Is your website residing on a bad C block? Time to break out! Image: CommonsWikimedia
What is a C Class IP you ask? Well, without getting too technical, the “C class” referred to in the title of this article is the third set of numbers (separated by the decimals) in an IP address. A typical IP is structured like this 123.456.789.2 and so in this instance the “C class” is 789. When a server is relatively small they tend to host many websites on the same C class block, the same neighborhood so to speak. Even though the IP address is otherwise unique to the untrained eye a match in the third octave means that you are living on the same block. Understand that Google is aware of the fact. For most of you this is perfectly fine however there are circumstances that require you take immediate action by moving your website/s out of the neighborhood to avoid trouble in the future.
When to Move Your Website Out of a C Class IP Block
1. You Own Similar Domains on the Same C Block
A “seemed like a good idea at the time” SEO tactic awhile back had online businesses creating multiple websites (under one umbrella) for two reasons. One of those reasons involved link building. Poorly informed webmasters set up a network of websites that would all link back to a primary website in an effort to build the primary’s backlink profile in hopes of improving PageRank. However all too often this shady tactic ended up creating a network of websites all on the same C class IP block which instantaneously devalues the backlinks pointing to the primary website. This practice can also get you in trouble with Google’s webspam team for attempting to game the system. The second motive for building a multiple website network in this manner is to try and dominate Google Page One results with multiple websites ranking for the same terms. It’s like if one umbrella owned Coke, Pepsi, and RC Cola (old school, right?) and tried to pass them off as different brands, tricking consumers into thinking they have a choice. Again, these multiple site networks are often all set up on the same identifiable C class IP block, setting up them up for failure in the long run when Google takes action. The recent Google Panda 4.0 update is showing evidence that it has targeted these clusters of websites. If you were misled to believe this tactic works it’s time to move your website/s off of the block.
2. You’re “Literally” in a Bad Neighborhood
Did you outsource your website and hosting from a cheapo provider overseas? If so they may have set your website up on the same C class block as a slew of porn, pay-day loan, and online gambling websites that partake in black-hat SEO on a daily basis. While there are arguments as to how much of an impact this may or may not have on an “innocent” website do you really want to reside on the same block as they do when Google drops the hammer to gentrify their search engine results pages?
3. Too Many Others Like You are on the Same C Block
Finally, for those of your really trying to play it safe when settling into an online neighborhood you will want to look into whether or not your website falls into this category. Let’s say there is an online conglomerate that focuses solely on serving clients from one niche industry with a heavy concentration of clients in one region to the next. That conglomerate may have set up multiple websites on the same server and thus the same C class IP. If all of those websites cater to the same industry AND location and hope to rank for the same relative keywords it may be looked at by Google in the same manner as the second motive in category number one above. Your website may unjustly be looped into a perceived network of websites and Google algorithms may attempt to de-cluster these sites off of Google Page One and Two (and so forth). Let’s look at the online real estate industry as an example. Many MLS/IDX providers have cookie cutter templates that they provide to their agents in addition to setting the agent sites up on their server of choice. If you fall into such a category you should look to see if you are sharing a C class IP with other agents in your location. You can use a simple tool like yougetsignal.com to see if your site is sharing the same block as others in your market. To really play it safe, avoid the aforementioned cookie-cutter packages and find a professional internet marketing company that knows better.
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