Why HTTPS is a must for SEO
Unprotected data transfer is a real target for hackers and it is precisely then that you are a major attack surface for them. However, we are often lulled into a false sense of security because we have simply not yet been affected. But did you know that one in three Americans is attacked by a hacker every year? In numbers, that’s one hacker attack every 39 seconds.
Especially nowadays, you don’t want a hacker to have access to your e-mail traffic or even your online account. Anyone who has been a victim knows how much stress such an attack is associated with.
But how can such attacks be prevented? Probably the most important step is and starts with the security of the website and if you want to know how to achieve this security, you’ve come to the right place – because nothing is more important than HTTPS!
So if you want to rely on a secure website, the first step is to know and understand the serious difference between HTTP and HTTPS websites. Once you are aware of this difference, you will also realize when you should make the switch from HTTP to HTTPS to protect you and your website visitors. As a reward for this security measure, you will also improve your SEO.
So – let’s find out!
HTTP and HTTPS: What’s the difference?
If we look back to the beginnings of the Internet, there was no HTTPS before. Everything ran via HTTP and was used to transfer information from server to browser. But it will not have gone unnoticed to you how many websites are switching to HTTPS (and the number is increasing). Below that, no large website such as YouTube, Amazon or Facebook works without HTTPS. Google has also been rewarding sites for switching in the form of a rating premium since 2014.
Now you are rightly asking yourself why all this? What makes HTTPS so special that even Google rewards it?
To understand this, let’s start with what HTTP and HTTPS actually are and what purposes they do or do not fulfill for your website.
HTTP
HTTP or Hyper Transfer Protocol has been around since the creation of websites. As the name suggests, the purpose of HTTP is to transfer data from web servers to the respective browsers. This transfer made it possible for the user to view the website.
In summary, HTTP enables communication between different systems. But there is one big problem.
The main problem is that HTTP offers little data protection. Virtually anyone can view the transmission information. Conversely, this means that it is much easier to change or gain access to this visible content.
HTTPS
HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, the secure version of HTTP. Basically, they work in a similar way, except that HTTPS acts with a protective function. The data transfer is encrypted and the information remains protected.
This level of encryption makes it more difficult for hackers to steal data. Before 2014, only e-commerce websites used the encryption method to protect important payment information. But precisely because the flow of information between websites is becoming increasingly complex and it is no longer just e-commerce sites that work with important data, the switch to HTTPS has become increasingly popular and rapid.
Protection is guaranteed by an SSL certificate (Secure Sockets Layer). This is used to encrypt the connection, as protection against theft is particularly important when transferring sensitive information.
The “S” makes the difference
Both HTTP and HTTPS are used to transfer information from server to web browser. The key difference here is the SSL certificate or the “S” in HTTPS. Encryption of this kind is necessary for any website that handles sensitive data. These include bank codes, passwords, insurance numbers, etc.
This works because the SSL certificate converts the information into a secure code and thus encrypts the respective information. This means that if a hacker has successfully stolen information, he will most likely not be able to understand or decrypt it due to the secret code.
But that’s not all. A TLS protocol (Transport Layer Security) is another security component of HTTPS. This prevents falsification through watering hole attacks or changes to the data transmission.
TSL also offers site authentication. It gives visitors to your website the certainty of what HTTPS stands for – that data arrives where it is supposed to arrive and cannot be stolen and misused en route.
Is HTTPS better?
Thesecurity advantage of HTTPS cannot be denied. Who wouldn’t want their data to be protected? Nevertheless, HTTPS is particularly useful for websites that handle sensitive information. If your website does not store any private user information, a changeover can even cause serious problems.
But: In addition to the additional security that HTTPS offers, you can also benefit from SEO advantages and good SEO in particular brings you the best conditions for reach and sales.
Why HTTPS supports your SEO
In fact, switching to HTTPS can really boost your SEO efforts. So if you rely or want to rely on good SEO, you can enjoy the following SEO benefits by switching:
Increased ranking
One advantage is Google’s preference for HTTPS pages and a correspondingly more relevant ranking in the search results. In addition, there is long-term growth, as visitors prefer secure websites. Antivirus programs in particular tend to mark unsafe websites as such and “warn” users. This can often put off many visitors.
Especially as HTTPS pages are identified by a familiar lock symbol, which automatically makes the user feel more secure.
Building visitor confidence
All these security features give users a strong sense of security and your website will be trusted more. Visitors will appreciate it if your information is protected. This also includes privacy, starting with protection during logins, downloads or, for example, the use of the Internet. purchases.
Protective measures of this kind enjoy a high level of trust among users. Security gaps in particular are a source of disrepute for many companies and, in the worst-case scenario, cost time and money. With HTTPS you do not have these security gaps.
Prerequisite for AMP
AMP pages (Accelerated Mobile Pages) are probably the most important form of website in today’s world. As the name suggests, this is about optimizing your website for mobile devices. In times when smartphones are probably the most used medium for obtaining information on the Internet, it is all the more important to provide a quickly accessible website for them. If you want to create an AMP page, you cannot do so without an HTTPS page.
Thanks to AMP, the website loads faster on mobile devices and adapts to the respective screens (responsive design). For Google, mobile websites are the ranking factor par excellence!
Ranking in mobile search and local SEO are particularly important factors for the general ranking of your website. Switching to HTTPS can therefore greatly support you in your SEO measures.
It’s all about the right changeover – especially for SEO
The switch from HTTP to HTTPS should not be taken lightly. There are even some cases in which the changeover has had a negative effect on SEO, despite all the advantages. So if you are planning a sensible changeover without any losses, we have some essential tips for you to avoid negative consequences for your SEO:
Google must be informed
Google will not simply receive an email that you have now officially converted your website. Instead, it is a must for good SEO to inform Google as quickly as possible. Because it is uncertain when your site will be crawled again soon and the information will officially reach Google. This is valuable time during which your SEO could continue to decline.
So secure the increase in value immediately and you are well on the way to a long-term increase in value.
Check all certificates
Check all certificates on your website to ensure that they comply with the domain requirements. Otherwise, technical errors could significantly slow down your SEO boost and bring more disadvantages than advantages. This does not just mean the SSL certificate. Check:
- The certificate that was issued for your domain or subdomain.
- The Unified Communications certificate or multiple domain, which secures the primary domain and up to 99 subdomains.
- The Wildcard SSL certificate, which secures your URL and an unlimited number of subdomains.
Do not prevent Google’s crawlers
Not only should you inform Google, Google also needs to access your robots.txt in order to crawl you. If you prevent this, you can fall in the rankings. You should therefore update your test server to allow bots. This allows you to avoid any delays.
Allow indexing
Just like Google and the crawler, you should allow the search engines to index your site. If your page cannot be indexed due to a refusal, it is quite possible that you will not only lose rankings, but also drop out of the search engine completely. The recovery can take a very long time, so avoid this error in advance.
Track your conversion progress
There is plenty of analysis software such as Google WebMaster or similar. Tracking your progress is not only important to see how everything is having a positive effect on SEO. In fact, you can use it to check whether everything is running smoothly and, if so, where problems have arisen so that you can counteract them quickly. This will protect your SEO from potential damage.
The changeover can begin and it’s worth it!
It is relatively rare that the switch to HTTPS is not advantageous. HTTPS comes with many advantages. Trust in your potential customers, good SEO and correspondingly increased relevance.
Just as some SEO factors (loading times, link structure etc.) are crucial to whether your visitor stays on the page, a simple lock symbol can also make a big difference. Users prefer secure connections over insecure ones, and you’re doing everyone involved a favor – including yourself – by focusing on this security.
In addition, switching to HTTPS is less complex than other measures in web development. You can also easily have this task done externally by an SEO agency, which will take care of all the important steps and execution and help you achieve the best SEO results.
Especially if you are unsure or if you or your company are unsure, you should rely on SEO experts to avoid mistakes that will set you back in the rankings or even throw you out of the search results! So secure the advantages now and benefit from the enormous long-term success. More security for your customers and increased sales for you: a win-win for everyone.