The Importance of SSL Certificates to Search Engines

Have you noticed the small padlock at the beginning of the website address in your browser’s bar?

That padlock represents the SSL Certificate that ensures your website connection is secure.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates are essential for search engines like Google because they protect the security and integrity of data exchanged between a website and its visitors.

More than 2,403,857 SSL certificates are currently in use across the internet, ensuring security for the top 1 million websites globally.

53.5% of websites aren’t secure enough, while 32.3% got an A grade, meaning they are fully encrypted and safe.

Let’s briefly learn about SSL certificates.

What is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL certificate is like a digital ID card for a website. It proves the website’s identity and creates a secure, encrypted link between the website and your browser.

This ensures that any information you send to the website is kept private and safe from hackers. The certificate is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) and contains the website’s identity, public key, and other details.

How Does SSL Work?

SSL works by encrypting data exchanged between the user and the website, ensuring it remains secure and hidden from third parties.

Here’s how the process unfolds:

1. The browser connects to a website with SSL.
2. The browser requests the website’s SSL certificate.
3. The website sends its SSL certificate for verification.
4. The browser verifies the certificate and, if valid, begins the secure connection.
5. Encrypted data is then exchanged between the browser and the website.

Types of SSL Certificates

1. Domain Validated Certificate (DV SSL)

The padlock and HTTPS in the address bar indicate a Domain Validation (DV) certificate, commonly used by blogs and informational sites that don’t handle payment information. This certification involves minimal verification—usually just confirming domain ownership via email or phone—and offers lower assurance and encryption.

2. Organization Validated Certificate (OV SSL)

Commercial and public-facing sites use Organization Validation (OV) SSL certificates to ensure personal information is kept confidential. Like Extended Validation (EV) SSL, it displays the website owner’s details in the address bar and is the second-most expensive type of SSL certificate.

3. Extended Validation Certificate (EV SSL)

The Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificate is the highest-ranked and most expensive type, used by major websites handling sensitive information and payments. It displays a padlock, HTTPS, and the business’s name and country in the address bar, helping users trust the site. Obtaining EV SSL requires rigorous identity verification for exclusive domain rights.

4. Multi-Domain SSL Certificate (MDC)

A multi-domain SSL certificate secures multiple domains and subdomains, including those with different TLDs, like:

• www.example.com
• www.example.org
• example.demo.com.au
• checkout.example.com

Note that you must specify all domains when acquiring the certificate, as it doesn’t cover subdomains by default.

5. Wildcard SSL Certificates

Wildcard SSL certificates secure a base domain and unlimited subdomains with one certificate. They are more cost-effective than purchasing individual certificates for each subdomain.

Wildcard SSLs include an asterisk (*) in their name to cover subdomains. For example, a single Wildcard SSL for *yourdomain.com can secure:

• payments.domainname.com
• login.domainname.com
• mail.domainname.com
• download.domainname.com

6. Unified Communications Certificate (UCC)

Unified Communications Certificates (UCCs) are multi-domain SSL certificates initially designed for Microsoft Exchange and Live Communications servers but are now used for any site needing to secure multiple domains with one certificate.

UCCs are organization-validated, show a padlock in the browser, and can also be used as EV SSL certificates for the highest encryption level, indicated by a green address bar.

Why You Need an SSL Certificate

If you’re aiming for success and growth, securing an SSL certificate from the start is essential to building trust with your users right away.

• Secured Data

  The primary purpose of an SSL certificate is to protect your website and its users. It safeguards your site against security threats and ensures its authenticity, preventing anyone from creating a fake website in your name or using your information for malicious purposes.

• Encrypted Information

  Websites often require users to provide personal details, such as email addresses, phone numbers, or even credit card information. Service-based sites may also collect sensitive data related to health, property, or finances. An SSL certificate encrypts this information, ensuring that only the user and the website owner can access it. Even if someone attempts to intercept the data, they won’t be able to read it.

• Credibility and Trust

  When a website is labelled “not secure” by the browser, users often leave immediately. This happens when a site lacks an SSL certificate and doesn’t display the HTTPS tag, which signals a secure connection. Most browsers flag such sites as “unknown sources” or “insecure connections,” discouraging users from making purchases or engaging with the content.

  An SSL certificate resolves this by displaying a secure connection with a padlock icon in the address bar, reassuring users that their browsing experience is safe. Ultimately, the key reason your website needs an SSL certificate is to ensure your visitors feel secure—because trust is essential.

• Authentication

  One key function of SSL is to verify that users are interacting with the intended website. This authentication is crucial for preventing man-in-the-middle attacks and safeguarding the website’s rankings from being impacted by such fraudulent activities.

• Necessary for Online Transactions

  Any Website running an e-commerce business requires its clients to make payments online for the products they sell. To protect these online transactions, you must install an SSL Certificate with an encryption of at least 128-bit. You can ask for 128-bit encryption for an SSL Certificate when you purchase an SSL Certificate from any vendor.

How does an SSL certificate affect search engine ranking for a website?

We mentioned that Google is committed to making SSL Certificates mandatory. We also mentioned how these certificates help ensure the safety of internet users. Now, Let us discuss on how SSL Certificate affect search engine ranking for websites.

• Improvement in Search Engine Rankings

  Secure, fast-loading websites with SSL certificates often rank higher in local searches. This is especially important for mobile users on insecure public Wi-Fi. SSL certificates give websites an edge in SEO rankings, though their exact impact can be hard to measure due to other ranking factors.

  Sites with HTTPS generally enjoy better Google rankings and increased trust from visitors, leading to improved SEO performance.

• Boost SEO with better User Experience

  An SSL certificate enhances your website’s user experience by providing security and additional benefits. Browsers like Google Chrome warn users about unsecured sites without SSL, which can lead to shorter visit durations and negatively impact SEO rankings.

  As a webmaster, lacking an SSL certificate can severely limit your traffic and compromise user trust. Upgrading to HTTPS is crucial for a secure website and a positive customer experience.

• Quality Backlinks

  Websites with SSL certificates are viewed as more trustworthy, which makes other sites more likely to link to them. These high-quality backlinks improve SEO for SSL-secured sites.

• User Engagement Metrics

  Metrics like bounce rate, session duration, and pages per session reflect a site’s quality and relevance and can impact search rankings. Websites with SSL certificates often see better user engagement because they offer increased trust and security, which can boost their search rankings.

Steps to Implement SSL for Better SEO

Step 1: Select the Right SSL Certificate

Select the type of SSL certificate (Domain Validation, Organization Validation, or Extended Validation) based on your security needs and budget.

Step 2: Buy and Activate the SSL Certificate

Buy and activate your SSL certificate. You may need to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) on your server.

Proper activation ensures the certificate is valid and functioning, supporting enhanced security and SEO.

Step 3: Install the SSL Certificate

Install the certificate on your web server. The process depends on your hosting provider and server type.

Step 4: Update Internal Links and References to HTTPS

Change all internal links, images, scripts, and other resources to HTTPS.

Step 5: Set Up 301 Redirects from HTTP to HTTPS

Create 301 redirects to automatically send visitors from the HTTP version to the secure HTTPS version of your site.

It prevents duplicate content issues and preserves SEO value from existing backlinks.

Step 6: Update Robots.txt and XML Sitemap

Update your robots.txt file and XML sitemap to include HTTPS URLs.

Step 7: Resubmit Your Website to the Search Console

Submit your HTTPS site to Google Search Console and other webmaster tools.

Step 8: Monitor Traffic and SEO Metrics

Track website traffic and SEO metrics to assess the impact of the SSL transition.

Step 9: Renew the SSL Certificate Before Expiry

Renew your SSL certificate before it expires to maintain security.

Can an SSL Certificate Be Used on Multiple Servers?

Yes, a single SSL certificate can be used on multiple servers, depending on the vendor. Multi-domain SSL certificates (or SAN certificates) cover multiple domains, while Unified Communications Certificates (UCCs) and Wildcard SSL Certificates can cover multiple or unlimited domains. The exact coverage can vary by vendor.

Conclusion

It is always recommended to set basic web security measures for a website’s reputation and success. The easiest way of avoiding the needless inconveniences that come with web security measures is to switch from the insecure HTTP to the secure HTTPS. The switch comes with numerous benefits including boosting your rankings on Google and ensuring security on your website. SSL Certificate implementation process is very easy and less expensive.