How much does UPTIME matter for SERPs?
Recently, I had a server go offline.
Hosting company was confused, turns out was a server migration that wouldn't work and got stuck.
Now, I've never had this happen...
Instead of changing the arecords to another server and using a backup taking fifteen minutes, I did nothing, like a deer standing in the headlights if an oncoming truck.
I guess in some way I wanted to see what would happen.
Of course, the site started tanking after only a few days, what could I expect? It isn't reasonable to keep a page high if it isn't there!!
After restoration though, the site came back, but to a former, lower rung, G SERP level for many, many keywords.
It seems there weren't enough lost links to account for it, so I am guessing now it's some kind of minus or strike, a penalty not detailed elsewhere that I am aware, against the site.
Are the present links now weighed as only a percentage of each's full weight?
Will the SERPs re-climb with flawless delivery of pages in coming weeks?
People used to tell me page delivery speed could affect G algo. Clearly, this is at the xtreme end, with NO delivery.
Check out M a TtCU ttss' Video on the subject HERE. He says it doesn't affect anything. I don't believe him. SO much else of what he's said in these videos is just not true. If I considered all his words as truth, I'd be very confused.
Hosting company was confused, turns out was a server migration that wouldn't work and got stuck.
Now, I've never had this happen...
Instead of changing the arecords to another server and using a backup taking fifteen minutes, I did nothing, like a deer standing in the headlights if an oncoming truck.
I guess in some way I wanted to see what would happen.
Of course, the site started tanking after only a few days, what could I expect? It isn't reasonable to keep a page high if it isn't there!!
After restoration though, the site came back, but to a former, lower rung, G SERP level for many, many keywords.
It seems there weren't enough lost links to account for it, so I am guessing now it's some kind of minus or strike, a penalty not detailed elsewhere that I am aware, against the site.
Are the present links now weighed as only a percentage of each's full weight?
Will the SERPs re-climb with flawless delivery of pages in coming weeks?
People used to tell me page delivery speed could affect G algo. Clearly, this is at the xtreme end, with NO delivery.
Check out M a TtCU ttss' Video on the subject HERE. He says it doesn't affect anything. I don't believe him. SO much else of what he's said in these videos is just not true. If I considered all his words as truth, I'd be very confused.
Comments
I notice that weaker KWs lower in SERPs (that had been climbing before this) were hit hardest.
It seems, in analogy, almost like levels of support in equities charts, and everything went back to lower support levels now.
@redrays: Hopefully, the short-term is almost over...lol
OK, customer service (salespeople) misinformed me that it would resolve in an hour.
Then a day.
Then, next day started a service ticket. (Why didn't they start it the FIRST day?!)
It gave the tech support team, who couldn't be contacted by either me or the customer service rep, three days to reslove this issue.
It was a mess. In the meantime, I found out that support knows nothing, but they can upsell me add-ons and other services all the same! lol
Three days later, I began seeing the new server files appear at the new IP.
So overall, it was offline for five days, as on the fifth day I was resetting the arecords by hand, something I was trying to avoid and have them do, anyway. Also had to fix paths on web sites to new IP, fixing messed up databases (?), and more.
The whole reason I was even waiting for these guys to do it was that I thought the added work would be a pain and take from more important tasks. lol
I saved nothing in waiting for these tech people the customer service reps called the "guys upstairs", who can't even be reached by proxy via customer service. Odd arrangement. Used them for years, service definitely geared now to sales and paid tech support.
First, I'm making fresh new NEW backups. I do this a lot, but I want a 100% up-to-date set that isn't confusing to work with later.
And, I'm putting up mirror sites, and just leaving them there ready to roll, if need be.
I can't imagine such an easy way to slip up and go down...don't want to repeat. I definitely learned!!!!
I was thinking...for now...just use a server that ISN'T part of any links going to these sites. I'm thinking accidentally putting a site on one of its T1 or even T2 servers wouldn't be good
Cloudflare is usually used for the reasons you suggest, but one of the less talked about benefits is that it makes jumping between servers lightning fast. You just log into your account, change the IP on the A record inside, and you're good to go within thirty seconds. Changing name servers can take 30 minutes to many hours to go into effect.
I'm going to guess that the SE's incorporate this metric into their total algorithm in more ways than just tanking for nondelivery.
Maybe it was true, what people said for years, that faster server affects SERPs?
If no delivery = (eventual) no SERP listing then maybe LIGHTNING FAST delivery = higher SERPs?
If a site is down, and continues to accrue links during that time, do the SE's get wary and penalize or note such a highly unusual circumstance? I would think it's a lost opportunity on the part of SE's not to check this.
I like that at least the daily charts show almost zero links on those days that the sites were down. I mean, how would a downed site get backlinks? It's kind of lame...
Then again, maybe my very deliberate break in the sites on the server's daily diet of links caused a hiccup?
Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks...
Before this, SEs were responding positively to links. SERPs reflected this quickly.
After the extended downtime, the sites would roll down a few slots after linking.
Now, the pages in the SERPs that had just been linked disappear for a bit, then reappear either same or slightly higher.
I guess this is reflective of phases in the recovery process? I HOPE!!!