In this article, we will explore the top benefits of switching from HTTP to HTTPS for SEO, and why you should make the switch as soon as possible.
Google Chrome users now see this message when they click on a non-HTTPS website in 2018.
Let me just put that down right here. Quite quietly. If your brain is pounding with an unfriendly snare drum.
If your website isn’t HTTPS, you risk losing traffic, and this horrible pop-up notification will appear before Chrome users reach your site.
This is not a surprise, however.
May 2010 was the first time Google encouraged websites to use HTTPS.
After that, Google announced that HTTPS sites would be given preference in search results on August 6, 2014.
The Google gods have been pacified for many years by SEO professionals. There is nothing left to amaze us anymore.
No matter what changes take place, we must continue…
Migrating from HTTP to HTTPS is proving to be beneficial to a few.
After switching to HTTPS, Sean Si of SEO Hacker saw his rankings increase by 480%.
After migrating to HTTPS, Autoxloo saw an increase of 5% in traffic volume and leads.
In this Celebrity Deathmatch of HTTP vs. HTTPS, I’m taking down the beef between the two protocols.
HTTP vs HTTPS: What’s the Difference?
For quite some time, HTTP sites have adorned the interwebs.
Despite the popularity of HTTPS, the new kid on the block.
How do HTTP and HTTPS differ?
The HTTP protocol is used to receive information from the web at the application layer.
The company began securing and authorizing online transactions.
It displays information to web searchers in non-nerd terms.
Basically, it means that any network between the source and the destination can interfere with what the destination gets without that secure connection.
In order to transport data securely, HTTPS uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) as an additional layer.
It’s a win for everyone.
HTTPS: Why You Need It
Why should I switch to HTTPS? Do you still have this question in your mind?
Yes, I understand.
It is the last thing you want to do after writing all this copy, designing and building your website.
If you hire a good SEO marketer (like me ), you can do it yourself.
You can do all of this without ever leaving your house.
I’ll explain why.
See the traceroute from my network to www.google.com.
There is a new “hop” or server on each of these lines
Google’s HTML delivery would be changed if these were HTTP servers.
Due to Google’s HTTPS encryption, this does not happen.
The fact that HTTP isn’t secure doesn’t mean that it isn’t insecure.
Depending on the situation.
You don’t need HTTP if you spend your daydreaming about burritos while watching rabbit videos on TikTok.
If you enter your bank account information on a checkout page or enter credit card information, your sensitive data is at risk.
Your visitors and your network are protected by HTTPS.
HTTPS is already used by more than 50% of websites worldwide because of this reason.
You can also see the increase in HTTPS on Firefox and Chrome.
Make the switch to HTTPS as soon as possible.
Website performance has been shown to be improved by migrating to HTTPS.
Switching to HTTPS Has 8 Benefits
An overview of HTTPS’s benefits can be found here.
Rankings on search engines improved
HTTPS has not been confirmed as a ranking factor by Google. The search engine giant has admitted that HTTPS-enabled sites are given preference by Google.
A study conducted by Searchmetrics examined the impact of SSL on rankings. HTTPS had a positive effect on visibility in SERPs, according to the study.
Since switching from HTTP to HTTPS, Cloudtec’s rankings in the top 10 have doubled.
Provide a better user experience
Indicators are used by browsers like Firefox and Chrome to determine whether a website is secure. It’s catching the attention of users.
As a result, 84% of users would rather not make a purchase if they knew a site was not secure.
The more secure and safe your browsing experience is, the higher your retention rate will be.
Make sure the information of your users is protected
You can protect your users’ data with HTTPS. Data breaches like those at Marriott or Facebook aren’t what you want. It would have been possible to avoid Marriott’s issue by maintaining an SSL/TLS certificate for its HTTPS status.
An SSL/TLS inspection system with an expired certificate that had not been replaced for ten months or so was discovered in a detailed report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Hackers were able to access data undetected as a result.
The Secure Lock Icon can be found here
The majority of website visitors are concerned about their data being intercepted or misused online. To gain their trust and credibility, you need to start building relationships. You can do that by clicking on this secure lock icon.
The more secure and safe your browsing experience is, the higher your retention rate will be.
Make sure your users’ information is protected
The data of your users can be protected with HTTPS. The last thing you want is a data breach like Marriott or Facebook. By maintaining its HTTPS status with the SSL/TLS certificate, Marriott’s issue could have been avoided.
An SSL/TLS inspection system with an expired certificate that had not been replaced for ten months or so was discovered in a detailed report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Hackers were able to access data undetected as a result.
The Secure Lock Icon can be found here
The majority of website visitors are concerned about their data being intercepted or misused online. To gain their trust and credibility, you need to start building relationships. The secure lock icon takes care of that for you.
Are you looking for proof? The conversion rate of Zamberg.com increased by 11% after switching to SSL.
In order to implement AMP, you must have HTTPS
There’s no doubt about it. The importance of mobile optimization for SEO is well known.
How could anyone forget the huge 70% increase in traffic from AMP that Thrillist saw?
The tricky thing is that you must have a SSL-encrypted site to use AMP.
Increasing the effectiveness of PPC campaigns
Google’s revenue is primarily derived from advertising. If users visit your site but don’t convert, advertisers won’t keep paying for Google Ads. As a result, HTTPS reduces the likelihood of bad advertising practices and increases conversions.
Aside from that, Google Ads started automatically redirecting HTTP search ads to HTTPS in 2018. Additionally, they’ve started warning advertisers against using HTTP addresses for landing pages.
The data in Google Analytics has been corrected
Have you noticed an increase in direct traffic?
HTTPS visits to HTTP are reported as direct traffic in Google Analytics. It is also important to keep this in mind during a migration. This article from Moz dives deeper into this referrer data.
HTTP is not supported by many sites
Nowadays, most sites require you to have a secure site. Squarespace, for instance, requires SSL certificates. There is even a requirement for HTTPS sites from the government.
What is the process of switching from HTTP to HTTPS?
It can be difficult to switch from HTTP to HTTPS for people who are not tech-savvy due to a few issues that may arise.
You will need to take the following steps to convert your website from HTTP to HTTPS:
- An SSL certificate can be found here
- The SSL certificate needs to be installed
- HTTPS should be added to the domain
- Ensure that all HTTP pages are redirected to HTTPS
- Google Search Console should be re-verified
- The sitemap needs to be updated
- Make sure robots.txt is updated
- Make sure your Google Analytics settings are up-to-date
- Analyze
Search Engine Journal’s Web Developer Vahan Petrosyan breaks down the migration from HTTP to HTTPS step-by-step if you’re using WordPress.
Have you switched to HTTPS yet?
As a result of this article, I hope that you have a better understanding of why HTTPS is necessary.
Your hosting company can help you make the switch if you’re ready.
Bluehost, for instance, includes an SSL certificate for WordPress users.
For free, you can use Let’s Encrypt.
To protect your users, making the switch is worth your time and investment, no matter what option you choose.