Does Google Penalize Websites On A Shared IP?

Without knowing exactly how Google views websites hosted on a shared IP, in the beginning of my own affiliate efforts I took the risk that many SEO gurus warn against and used shared hosting plans. I did so for one simple reason - I didn’t have any money starting out and dedicated or virtual hosting was not an option. During that time I always had a nagging worry that, as several experts cautioned, Google could inadvertently penalize one of my sites if another site on my shared IP was given a Google smackdown. Luckily, Mark Berghausen, a Google Webmaster Central rep, addressed the controversy in a Google Groups thread and allayed any fears that Google penalizes websites on shared IPs or favors dedicated IPs. Via seoroundtable.com, Berghausen said:

Lots of sites are hosted on shared IPs. If this had a negative effect on ranking, it would harm most of the sites on the web–and that’s not good for small webmasters or for our users. So, understandably, sharing an IP should not have an effect your ability to rank.

My advice: don’t worry about it. Host your site however you think is best, and instead spend your time focusing on the content–making sure your pages are easy to navigate for users regardless of their browser or hardware, and ensuring that the content you provide is informative and unique.

So follow Berghausen’s advice and stop worrying. Spend that time building links instead.

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