Two months back I received a project for the SEO of a website. The URL of the website did not have SSL certificate and started from HTTP:// instead of HTTPS://.
Being a Digital Marketer, I know the importance of SSL certification. But those who are new to the internet and are casually browsing over any search engine doesn’t know the difference between HTTP and HTTPS.
So first of all let us understand what is HTTPS?
HTTPS is an extension of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
It is widely used over Internet and is known for secure communication over any computer network .
In HTTPS, the internet security protocol is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS) or, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
The URL of the website that implements SSL/TLS has “HTTPS” instead of “HTTP.”
What is SSL and how does it works?
SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is an encryption-based communication protocol between two systems over the internet.
Its purpose is to ensure privacy, authentication, and data integrity. In 1999 SSL was updated to TLS.
How does SSL work:
- To give a serious level of security, SSL scrambles information that is sent across the web.
- Any individual who attempts to capture the encrypted information will just see a jumbled blend of characters that is almost difficult to unscramble.
- SSL starts a verification interaction called a handshake between two conveying gadgets to guarantee that the two gadgets are truly who they guarantee to be.
- SSL additionally carefully signs information to give information trustworthiness, confirming that the information isn’t messed with prior to arriving at its planned beneficiary.
What is TLS?
TLS full form is Transport Layer Security.
It is the updated and more secure version of SSL processed by a different company, Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). TLS is still referred to as SSL because SSL has so much name recognition.
With symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, TLS securely generates and exchanges a session key. This key is then used for encrypting and decrypting the exchanged data between two parties. And this key is discarded after the session ends.
Why do you need SSL/TLS?
- The utmost important reason for investing money in an SSL certificate is to keep sensitive information encrypted so that only the intended recipient can access it.
- As we all know that the information shared on the Internet is passed from many systems to get to the destination server. Any PC in the middle of you and the server can see credit/debit card numbers, usernames, and passwords, and other delicate data in case it isn’t scrambled with an SSL declaration.
- At the point when an SSL testament is utilized, the data becomes indiscernible to everybody with the exception of the server you are sending the data to. This shields it from hackers and internet thieves.
- Customers/ visitors of the site often share their personal information through several computers. Any of these PCs could profess to be your site and stunt your clients into sending them individual data. It is simply conceivable to keep away from this by getting an SSL Certificate from a trustworthy SSL supplier.
- A trust seal is provided by SSL providers also that helps to generate more trust in your customers and visitors to the website.
- Many audiences do not even visit a website that is not SSL certified and has HTTP in its URL.
- Google displays not secure warning along with the SSL uncertified websites which again instills doubt in new visitors and thus reduces your SEO ranking also.
You tell me ⁉️ If you are searching🧐 at Google for “Best Dentist Near Me” at Google, and in the search results both the websites, HTTPS, as well as HTTP websites, are displayed which one will you visit???
👉 Well, I am sure even you will not be comfortable visiting HTTP sites and sharing your personal data there😉
How does SSL certificate helps to rank your website higher?
✔️ Above in the same article, it has been explained that how SSL helps to gain the trust of the visitors. More the visitors will trust the site, means more traffic at your website which will further help your site to rank higher organically and meanwhile also helps to develop BRAND VALUE worldwide
✔️ If you are planning to spend your energy/money on the SEO of your website then make sure that your website is SSL certified first.
✔️ If your website is not SSL certified yet, Later or sooner you will have to buy this certificate for your website in order to rank higher at Google.
✔️ In the above example👆 of “Best Dentist Near Me”, there are search ads running at an HTTP website, and still, it’s showing on page 3. It shows the importance of SSL-certified websites at Google. (Though there are many other factors that influence the ranking of a website at any search engine)
Best SSL certificate providers
Most of the hosting servers provide SSL certificates and few give of them even offer it for FREE with their hosting services.
According to HUBSPOT following are the best SSL providers
Though its always better to buy a good SSL certificate for your website but to start you can try a FREE SSL also. There are many free SSL providers few of them are enlisted below👇
If you are working on your website yourself and wants to install the free SSL certificate from Cloudfare than here👇 is a Youtube video which help you with the same
