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Adam Taylor Orlando Florida Webmaster, Web Designer & SEO Expert

  • Google is cracking down on SSL and HTTPS in 2017

    Posted on January 10th, 2017 Adam Taylor No comments

    2017 brings some impressive changes for the web industry but requiring SSL Certificates on a website is something you should not overlook. Google currently gives a small ranking boost to website who install and configure a SSL Certificate but not everyone followed suit so “The Big G” is making changes. By the end of January Google Chrome will start marking sites as “Not Secure” if they don’t utilize the HTTPS protocol. This alarming message will be displayed on your site who could potentially question the safety of your site and move on to the competition. The image below illustrates how this message will be shown, right in the address bar of your browser. If you want to read more on this topic, look for the official Google link at the bottom of this post.

    What is an SSL Certificate?

    SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer which ensures the information a visitor provides on your website is secure. This also provides trust to your visitors by displaying a lock or secure bar depending on the type of certificate you install. The SSL Certificate provides an encrypted link between your server and the visitor. When data is being transmitted to and from the site it encrypted so your sensitive information is kept safe from prying eyes.

    How do I get a SSL on my site?

    Acquiring a SSL Certificate has a few steps. First you find the right SSL, then a purchase is required. Once you own the SSL and have received the keys you will need to get your web host to install it for you. Once the SSL is installed you need to redirect any traffic using the HTTP protocol to the HTTPS version, this is done via 301 redirect. It’s not an easy task for a website owner but your webmaster should be able to help, if not it might be time to get a new one.

    I’m here to help.

    Now you know the benefits of having a SSL and also the disadvantage of not, it’s time to take action. As explained, installing a SSL is not an easy task but I’m here to help if needed. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or my team when you fee the time is right to make your website safe and secure.

    Official Google Article:
    Moving towards a more secure web

    Do you have any other SSL or HTTPS related questions? Do you have comments on this topic? Awesome, leave them in the comments below, I would love to hear your feedback.

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    Adam Taylor

    Owner / CEO at MyWebsiteSpot.com
    I'm an untiring advocate for internet security, despise email spam, own an Orlando Web Design & SEO Company and most importantly... I always offer FREE advice.
    Internet Security, Orlando Florida Webmaster, Web Design
     

    4 responses to “Google is cracking down on SSL and HTTPS in 2017” RSS icon

    • Adam, I manage several accounts for clients and have, unfortunately, seen Google’s error message for non-secure websites. It seems, at least for now, that Google does not display the message all the time, however, when it does appear, it is alarming and I can see why some visitors may choose to avoid the website all together. Please keep informing folks about the importance of website security. As an SEO professional, I’ve instructed all my clients to use SSL because, as you mentioned, it is a ranking factor.

      Reply

      • John, I completely agree. I’ve noticed that Google will show the security warning on sites they detect are offering products for sale, taking card payments or collect other sensitive data. I’ve also seen the warning on a few sites who do not do the above so best rule of thumb is to secure the sites with a SSL regardless.

        Reply

    • Adam,
      I do digital marketing and web development for clients. I’ve read about Google’s announcement and am on board with creating new sites with SSL and putting SSL on existing sites.

      I’ve read a lot about Security Certificates, Certificate Authorities, etc. Quite honestly, I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know, but I can’t find any information on WHAT TYPE of SSL Certificate Google will approve for an SEO boost. Most articles date back to 2014 or 2015… and obviously Google has changed since then.

      I know that I don’t want to buy from Semantec or any of it’s subsidiaries given that Google just distrusted Symantec.

      And Comodo has been hacked several times (even as recently as 2016) and they weren’t even aware of one of their vulnerabilities and someone online had to bring it to their attention.

      I think I’ve read that a self-signed certificate won’t do you any good for seo and will still have the red/danger mark in the url bar.

      Obviously an EV Certificate is way overkill and too costly for small businesses/sites. Especially ones that are information only and don’t have ecommerce on them.

      Even the OV certificates are quite expensive. Think about the small local business with a 6 page static web site. You want to get the benefit of the seo boost (and not be marked in red in the url) but you don’t want to pay so much money annually for an OV cert.

      A DV certificate is reasonable, but is/will that be trusted by Google; after all, it’s just a domain verification that’s completed in a few minutes. And even if it IS trusted, will a DV get the seo boost?

      Let’s Encrypt sounds great, but is it too good to be true? Is Let’s Encrypt “self-signed” and therefore Google won’t value it? If it’s not self-signed, but is Domain Verified, again, does that give the seo boost?

      All this research is “giving me a headache.” I really just want to know which TYPE of SSL I can get for the seo boost, at the lowest price point.

      Reply

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