Why You Need a Dedicated IP Address
Updated May 8, 2019
Do you need a dedicated IP address? If you’re looking to avoid being labeled a spammer, increase your email inboxing rates, improve your Google search rankings, or get a high-trust SSL certificate – then, yes, you need a dedicated IP address.
IP addresses are used in SSL certificates, an absolute must for sites in this era. They’re also used for spam detection, in email systems particularly.
Shared IP addresses can mean that systems identify 10’s or 1000’s of websites as if they were a single unit. In effect, all websites are painted with the same broad brush. It only takes one malicious site, one dastardly spammer or compromised system to impact all the other sites on that IP address.
When your business cannot deal with this and other issues that come with shared IP addresses, then it’s time to upgrade to a dedicated IP address.
Why Dedicated IP’s
SSL
If you’re running an online store, it’s likely you’re looking to have clients purchase through your website. Inevitably, you will want to ensure that their transactions are safe – for your reputation and peace of mind too. In this case, your website needs to encrypt and protect your buyer’s information whenever they buy from you – and that’s where SSL certificate comes in. SSL certificate enables an encrypted connection, keeping all online interactions private. Other than security reasons, SSL certificate also helps clients to gain the confidence to provide personal details (like credit cards, financial accounts and so on) on your site.
Getting certain types of SSL certs may require dedicated IP addresses. Trust comes from being able to single out your store from the rest of the world. That is true of reviews, SSL certs and much more.
The biggest issue with shared IP address lies in their very concept – sharing one IP for different sites packs its share of stability and security problems. If any of the other websites sharing the same IP as you is blacklisted for spamming activity, it will directly affect you and your operations. But if you are using a dedicated IP address, the actions of other sites won’t affect your website; neither will they impact your online presence or reputation.
Businesses are consistently involved in online marketing efforts, with a majority of them specializing in email marketing among other strategies. If your website is on a shared server, the chances are high that it could be affected by your IP-sharing “partners.” Should any of those platforms get banned or marked as spammers, yours will go down as well. This is a widespread problem – but luckily, you can quickly resolve this with a dedicated server IP.
SEO
With the rising number of business competing for the first spots of Google, it is becoming more and more difficult to rank higher on SERP results. Today, you have to be tactical as well as ethical to stand a chance.
Google has a concept of ‘bad neighborhoods’. Ideally you’d like to be thought of as having a site that’s not ‘bad’. IP addresses are one way Google links properties together. In other words, when there are a group of websites on the same IP address, and one or more of them is doing some seriously shady stuff to try and get better rankings on Google, there’s the risk to others on that same IP of being labeled.
Note: This IP-based neighborhood risk is hotly debated by SEO practitioners. Some swear by it – others say it’s a myth. Better safe than sorry.
Google also uses your IP address to determine the location of your host; it then uses the data to rank your site within your target audience. Getting a dedicated IP address that’s closer to your audience can make a whole lot of difference because, in addition to speed, you also get to enjoy Google’s recommendation as a local business.
Conclusion
If you want your website performing at peak, to avoid being labeled a spammer, get maximum email deliverability, and enjoy peak search rankings – get a dedicated IP address for your hosting.