HTTPS: Google's Ranking Signal for Security

You might be familiar with HTTP, a fundamental part of web addresses since the beginning of the World Wide Web. HTTP stands for "Hyper Text Transfer Protocol." It is the primary technology that links users to websites. In a way, HTTP is the "web" in the World Wide Web.

If you're not a webmaster, however, you may not know what HTTPS means. HTTPS stands for "Hyper Text Transfer Protocol" with an added element of security--Secure Sockets Layers (SSL).

Netscape invented HTTPS in 1994 in response to the growing e-commerce market. Before this time (and after), consumers were hesitant to offer credit card numbers online.

As eHow writes:

"The Hypertext Transfer Protocol carries most of the traffic for the World Wide Web. However, it is a plain text format protocol and third parties can read details of HTTP transmissions through wire tapping. This knowledge discouraged consumers from giving their credit card details over the Internet. The HTTP Secure protocol, or HTTPS, was invented to address the security shortfall of HTTP."

Depending on your age, you might remember a time when most consumers were hesitant to shop online. Amazon and eBay didn't arrive until 1995, and PayPal didn't enter the marketplace until 1998. (Google also arrived in 1998).

Even then, it wasn't until the mid-2000s that e-commerce exploded and with it a pressing need for additional security. 

Security as a Ranking Signal 

Since then, of course, security has become an increasing concern for businesses and consumers alike. We only need to refer to any number of the recent data breaches to understand why Google has identified HTTPS as a ranking signal.

As you might know, Google uses over 200 of these ranking signals to surface search results. The fact that Google has stated its preference for HTTPS as a ranking signal means, of course, that the search giant is focused on security. In blog post from 2014, Google wrote:

"Security is a top priority for Google. We invest a lot in making sure that our services use industry-leading security, like strong HTTPS encryption by default. That means that people using Search, Gmail and Google Drive, for example, automatically have a secure connection to Google. Beyond our own stuff, we’re also working to make the Internet safer more broadly. A big part of that is making sure that websites people access from Google are secure."

In our view from Philadelphia, Google's preference for HTTPS also signals a commerce-centered view of the Internet. After all, HTTPS was invented to secure transactions. By citing its preference for HTTPS, Google has essentially confirmed that the most relevant sites are often transactional.

So what does this mean for your website? 

The Internet is a place for transactions. If you have a good product, however, it's not so simple as building a website. As we often say at SEO Sparta, you need stellar website development, great content, and a secure connection.

And those ranking signals? Knowing and utilizing the 200 or signals is the work of your SEO firm.

Yes, SEO is about quality design and development as well as content. Yet, SEO is also about understanding the ranking signals.

To truly succeed you need an SEO specialist who understands the signals--and the security. 

(Credits: Banner Photo Source)

If you are interested in transforming your website into a money-making tool or are interested in exploring opportunities to outperform your competition, we encourage you to contact SEO SPARTA.

We combine traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--emphasizing natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective marketing campaigns.

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