Good hosting companies in Australia

newbie · #16 30-05-2008, 04:05 PM

Gav, you are unlikely to find the best answer to your question on a forum because there are too many people pushing their own barrow.

http://web-hosting.domaintools.com/

This guy's web-hosting statistics are impartial and honest. You will be able to match your requirements with the best web host at the service and equipment level you are seeking.

Gav · #17 02-06-2008, 11:59 AM

Cheers mate. I just get fed up of lack of responsiveness and delays when playing around with sites on UK servers.

I think you can set the language of your sites to en-au and that helps to rank for sites in Australia. Google just needs some pointer as to where it should list your site.

Onwards! Might even have a play with Joomla...

newbie · #18 02-06-2008, 12:12 PM

That sounds like a very good idea.

We do not currently do that but I think we will roll that out. it cannot do any harm.

texacola · #19 05-06-2008, 09:20 PM

so gav did you end up finding someone?

Gav · #20 06-06-2008, 08:30 AM

Hey,

Not taken the plunge yet (just setting up a site for our football club back home at the moment and transferring it to a www.bluehosts.com server, actually - we had this already).

If you want to know a bit more about how Google geo-targets...
http://www.google.com/support/webmas...er=62399&hl=en

This is well worth a read.

Basically, if you have a .com, .net, .org, and/or US or *Norway* based server then Google will guess where your site should be listed based on server IP, unless you tell it otherwise using the Webmaster tools.

If you've got a .com.au, co.nz, co.uk, .co.ck (Cook islands TLD!!! www.budget.co.ck !

) then Google will always make you appear under sites for that countries' domain no matter what.

texacola · #21 06-06-2008, 08:41 AM

wow thanks Gav, I never realised the webmaster tools had that, but then I try not to dally too much on google pages anyways. but that gives me an idea! always wanted to sell widgets directly to serbia, woot! hahaha

newbie · #22 06-06-2008, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gav

Hey,

Not taken the plunge yet (just setting up a site for our football club back home at the moment and transferring it to a www.bluehosts.com server, actually - we had this already).

If you want to know a bit more about how Google geo-targets...
http://www.google.com/support/webmas...er=62399&hl=en

This is well worth a read.

Basically, if you have a .com, .net, .org, and/or US or *Norway* based server then Google will guess where your site should be listed based on server IP, unless you tell it otherwise using the Webmaster tools.

If you've got a .com.au, co.nz, co.uk, .co.ck (Cook islands TLD!!! www.budget.co.ck !

) then Google will always make you appear under sites for that countries' domain no matter what.

This is probably a bad example because it is listed, for the domain keywords,

number one on google.co.uk from a UK desktop,
number one on google.com from a US desktop
number one on google.com.au from an AU desktop.

This is a .com site hosted in Dallas, TX and has never been near webmaster tools, they do not even know what SEO means.

goldcoasthouseboats.com

How does that fit in with your theory?

texacola · #23 06-06-2008, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newbie

This is probably a bad example because it is listed, for the domain keywords,

number one on google.co.uk from a UK desktop,
number one on google.com from a US desktop
number one on google.com.au from an AU desktop.

This is a .com site hosted in Dallas, TX and has never been near webmaster tools, they do not even know what SEO means.

goldcoasthouseboats.com

How does that fit in with your theory?

you're right, that IS a bad exmple as it's a very longtailed keyword phrase with only 112k results total and only 42 exact phrase match, not terribly hard to get number one for at all across all countries. maybe 20 minutes work I guess.

newbie · #24 06-06-2008, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texacola

you're right, that IS a bad exmple as it's a very longtailed keyword phrase with only 112k results total and only 42 exact phrase match, not terribly hard to get number one for at all across all countries. maybe 20 minutes work I guess.

You have lost the plot Tex. This was gav's theory.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gav

Basically, if you have a .com, .net, .org, and/or US or *Norway* based server then Google will guess where your site should be listed based on server IP, unless you tell it otherwise using the Webmaster tools.

This is a .com site hosted in Dallas, TX and has never been near webmaster tools but still listed number one on google.com.AU for the domain keywords.

aguawebs · #25 06-06-2008, 09:40 AM

I remember when Google first mentioned something about Geographic server location affecting serps... but I have found it all to be not relevant.

I find that more weight is put on the domain name rather than anything else... .com.au rank higher in Aussie serps, .co.uk in UK serps etc

BTW - I've been on a Boyds Bay House boat and recommend it to anyone

newbie · #26 06-06-2008, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aguawebs

I remember when Google first mentioned something about Geographic server location affecting serps... but I have found it all to be not relevant.

I find that more weight is put on the domain name rather than anything else... .com.au rank higher in Aussie serps, .co.uk in UK serps etc

BTW - I've been on a Boyds Bay House boat and recommend it to anyone

Generally think you are right on all three counts especially the sheer size of the eskys and spas

I forgot to add that this .com site that has always been on a US server is also number one for the domain keywords on Google.com.au "Pages from Australia".

Thank God for Google - Built-in SEO so you do not have to.

Gav · #27 06-06-2008, 10:33 AM

We've had this debate many times. Look at Google's rules. You can find exceptions, but I'm guessing that the fact that all the links, traffic and whois data point to your site being an Aussie one.

Why take the risk when you can flick a switch in Google's back end?

Newbie - I know you don't agree with this, but I've seen enough information across enough sites, across enough markets, and with the official word from Google to think that you're just being stubborn if you want to ignore it all.

Ultimately, horses for courses, and choose who you listen to - but I find it hard to see why you wouldn't listen to the advice above.

Maybe listen to the advice below then...

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogsp...oices-for.html

newbie · #28 06-06-2008, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gav

We've had this debate many times. Look at Google's rules. You can find exceptions, but I'm guessing that the fact that all the links, traffic and whois data point to your site being an Aussie one.

Why take the risk when you can flick a switch in Google's back end?

Newbie - I know you don't agree with this, but I've seen enough information across enough sites, across enough markets, and with the official word from Google to think that you're just being stubborn if you want to ignore it all.

Ultimately, horses for courses, and choose who you listen to - but I find it hard to see why you wouldn't listen to the advice above.

Maybe listen to the advice below then...

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogsp...oices-for.html

Anybody can say anything they like about Google and be absolutely secure in the knowledge that they can never be challenged.

I am not being stubborn, just want to save you from squandering your money for no useful reason.

All those huff and puff forums talking about Google are a waste of space.

It is all BS. Content is not the main thing, quality content is the only thing.

We have always done things the same way since before the Google domain was registered. It seems to work OK for us. Check our Dell AU payment for this month with the backpayments added in.

BTW Gav - There is no risk - that .com domain was not an exception to any rule, hundreds of domains that I know of behave in exactly the same way as goldcoasthouseboats.com. There are no exceptions.

How do you figure that all these .com sites on US servers show up in "Pages from Australia" without a visit to webmaster tools? It can only be content and whois. What else could there be? Why waste time on a forum or pursuing all the wild goose chases they send you on when you could be devoting that valuable time to rolling out a new site?

I am not here to jerk anyone around Gav. I like this industry and the more good publishers in it, the better I like it.

Gav · #29 06-06-2008, 12:44 PM

Me? Jeesh.

To sum up...
Me
1. I'd like an Aussie server because of response times (if the cost isn't that different)
2. If you want to rank for Oz, you're better telling Google than not doing. Domain and server location don't matter if you do this, unless you have a country specific TLD. Takes 30 seconds.

Or Newbie...
1. Server location doesn't matter. You might rank anyway.
2. Don't take 30 seconds of your life telling Google "I'm an Aussie site". Ignore what Google tell you. You might rank anyway.
3. Domain doesn't matter. You might rank anyway.

I'll also add in - that, great - you have an Oz whois (if you think that matters), what about all the people that don't?

I really am struggling to figure out what of the above that you're taking exception to. It's clear, simple advice that clarifies a lot of issues. The only possible downside is a loss of 30 seconds of your life. Which is a damn site less than I've wasted going back and forth in this thread!

The downside to your advice going wrong could be that your sites don't rank.

To all the other people out there reading this - I'd say that the best thing to do, in the interests of fairness is to look at the official advice from the people that decide these things, and make your own mind up...
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogsp...oices-for.html
http://www.google.com/support/webmas...er=62399&hl=en

newbie · #30 06-06-2008, 12:59 PM

Oh dear Gav.

Thank you for your pronouncement.

I shall sally forth tomorrow, emboldened with the knowledge that Gav said my sites "might rank".

Tell me again, which one of us is getting five figures inc gst this month from one program, Dell AU DGM and which one of us just works for DGM?

Looking outside the window; I cannot see Pymble.

I guess I must be the one that does this for a living.

===========

You said "I'll also add in - that, great - you have an Oz whois (if you think that matters), what about all the people that don't?"

All .com.au registrations have an "OZ" whois, there is no foreign equivalent, there are no "all the people that don't".

You missed the point anyway, it not where the whois is based that counts; the address of the registrant in the whois details is the key factor. I said that in an email to you, I do not know how you missed it.

.