Cloud Computing

Cloud computing refers to a paradigm in information technology in which both hardware and software components are outsourced to a system outside of the in-house IT infrastructure. Cloud computing allows accessing, editing, and sharing of data on distributed resources that make up the cloud.

General information

On a purely structural level, cloud computing is related to a CDN (Content Delivery Network). Due to the combination of multiple servers, data access is accelerated. Cloud computing, however, goes further. Not only the access to specific data is changed, but also the way how this data can be processed. A CDN provides the data using an infrastructure when queried. In cloud computing, however, virtual resources are used which are not tied to a single, specific infrastructure. Not only the hardware but also the software can be outsourced and used from any location.

Companies no longer have to provide the physical memory to offer their services. You can outsource these services to a cloud and benefit from synergy effects. Your employees can process data in the cloud and any changes by other employees of the company are simultaneously visible because they can be synchronized. With a cloud, you can work in a team, even if some teammates are located as far as East Asia. Working with a cloud therefore means a fundamental change in the interaction between users and IT service.

Practical application

Cloud computing involves various cloud services, which may vary depending on the provider, for example, document processing, database applications, email services or security tasks. Public clouds, private clouds or a mixture of both can be utilized, called hybrid clouds. If a company wants to store and process sensitive data in the cloud, then a private cloud would furnish the necessary safety measures. If desired, clouds can be used simultaneously by several enterprises or organizations. This would be a community cloud.

A special feature of cloud computing is the combination of different services. Cloud users can use different user programs that they would otherwise have to install on their computer in a conventional system. Cloud computing uses the principle “Anything as a Service” (XaaS). Services such as physical databases, communication or application software are centrally offered by the cloud and used locally.

Relevance for SEO

It is undisputed in the SEO industry that location-based information such as IP addresses and server locations represent important information for a search engine. To what extent such data affect the ranking, it is only conjecture. But that they have an impact, in fact, is confirmed by Matt Cutts in a video post. since the type of data in cloud computing is quite different than crawlers would encounter with regular websites. The data is in a cloud and not on a single server, whose address is known. Search engines are taking these changes already into account when generating the SERPs.

Moreover, it is known that the load time of a website is one of many ranking factors, especially for websites that are part of a highly competitive business field. Similar to CDNs, cloud computing can increase page speed and help ensure users can access a website quickly. In addition, it can be assumed that certain addresses from cloud providers are rated positively by Google, as is the case with certain web hosts (See IP Popularity).

Web Links

• Cloud Computing and SEO