SSL certificates have become more and more popular in recent years, as more and more businesses are realizing the importance of online security. But does having an SSL certificate improve SEO? Does an SSL certificate help SEO at all? How important is it to Google and other search engines? What happens if you don’t have an SSL certificate? Let’s take a step back and answer each of these questions.
What’s an SSL Certificate?
An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that helps to establish a secure connection between a website and a user’s web browser. SSL certificates are typically used on sites that collect sensitive information, such as online stores or banking websites. When an SSL certificate is installed on a site, the site’s URL will change from “http://” to “https://” – the “s” stands for “secure.”
Does an SSL Certificate Help SEO?
In short, yes. Google has stated that they consider site security when ranking websites in their search results. In addition, having an SSL certificate can help to increase your website’s click-through rate (CTR) from the search results. A higher CTR can lead to a higher ranking in the search results.
According to the latest tests and Google guidance, websites will SSL certificates will get an SEO boost compared to those without. The size of the boost will depend on various factors, but it is generally agreed that the benefit exists.
With this in mind, it really doesn’t make sense not to have an SSL certificate for your website. Not only can it help improve your SEO, but it will also give your visitors some peace of mind when traversing your pages. Especially when you sell products, an SSL certificate can be the difference between a customer completing a purchase or moving on to a competitor’s site (nobody wants this!).
Surely it makes sense to get the small boost from Google even if the SSL certificate serves no other purpose (which isn’t true anyway!).
How Do I Get an SSL Certificate?
If your website is hosted on WordPress.com, an SSL certificate is already included. For self-hosted WordPress websites, you’ll need to purchase an SSL certificate from a hosting provider or a third-party Certificate Authority. Once you have the certificate, you can install it on your web server.
If you’re not sure how to do this, your hosting provider should be able to help you. Once the certificate is installed, you can enable SSL in WordPress by following these instructions. Once you have SSL set up, you can test your site to see if it’s working properly. If you’re using a content delivery network (CDN), such as CloudFlare, you’ll need to configure your SSL settings in the CDN control panel.
For those who are reading this guide with a look of confusion, you’ll find lots of SEO West Palm Beach businesses that will help. As well as installing an SSL certificate on your website, they will assist your SEO in many other ways. For example, this includes making sure your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. If you want to improve your SEO, then it’s worth contacting an SEO agency as soon as possible.
In a world where security is key, an SSL certificate is a must for any website. Not only does it add an extra layer of security, but it can also improve your SEO. If you’re looking to improve your SEO, then installing an SSL certificate is a great place to start!
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