Does your business website have a SSL Certificate installed? In today’s online world with its emphasis on security, having a SSL in place is becoming a must.
That is especially true if you are concerned about how your page performs in the search rankings.
What is a SSL Certificate?
A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate is part of HTTPS, an international protocol for securely browsing the web. It ensures secure communication between devices on the internet. Here’s how it works.
When we visit a website, software checks the security of the page in the background, without us knowing it. When it detects a SSL, the software will deem the site trustworthy. Secure communication between the visitor and the website can then occur.
The presence of a SSL certificate, then, both provides for secure, encrypted communication and also verifies that the page is secure and safe.
Why You Need a SSL
SEO
The number one reason why SSLs are important for businesses is that having one can help your search rankings. Of course, that means the inverse is true, not having one can negatively impact your rankings, as well.
When Google indexes sites, it can determine whether or not a SSL certificate is installed. Google deems those pages with SSLs as secure and therefore more desirable for the people who use their search engine. Therefore, those pages rank higher.
Trust
Google now identifies which websites have SSLs and which do not. Those sites that have a certificate installed are marked as “secure” in the left side of the address bar. They also have “HTTPS” at the beginning of their web address.
Those sites without SSLs get marked as “Not Secure” and will only have “HTTP” at the beginning of the address.
Web visitors can now easily tell if your site is secure or not. Not having a secure site will raise questions of trust in potential customers.
Website Data
Your page’s data could also be at risk. Without a SSL certificate, it could be compromised and misused by hackers. A SSL help to keep it secure.
Competition
Finally, many of your competitors already have SSLs installed. This gives them an advantage in the eyes of potential customers. After all, if your competitor’s website is secure and yours is not, which do you think they will choose?
The Wrap
It used to be that SSLs were primarily installed on websites where visitors submitted credit card numbers or passwords. But with the recent emphasis on security by Google, SSLs are quickly becoming widespread and now absolutely necessary if you want to rank high in the search results.
You can get a SSL certificate through your website hosting service or domain provider.
Do you have questions about SSLs? Call me today at 513-237-5530.
Bob Turner is a Digital Marketing Consultant in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bob Turner - Digital Marketing Thoughts 
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