live nearly all the time.
- Free website migration: HostGator will transfer your site for free if you’re moving from another hosting provider, which I think it’s pretty cool.
SEO Features I Don't Like
- Lack of advanced features: While HostGator covers the basics well, they lack some of the advanced features offered by other providers.
- Customer service: I’ve noticed some users had reported issues with HostGator’s customer service when I checked them for this review. And they seem to not offer any phone support.
Pricing (Monthly)
- Hatchling Plan: Starts at $2.75 per month.
- Baby Plan: Starts at $3.50 per month.
- Business Plan: Starts at $5.25 per month.
6. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is another big name in the hosting world. They have a large network of servers around the world, making them the best choice, in my opinion, for businesses with a global audience. This is another of the hosting I still currently use for one of my sites.
SEO Features I Like
- Global server network: GoDaddy’s extensive network of servers can help ensure fast load times for your visitors, no matter where they are in the world.
- SEO tools: GoDaddy offers a range of pretty interesting SEO tools to help you optimise your site for search engines.
- Uptime: GoDaddy offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
SEO Features I Don't Like
- Upselling: GoDaddy often tries to upsell additional services which is not ideal, although prices don’t increase after renewal compared to some other hosting services.
- Limited storage: Their storage is not great compared to other hosting providers.
Pricing (Monthly)
- Economy Plan: Starts at $5.99 per month.
- Deluxe Plan: Starts at $7.99 per month.
- Ultimate Plan: Starts at $12.99 per month.
- Maximum Plan: Starts at $19.99 per month.
7. Cloudways
Last in our list, but not for impotance is Cloudways. If you’re an advanced user or specifically looking for SEO WordPress hosting, Cloudways is a strong contender. They offer a managed cloud hosting platform that’s both powerful and user-friendly, making it a great choice for those who want more control over their hosting environment.
SEO Features I Like
- Wide Choice of Cloud Providers: With Cloudways, you can choose from five top cloud providers: DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, AWS, and Google Cloud. This gives you the flexibility to choose the provider that best suits your needs.
- Built-in Advanced Caching: Cloudways includes built-in advanced caching with their Breeze plugin and CloudwaysCDN for faster performance.
- Managed Security: Cloudways takes care of security at the server level with regular OS patches and firmware upgrades.
SEO Features I Don't Like
- No cPanel: Cloudways doesn’t use cPanel, which could be a nightmare for your SEO team or developers who might be used to this popular control panel.
- No Email Hosting: Like some other providers, Cloudways doesn’t offer email hosting. You’ll need to set this up separately with a third-party provider which I always find annoying.
Pricing (Monthly)
- Their plans start at $10 per month for 1GB of RAM, 1 core processor, 25GB storage, and 1TB bandwidth.
How Does Hosting Affect SEO?
So you’ve got your list with their analysis from an SEO perspective, but you are not convinced yet because you are still thinking: “How does hosting have anything to do with SEO?”
That’s a fair question to ask and I had the same one asked by many clients in the past. But after years of working with different hosting services and seeing the results, I can tell you it matters. Even when other SEO specialists tell you it doesn’t.
Let’s me share why:
Uptime
This is how long your website stays up and running. And from my experience, search engines don’t like websites that are always down. It’s like showing up to a party only to find it’s been cancelled. Not cool, right? So, a hosting with top-notch uptime? That’s a winner in my book.
Speed
In the online world, there is no need for me to tell you but speed is everything. The faster your website loads, the better. I’ve seen websites with amazing content but their page load was terrible, so the bounce rate was super high. And your hosting plays a huge role in this. Choose a slow hosting, and you’re setting yourself up for a fall.
Server Location
The closer the server is to your audience, the quicker your website will load for them. And we’ve already established that speed is everything, haven’t we?
FTP Access
FTP access is another important factor. This allows you to upload files to your server directly. It’s a technical aspect, but it can give you more control over your website. Your SEO team and developers will thank you, trust me.
WordPress Compatibility
This is another big one. Around 810 million websites use WordPress as of 2023, and your hosting needs to play nicely with it. If it doesn’t, you’re in for a world of trouble.
Support
Last but definitely not least, there’s support. When things go wrong (and they will), you need a hosting provider that’s got your back. Good support can differentiate between a minor hiccup and a major catastrophe.
Ready To Pick Your Hosting Suitable for SEO?
So, there you have it! We’ve taken a deep dive into the world of SEO hosting, and I hope you’ve found this guide helpful.
Remember, choosing the right hosting can make a world of difference to your SEO. But it’s not an easy decision so better take it as soon as you start thinking about putting your website online to the world or migrating an existing one.
And if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, don’t sweat it. I’m here to help. We can chat about your specific needs and figure out the best hosting option for you. I’ve got years of experience in SEO and a wealth of knowledge to share. So, don’t hesitate to reach out. Click on the link below to book a call with me today!
