Right now, Google Chrome just displays an icon when the site you’re visiting is not on Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). When the site is on HTTPS, it will display a green padlock icon. Once Google rolls out a security update to its browser, it will flag unencrypted sites as insecure and show a red “x” over a padlock in the URL bar. Google wants to make it clear that all sites should be on HTTPS.
With the upcoming changes, it would be wise to switch to HTTPS from HTTP and use the protocol on all your sites, if you haven’t done so. If you’re not entirely convinced, these reasons should push you to move to the secure protocol.
HTTPS Helps Keep Your Site Secure
According to Kayce Basques, a technical writer at Google, all websites should use HTTPS for protection even if they’re not handling sensitive information. Unprotected HTTP requests can potentially reveal data about the identities and behaviors of users. When a site is on HTTPS, however, the security protocol helps prevent intruders from tampering with the communications between the browsing visitors and the website.
HTTPS Required for Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
Google developed AMP so that content will load quicker on mobile devices. AMP content shows prominently in search results and is ideal for individuals who use a mobile device to go online. AMP, however, needs HTTPS to function since Google recently made it a requirement.
HTTPS Can Help with SEO
If your website and another site are vying for the top spot for a particular keyword, having HTTPS could be the deciding factor that would help you secure the top ranking. Moreover, when users are looking at the search results, they may view a secure site as an indicator of authority and trust and visit that site instead of a non-secure site. Switching to HTTPS, therefore, can improve a site’s click-through rate.
If you need assistance with making the transition to HTTPS, Sievers Creative can help. We are a full-service marketing agency in Red Wing, Minnesota and we provide professional SEO services to make your website search engine-friendly. Through a combination of off-page and on-page optimization, we will help you boost your organic search rankings. Our extensive suite of reporting and analytics will keep you informed about the progress of your campaign.
Contact us today to learn more about our SEO services.
