According to Google, “…over the past few months we’ve been running tests taking into account whether sites use secure, encrypted connections as a signal in our search ranking algorithms. We’ve seen positive results, so we’re starting to use HTTPS as a ranking signal.”

• Google stated that for now this “is a very light signal” of their ranking algorithm.
• This update was said to impact less than 1% of global queries in Google search.
• Google also mentioned that the update carries less weight as a ranking signal than high quality content (i.e. the Panda algorithm) but could be adjusted in the future.
• Google may strengthen the signal in the future as they would encourage all website owners to switch to https.
• Google’s John Mueller suggests that by having a secure website you:
  • Improve data integrity by guaranteeing that someone is not altering how your content is being received by users
  • Authentication – you can improve trust with the users to ensure that they perceive your site as the one it says it is (and not a scraped or duplicate version)
• Security is a top priority for Google.

Our Take

The initial impact of this is still too early to tell. Depending on the type of site you have, you may want to plan your transition over to SSL. Be sure to plan this out carefully as even the smallest of errors could have a negative impact on your site’s rankings if not implemented correctly. Some people are reporting that they have seen no ranking change after making the switch while others are saying that they have lost a number of rankings. Our opinion is that if you have a website that has an e-commerce component or any type of sensitive information than you should plan to switch to HTTPS. If you are expecting a major ranking boost as a result, don’t. At least not yet. Google has clearly stated that by switching over to HTTPs you may receive a minor ranking boost.

One thing to note is that just because Google says something means that not all sites should follow what they suggest. Quite honestly some website owners do not have the resources or technical skillsets to do “everything by the book” as Google suggests. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t make the changes, it is just that we truly are at the mercy of Google’s algorithms. Long-time SEO and industry expert actually produced an interesting point of view on just this which is worth the read. For now, as a site owner, there are a few items that you may want to consider.

Action Items for You – the Site Owner

• Review Google’s best practices for setting up HTTPS: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6073543
• Plan out your course of action for switching to HTTPS. Consider best practices such as:
  • Decide the kind of certificate you need: single, multi-domain, or wildcard certificate
  • Use 2048-bit key certificates
  • Don’t block your HTTPS site from crawling using robots.txt
  • Allow indexing of your pages by search engines where possible. Avoid the noindex robots meta tag.
• Verify your HTTPS site in Google Webmaster Tools as a separate site. This will allow you to see data for your HTTPs version.
• If you are already set us as HTTPS, test the security level and configuration with the Qualys Lab tool.

What this Means for You

While there is no sense of urgency here, there are some initiatives that you may want to consider. Learn more about SSL and HTTPS protocol:

Review Google’s best practices for setting up HTTPS: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6073543.

If you have been a hacked site that has had a security breach you may want to review Google’s Webmaster help: https://www.google.com/webmasters/hacked/


About the Author
Jody has been specializing in organic search for the better part of the past decade. Having spent seven years with Mediative (formerly Enquiro), Jody has dealt with some of the largest brands in the world reviewing sites, providing insightful analysis and mapping online strategies for our clients. Jody has contributed articles to leading industry resources such as Search Engine Guide, Web Pro News Canada, Search Engine Journal and his own blog Marketing-Jive.com. Jody has created and developed SEO for Website Redesign solutions, has prepared numerous SEO best practices and is an advocate of continuous improvement. Jody plays a key role in helping Mediative deliver cutting edge search strategies, assisting clients with adapting to the ever-changing online universe.