Internet Marketing / SEO
FAQ - Ask an Expert

Will I Hurt My Rankings If I Change ISPs?

Description: It sometimes becomes necessary or at least advantageous to change to a different internet service provider. But are you running the risk of sabotaging your search engine rankings by doing this?

It's understandable to be concerned. After all you've probably spent weeks, months or maybe even years building up your site, implementing various search engine optimization techniques and gradually improving your ranking as a result.

But sometimes you may find you get a better deal or, more importantly, a better service by changing your ISP. So should you be worried about your rankings?

The short answer is no. All your hard work will stand and you shouldn't experience any problems at all. Obviously it will pay you to ensure the move is made in as quick a time as possible, but with all things being equal your ranking should remain the same.

It's important to note however that if you decide to change your domain name your ranking will definitely be affected - and in a big way. This is because all the websites that link into your site are linking with your domain name. If you change it then all the links you have worked so hard to gain will be lost.

The key point to remember is that you need to ensure everything else stays exactly the same. It doesn't matter who you host your domain name with; it only matters that your domain name stays the same if you are to hang on to the benefits you have amassed so far.

If you are considering changing providers it might be worth doing some research first to ensure that the service they provide is renowned as being quick and efficient. If you run into problems and your website ends up being down for a few days then you might experience a drop in ranking. So long as you do your homework first and go with a reputable company you shouldn't have any problems at all.