Does server affect indexing speeds?

[Grumpy_Carl]

A bit of a strange question this one:

I have a domain which, when on my Dutch server, can get new blog posts indexed and ranking in less than 10 mins using the pubsubshubbub plugin. However, I moved the blog and domain to a UK dedicated server and continued to post. Days later none of these posts were indexed. I then moved the domain back to the Dutch server to test this, I posted in the blog and once again, indexed and ranking in 20 mins or so.

To cut a long and tedious story short; In a bid to be closer to my customers I moved the domain to a UK VPS three days back. I posted but no posts are indexed.

Anyone else experienced anything like this? Generally I don't move domains back and forward so much but wanted to test this out. The Ducth server is a 16 core 24gb Direct Admin dedicated, the two UK servers were both running Cpanel.

I understand that it would be best to host as close to possible to the customers but the hardship of getting posts indexed in the UK is becoming a problem.

Thanks, Carl

[Matt-Williamson]

Hi Carl,

So your Dutch server is essentially stand alone and your UK servers are VPS so sharing resource on a single server although acting as virtual machines, so what is the spec on the VPS? I think that this could make a difference, the one thing that I have definitely experienced is a spike in pages crawled and kilobytes downloaded in Google Webmaster Tools when my sites load speed has improved. This obviously has impact on the amount of pages that Google is able to crawl/re-crawl and index. Have you tested your site load speed when you have changed the domains over? If you are still checking this out I would go to Google Webmaster Tools and analyse your site performance and the crawl stats for your domain if you know when you were using both server setups for further clues! Let me know if you have found there is a difference as this is very interesting. Your Dutch servers performance experienced by Googlebot when crawling your content might be far better than your UK setup. Remember just because your site may appear to be loading as quickly when you browse on either it is not necessarily performing the same for every visit throughout the day.

Hope this helps!

[Grumpy_Carl]

Hi Matt

Thanks for the reply. In answer to your question, in the UK only one of the servers was a VPS. The other was a Quad core, 6gb model so hopefully that could handle things.

It's all very puzzling to be honest

[Matt-Williamson]

Yeah it should handle things but your Dutch server is for more powerful. What do you think to looking at your crawl stats and site performance in GWT? I have the suspicion there will be a difference..

[Grumpy_Carl]

Will have a look thanks. I wonder if the control panel on the server also makes a difference.

I guess I need to weigh up fast indexing against not being hosted in the country where my customers live.