Hosting in Japan or Singapore

[cblais]

We recently purchased a .jp domain name and now we're on the hunt for some good hosting options.

I initially set out to find some hosting companies directly in Japan, but it's proving a bit more difficult than I thought to find some solid choices.

From what we understand, the location of the hosting server plays a role in Google's algo so we want to take advantage of everything possible to maximize SEO.

Do most .jp domain names get hosted directly in Japan or do they find hosting elsewhere, such as Singapore? Does anyone know if either country would be more of a benefit SEO wise or if they are pretty much the same?

Is there a way to find out what percentage of .jp sites are hosted in Japan vs Singapore (or other countries for that matter).

I know this is a lot, so thanks for any help you might be able to offer!

[cblais]

Does anyone know where I can find information on this? Thanks.

[bill]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld cblais.

I host all of my .JP sites in Japan. That's for speed purposes. You can't get faster anywhere else. The differences in ping times can be significant outside Japan.

Now that Google is considering site speed as a factor, that might be a consideration (at least for the #2 SE in Japan). However, Google reps have said elsewhere that a ccTLD is more important than hosting location.

[cblais]

Thanks very much for the information Bill.

Do you have any hosting companies in Japan that you can recommend based on your experience?

[bill]

We don't recommend hosts in the forums. Check your sticky mail.

[cblais]

Thanks very much again Bill.