When it comes to web hosting, you might wonder if investing in a dedicated IP address is worth the extra cost. An IP address, like ‘123.123.123.123’, is a numerical label that identifies a specific server on the internet. This post will address the top misconceptions about dedicated IPs and help you decide if they’re worth the expense.
Misconception 1: Every Website Needs a Unique IP Address
Contrary to popular belief, not every website requires its own IP address. Modern web servers can handle multiple websites and issue SSL certificates under a single IP address without a problem. They do this by reading the request header sent by your browser, which contains the URL of the website you’re trying to access. Shared hosting servers can comfortably manage thousands of websites with the same IP without any issues.
Misconception 2: A Dedicated IP Improves SEO
A common myth is that having a dedicated IP address boosts your SEO. However the reality is search engines like Google do not prioritize IP addresses when ranking websites. Matt Cutts, the Head of Webspam at Google, has clarified that while a site hosted on a server filled with spammy sites might face more scrutiny in extreme cases, Google does not consider IP address or hosting provider as significant ranking factors. According to Cutts:
“On the list of things that I worry about, that would not be near the top. So I understand, and Google understands that shared web hosting happens. You can’t really control who else is on that IP address or Class C subnet.”
The quality of your content, site performance, and user experience are far more critical for SEO than the type of IP address you use.
Misconception 3: A Dedicated IP Will Improve Email Deliverability
Many people believe that having a dedicated IP address will solve email deliverability issues. However, this is rarely the case. The problem often lies with misconfigured SPF or DKIM records, not with the IP address itself. Additionally, many hosting platforms use a shared IP for outgoing emails rather than a dedicated IP. Large providers typically use third-party email services like Mail Channels, not the server’s IP, to send outgoing email traffic.
If you are having issues with email deliverability, start by using a tool such as Mail-Tester to identify any common issues.
Misconception 4: Dedicated IP Addresses Prevent Blacklisting
There are myths that say a dedicated IP address will protect their site from blacklisting, while this might have been true in 2005, it isn’t entirely relevant anymore. While having a dedicated IP can help in some cases, blacklisting typically depends more on the reputation of the domain and the behavior associated with it rather than the number of sites on an IP address or the IP itself. Moving to a new IP within the same subnet might not always fix reputation issues if the new IP is similarly flagged.
In reality, most blacklisting and filtering systems use advanced techniques beyond just IP addresses. Blaming the IP address is normally a cop-out excuse and a wrong one!
Misconception 5: A Dedicated IP Enhances Security
Dedicated IP address are often marketed as being able to inherently enhance a site’s security. However, this is a common misconception. While a dedicated IP might offer minimal benefits, such as avoiding potential risks associated with shared IPs, it does not significantly improve overall security on its own.
The idea that a dedicated IP provides substantial security advantages is often greatly overstated in marketing claims and unexplained. In reality, security is influenced by a range of factors beyond just the IP address itself.
Misconception 6: A Dedicated IP Increases Performance and Reduces Congestion
Another common belief is that a dedicated IP address will increase your website’s performance and reduce congestion. However, this notion is largely unfounded. The performance and speed of your website are not impacted by whether you use a dedicated or shared IP address.
Both dedicated and shared IPs typically utilize the same underlying infrastructure provided by your hosting provider. The physical servers, network connections, and data centers remain the same.
Website performance performance and congestion are primarily determined by server performance, bandwidth, and the efficiency of your website, rather than the type of IP address you use. If the provider is blaming the ‘shared IP being congested’, move provider!
The idea that a dedicated IP will substantially boost performance or reduce congestion is outright misleading.
Name & Shame: Providers with Misleading Claims
Some hosting providers make dubious claims about the benefits of dedicated IPs and other products:
This list is thankfully shrinking after emailing the respective providers both before and after posting!
Providers with Reliable Information
There are hosting providers that offer clear and accurate information about dedicated IPs:
- Kinsta: Dedicated IP Address vs Shared IP Address (Debunking Myths)
- WPEngine: Dedicated IP VS Shared IP
Conclusion
Before deciding to pay extra for a dedicated IP address, consider these factors and misconceptions and at-least get them to explain way. Often, the added expense may not offer the benefits you expect or any at all.Focus on optimizing your site’s performance, security, and content for the best results first.
Netcat offers both Performance Optimisation and Website Hardening Services to enhance your site.