Google rolled out the HTTPS/SSL update on August 6, 2014, to encourage webmasters to use the security protocol by default for their websites. Before this change was launched, the search engine already encrypted connections to its products like Search, Gmail, and Google Drive. The update makes sure that users have a safe online experience even when they leave the SERPs.
The HTTPS/SSL update’s primary objective is to ensure that the websites being accessed by searchers through the platform are secure. The developers decided that security encryption should be a ranking factor for the results pages. It means that the search engine now prioritizes sites that send data through an HTTPS or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure instead of those that don’t use the protocol.
This type of protocol offers three potent layers of data protection:
The search engine also promoted forward secrecy as a default setting for all their products, which addresses the issue of retrospective decryption. This means that private keys for a particular transaction won’t be stored permanently to prevent hackers from accessing your old emails and other confidential documents today.
At the time it rolled out, the HTTPS/SSL update was only “a very lightweight signal” which affected less than one percent of the overall queries globally. This was done to give webmasters time to make the necessary adjustments to their websites and switch to HTTPS.
The developers announced that it had a slight influence in rankings, unlike significant factors such as high-quality content. However, they did confirm that the signal may be strengthened to facilitate the move towards a safer browsing experience for everyone in the World Wide Web.
Today, most web hosting providers offer SSL encryption in their product packages. The service has become more prevalent, and it’s easier than ever to get security encryption for your website.
Here are some of the best practices for rolling out HTTPS for your website: