You’ve probably seen the little green padlock in your browser’s address bar and wondered what it meant. That’s an SSL certificate, and it means that the website you’re visiting is secure. But what does that have to do with SEO? It turns out that SSL is actually pretty important for SEO. In this post, we’ll explain why!
What is an SSL certificate?
SSL, which stands for Secure Socket Layer, is a type of encryption technology that helps protect the data sent between your website and its visitors. By using SSL, information is securely transmitted using an encrypted connection, helping to keep it safe from malicious actors. This helps to protect sensitive information, like credit card numbers and login credentials, from being intercepted and stolen.
Having an SSL certificate on your site is increasingly becoming important for SEO in today’s digital landscape. Having a secure site can have a big impact on how well your website ranks in search engine results.
How important is SSL for SEO?
Having an SSL certificate installed can really help boost your SEO efforts. Google has stated that they take website security into consideration when ranking sites in search results. So, if you want to stay competitive and ensure that your site enjoys the highest rankings possible, then having an SSL certificate should be top of your list when it comes to SEO strategies.
In addition to the SEO benefits, the encryption provided by SSL will help ensure the security of any data sent between your website and users, making it more attractive to potential customers. When they see that little green padlock on their browser, they’ll know that their personal information is safe on your site! This will make them more likely to trust you and do business with you.
What SSL certificate should I choose?
Once you’ve decided that an SSL certificate is necessary for your website, it’s important to choose the right one. The most common types of SSL certificates are:
- Domain Validation (DV): It’s the least expensive and quickest certificate to obtain; however, it offers the lowest level of authentication.
- Organisation Validation (OV): This certificate verifies both the domain name and organisation running the website.
- Extended Validation (EV): The highest level of authentication. Ideal for any website handling sensitive information, such as bank accounts. Uses the strongest encryption.
If you run an e-commerce site, we strongly recommend that you get both an EV and an OV certificate. EV certificates are more expensive, require more paperwork and can take longer to obtain, but they offer the highest level of security.
If you’re not already using SSL on your site, now is the time to add it! It’s good for your SEO performance and it will help build trust with your visitors. Make sure you do your research when choosing an SSL provider and pick one that best meets your needs.
At Wecommerce Digital, we specialize in the design and growth of online stores. We use the most recent algorithm trends and insights to implement an SEO strategy that will improve your rankings, increase click-through rates, and drive more relevant traffic to your key pages. Visit our website today at wecommercedigital.com!
