The Impact of HTTPS on SEO in Southampton
The internet has been rapidly evolving, and security is one of the top concerns for users worldwide. With the rise of online transactions, personal data transfer, and other sensitive activities, website security has become a crucial factor in maintaining the trust of the online community. In Southampton, website owners are gradually switching to HTTPS, which is having a significant impact on SEO.
What is HTTPS?
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the protocol on which web browsers communicate with servers to retrieve and display web pages. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is an extension of HTTP that encrypts data transmitted between web browsers and servers, ensuring that all communication is secure.
The encryption is done using an SSL/TLS (Secure Socket Layer/Transport Layer Security) certificate, which authenticates the server’s identity and encrypts all data transmitted between the server and the browser. HTTPS is indicated by a padlock icon in the browser’s address bar and the “https://” prefix in the URL.
What is SEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing websites to increase their visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). The primary goal of SEO is to improve traffic to a website by improving its ranking for specific keywords, ideally leading to higher conversion rates.
The Impact of HTTPS on SEO
Google has been advocating for the use of HTTPS since 2014, as a way to enhance web security. In 2018, it began flagging websites that collect sensitive information without HTTPS as “not secure” in Chrome. As part of its algorithm, Google also rewards HTTPS websites with a ranking boost, as it considers website security a significant factor in providing a quality user experience.
1. Ranking boost
Approximately 42% of websites on the first page of Google search results are HTTPS enabled. In 2015, Google started giving a minor ranking boost to HTTPS websites, but this has since increased to a significant factor in the ranking algorithm. HTTPS websites have a better chance of ranking higher than non-HTTPS sites, giving businesses a competitive advantage in SEO. Also, many other search engines prefer websites with HTTPS, giving your business more attention.
2. Referral seo southampton Data
When traffic is directed from a non-HTTPS website to an HTTPS website, referral data is not transferred, leading to analytics data loss. This data is crucial in determining organic search traffic and identifying potential problems that can be corrected to improve website rankings. To avoid data loss, website owners must switch to HTTPS to benefit from analytics referring data.
3. CTR Boost
Secured browsing can increase the click-through rate (CTR), the frequency at which users browse your website. The HTTPS badge indicates that your website is secure, leading to more trust and clicks from users, ultimately leading to better conversion rates.
4. Authentication
In some cases, non-HTTPS websites could be impersonated by attackers, leading to phishing and malicious activities. HTTPS-enabled websites incorporate security features to authenticate servers to ensure that the website is legitimate, accessible, and safe to browse by the general public.
Conclusion
HTTPS is an essential part of website SEO. Making the switch from HTTP to HTTPS is a mandatory step in safeguarding your business from cyber threats, increasing user trust, and improving search engine rankings. It’s a requirement for any websites that collect any sensitive data or handle transactions for the safety of both business and the users.
In Southampton businesses and website owners should consider this important concept in their SEO strategy to gain an advantage in the search engines. With Google prioritizing safety and privacy, a failure to switch to HTTPS could leave your business struggling to compete.