Google loves secure websites, and it’s a no brainer. Although Google revealed back in 2014 that switching your website to an HTTPS would give a minor boost in ranking, not all sites have a secured website today. 

If Google says its worth it, then let’s do it. 

Both small and large companies need to understand the difference between an HTTP and HTTPS, how these both vary, and if switching from HTTP to HTTPs is viable for your business in the first place. 

Understanding the basics: HTTP vs. HTTPS

Whether you are developing your site or you are the user, a great online experience tends to involve proper encryption and a trusted third party. To understand why does Google favors it over HTTP sites, let’s first learn the basics.

HTTP: HyperText Transfer Protocol

An HTTP is a process for receiving and transmitting information all across the internet. Its focus is on how the data and information are presented to the end-user. However, it does not care about how the data gets transferred from Point A to Point B. 

Secondly, the process has to be “stateless,” meaning it needs not to remember anything about any of the previous sessions. As a result, there is less amount of data to send and thus an increased speed. 

When is HTTP most beneficial?

HTTP is mostly used to access HTML pages. It is essential to realize that all other resources can be utilized by accessing HTTP. Therefore, all those websites which have HTTP do not store data such as credit card information. 

HTTPS: Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol

HTTPS was developed to allow secure transactions and authorization. While we browse over the internet, it is essential to prevent unauthorized access, which an https does. HTTPS is identical to HTTP in so many ways because it follows almost the same basic protocols. The HTTP establishes a connection to a server on a standard port, whereas HTTP offers an extra layer of security because it uses SSL to move data. 

In short, for all purposes and intents, HTTPS is a secure version of HTTP.

Google’s opinion about HTTPS

SEO company in Irvine suggests that Google prefers websites that are certified and trusted, and it’s not a surprise. It is because when a website has HTTPS, it guarantees the site will encrypt their information to have an extra level of security. It has higher benefits associated with it, and therefore getting a certificate involves a real job. 

Now let’s break down the process of acquiring a certificate. So when a website goes under the process of obtaining a certificate, the issuer plays its role as a trusted third party. So whenever you browse a website, the browser uses the information provided in the certificate to conclude whether the site is secure or not. Anyone who knows the difference can now buy with confidence. Due to this credibility, businesses today have started e-commerce. 

To dig a little deeper, information sent through HTTPS is secured via the Transport Layer Security protocol (TLS). It provides three significant layers of protection. And, due to this reason, Google claims that the website will have a little boost in ranking. 

• Encryption – to keep the data secure 
• Data integrity – It does not allow corruption or modification of data during transfer without being detected. 
• Authentication ensures that the users are communicating with the intended sites. 

SEO advantages of HTTPS revealed by SEO company in Irvine

So far, it must be clear that that HTTPS offers security, and if your website has HTTPS, then for sure, it is in Google’s good graces. Apart from this, it has some additional benefits that you should pay attention to. 

• It may increase your rankings – This one is obvious because Google favors secure websites. 
• It’s more secure and more private – It encrypts all the data, including credit card history and browsing data. 
• It preserves referrer data – the secure referral information is protected when traffic passes to an HTTPS site.

Along with some specific SEO benefits of HTTPS, switching to an HTTPS will help you be in good graces with Google. It is a far more secure system for your site to operate. In short security of your user and your website are the most significant aspects of switching from HTTP to HTTPS. If you want to boost your website ranking via HTTPS, reach out to an SEO company in Irvine.