Switching from a US to a "Regional" host.

Any Negative Consequences?

[glengara]

Has anyone experienced any negative consequences from switching to a "regional" host from a US based one?

Though based in Ireland, my site is a .com and is hosted in the US, so doesn't appear in the recent Google.ie SERPS when searching on "pages from Ireland"; this is a pain as I'd only recently started targeting the regional KWs.

So I'm considering switching to an Irish host, but would be concerned that it may have a negative effect on my rankings in the "real" Google.

Any views?

[Macguru]

I always use regional hosting companies to aim at regional targets (real estate for instance). I think Google detects the country by IP to discriminate results.

If your primary goal is regional, then you will benefit from the switch. Else, the opposite.

I have a # 1 that simply dissapear from the map when regional searches are performed. My client though US hosting could save him a few bucks...

[glengara]

Thanks, Macguru, tough one to call.......

[Macguru]

glengara,

I use to start this way from the ground up. I have little experience with switching. But one switch in real estate brought 12 % more traffic from Google. We fortunatly had no negative impact, whatsoever.

The tough call is about your target?
Can we know the topic of site?
Did you analyse conversion rate by country? (if applicable)

[glengara]

It's an SEO site, can't tell the main/ regional breakdown yet as I've only started targeting the latter.

Just don't want to disappear from the main G 'cos of a regional host.

[ciml]

> Just don't want to disappear from the main G 'cos of a regional host.

I don't think they'll ever go that far, but a Google partner might. The "Google enhanced" AOL beta excluded 'regional' domains for a while.

[Macguru]

I believe that if you already have good spots on the main, you wont dissapear from it. I think that when we have no regionnal or language discrimination set into the check box we all have the same melting pot.

Some portals using Google's index have already some of those preferences checked.

See [www2.sympatico.ca...]

They have "Web francophone" checked for default searches.<added>This alone causes some good KW to rise a couple of notches there. When I search with the Canada only option, ot lot of secondary stuff get on top.</added>

I would wait a few days untill more members with experience with this switch and the potential impact. Mine isn't much about it.

For SEO, I would do it. More than 90 % of my clients are from Québec. There is so much communication involved, I believe people shop locally.

[makemetop]

>Has anyone experienced any negative consequences from switching to a "regional" host from a US based one?

In my case, I have only seen benefits from appearing in the regional results - it certainly hasn't impacted my main Google rankings as far as I can see.

[Tor]

I think Google detects the country by IP to discriminate results.

Do you know it or do you simply guess it Macguru?

[Macguru]

What I know is that if your hosted elswere, your site dissapear from regionnal searches. I guess IP is the simplest way for Google to discriminate. They could use other things too.

[heini]

Tor, I'm pretty sure Mac is right here. AOL Germany does IP filtering of Google results. Pages in german language, with a dot de, do not turn up when hosted outside of Germany.
Pages in english, coming from a dot com do turn up, if they are hosted in Germany.

[glengara]

OK, the consensus seems to be that switching to an Irish host won't affect my results in the main G, and will benefit me in Google .ie.
Seems like the way to go.