Every 39 seconds, there is a website attack that affects one in three Americans every year. If you are not securing the information being transmitted over your website, then the chances are your website is always at a cyber-attack. Moreover, your site may drop down from Google’s ranking, and your customer’s data can also be sacrificed. If you are familiar with SEO, then you know how important it has become for every business as it helps businesses to improve their Google ranking.
Not too long ago, Google came up with another way that can help businesses to get a smaller boost in their ranking. This new way is commonly known as HTTPS. Now, many ask how HTTPS is better than HTTP and if it is essential to switch to HTTPS. In this blog post, we have described the difference between both and which one can help you stay in Google’s grace. If you want to know your answers, be sure to read this article till the end.
HTTP vs. HTTPS: Understanding the Basics
HTTP stands for ‘HyperText Transfer Protocol.’ This protocol commonly used to access HTML pages. HTTP describes how messages are formatted and transmitted over the World Wide Web (www). When anyone types in his request on the internet, the server receives that request and quickly searches for the website the user is hoping for.
HTTPS stands for ‘Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol.’ This protocol works the same as the HTTP but with “s” on the end that is securely exchanging messages. HTTPS was developed to enable authorization and secure transactions. The transmission of confidential information must be protected to avoid access from unauthorized sources. Both the HTTP and HTTPS follow the same protocols, but HTTPS provides enhanced protection.
HTTPS Used As a Ranking Signal
In the summer of 2018, Google has labeled HTTPS sites as “secure” even though having HTTP is not wrong at all. However, as HTTPS is considered a more “secure version,” Google has observed that users are 70% more likely to open URLs that have extra “s” at the end. Google proclaimed that switching a website over to the HTTPS protocol would help the site to get a small boost in the ranking. I hope it is less confusing for you now.
For Google, the security is a top priority, as the company invests time, effort, money, and other resources to ensure that their services are the best, by using security, like a secure HTTPS encryption, as a default. Today, more and more webmasters are switching to using HTTPS on their websites, which is making the internet as a whole safe. Google has run a test and monitor whether or not sites are using secure and encrypted connections as a signal in its algorithms for search ranking. Positive results have been displayed.
Read More: 21% Decrease in Ranking without SEO Friendly URL
The SEO Advantage of Using HTTPS
It is clear that HTTPS offers enhanced security, so it is definitely the way to go if you would like your website to be favored by Google. In addition to that, there are some additional SEO benefits for you to consider.
1. It gives a better user experience.
2. It may increase your rankings.
3. Secure websites can increase dwell time.
4. Sites with HTTPS Load Faster.
5. HTTPS leads to accurate SEO reporting.
6. It preserves referrer data.
7. It is more secure and more private.
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