Building a Secure Future: What Technical SEO Issue Can You Solve With An SSL Certificate?

The internet is a vast, wonderful place—but it does have its dangers. This means that when you come into cyberspace, you should really take the kind of precautions one would take when stepping out into the real world. This, in the case of websites, ensures the connection of the platform with its visitors. The SSL certificate exercises a huge role in website security and—surprise!—the ranking of websites in search results.

What is an SSL Certificate and Why Does it Matter for SEO?

Let’s break it down a bit: SSL means Secure Sockets Layer. It, in essence, acts as a kind of digital bodyguard, making a secure connection between your website and a visitor’s browser. This secure connection encrypts any data that gets exchanged — think login details, credit card information, or even comments on a blog post. This means that the information is encrypted and therefore unreadable to anybody who could potentially intercept the data.

But here is the surprising stuff: Google does, in fact, give priority to those websites that offer a secure connection using SSL certificates. It entirely would make sense; Google would ensure, all the time, that the user’s surfing is safe and the trustful experience when one is on the web. So, if your website is not encrypted, it can be flagged as insecure by Google. This, of course, can harm your ranking in search results.

The Unseen Threat: How Unencrypted Connections Can Harm Your SEO Imagine

sending a coded message with your best friend, and instead of a secret code, you are just whispering. Anyone close enough can easily eavesdrop on you and get the message. This is basically what happens with unencrypted connections. Without an SSL certificate, the data is flowing in plain text, which may be easily subjected to being snooped by any party, because the information is not encrypted.

This is a great vulnerability for giant search engines, like Google.

They want to make sure the users are browsing secure websites, and a just unencrypted connection doesn’t meet that standard. Worst of all, Google could even go so far as to label your site as insecure, which could negatively affect your search rankings and therefore, the traffic to your site. 

Your Security Shield: What Technical SEO Issue Can You Solve With An SSL Certificate?

Just think of an SSL certificate as some kind of knight in shining armor guarding your website’s data. It basically encrypts the data that your website receives from its visitors so that if anyone tries to intercept it, they can’t read it.

Think of it like a secret code that only your website and the browser of your website visitor can understand.

That encryption makes it sure that confidential information, such as passwords and credit card details, would remain confidential.

Not only does an SSL certificate protect your website and the data of your visitors, but it also shows that you care about security. This sets up a good rapport with users, who have the courage to interact with your website and possibly return for future visits.

The simplest way to receive an SSL certificate is through web hosting. Many providers even have it in packages of services. After the setup, an SSL certificate activates the padlock symbol at the address bar of your website, visually showing a secure connection.

Beyond Security: The Additional Benefits of SSL Certificates for SEO

Yes, that is one of the benefits of the SSL certificate, but it has much more to offer. Here are some other benefits an SSL certificate will bring to your website’s SEO:

• Better Website Ranking: As already mentioned, Google gives more preference to secure websites. Therefore, by installing an SSL certificate on your website, you will emit positive signals to search engines, which in turn can give you a better search engine results page ranking.
• Increase User Trust and Engagement: The padlock symbol and secured information are probable to convince the users to trust the website, which motivates their interaction with your content, filling in forms, or making purchases from your online store. 
• Enhanced User Experience: A secure website does not only protect user data but also contributes to a good experience on the part of the users. Users are more likely to peruse through a website if they get a feeling of safety and security; they can, therefore, make longer browsing sessions on sites with security badges. 

Conclusion

A Secure Future for Your Website Implementing an SSL certificate would help in enhancing the security of your site through encryption. It will also help to build visitor trust. But SSL benefits go beyond just security and, therefore, perhaps they can provide a great impetus to your site’s SEO. If you have not done so, consider an SSL certificate for your website. It’s a small step that could add huge value to your site’s security, user experience, and ultimately its success.