f you’ve been doing online searches in search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc., you’ve noticed both HTTP and HTTPS sites. What is the difference between them, and is it important in terms of online marketing?
Let’s start with basics.
In HTTPS, the additional “s” means “secure”. HTTPS sites include the SSL 2048-bit key and can protect a website connection through authentication and encryption. When you install an SSL for your site, it activates the padlock and allows secure connections from a web server to a browser.
Importance of SSL Certificate in SEO
Back in 2014, Google rolled out updated algorithms across the board in favor of HTTPS sites. Then, it was a lightweight component within the overall ranking algorithm and HTTPS website experienced only minor ranking increases. But Google indicated that they may strengthen the signal in the future.
- If you’re a blog owner that only asks for email info from your visitors, you’re better off spending your limited budget somewhere else. Bing has publicly announced that it has no plans to give websites with HTTPS a ranking push.
- You can also selectively switch to HTTPS versions on the payment pages of your website and wherever you ask for sensitive info from your customers that calls for a secure connection.
But eventually, Chrome will eventually label all HTTP pages as non-secure, and will change the HTTP security indicator to the red triangle used for broken HTTPS when users enter text into a form on an HTTP page, and for all HTTP pages in incognito mode. The new warning is part of a long term plan to mark all pages served over HTTP as “not secure.”
