what was happening with https and google:
In the last week or 2, Google made some subtle but important changes to their search algorithm that had a specific impact on HTTPS and web security. The larger change is regarding redirects and how it impacts your Google ranking.
In this post, we discuss how this change in Google's search algorithm has a huge impact on website's and encryption (HTTPS). This could have gigantic implications for those thinking of using SSL to encrypt their sites. After all, Google gives a search boost to all websites using encryption which means your company should absolutely be using it.
301 redirects on the old algorithm
Previously, 301 redirects were getting a slight penalty on Google's search algorithm. OK, so what does that mean? Well, it means, if you moved a web page or website, and you were using 301 redirects to direct traffic to the new page or website, you were getting a slight penalty assessed to your website on Google's search.
With the newest changes in the search algorithm, Google has essentially cut out the penalty for 301 re-directs making using them much easier, and using them has 0 impact on a page's search rank. This is very good for web security and #SEO in general.
the impact on https (encryption via ssl)
Previous to these rule changes, those who were considering encrypting their website using SSL (HTTPS) had things to consider regarding SEO. Especially if your plan included using 301 redirects (probably the most common) to direct pages (on HTTP) that were previously ranking high on Google to their new HTTPS counterparts.
Using those redirects could have a devastating impact on organic traffic going to that page. Under the new rules, there is no penalty for switching to encryption. This was done intentionally by Google as part of their goal of encrypting all web traffic. Even before these latest changes, they've previously provided SEO bonuses to websites that are encrypted.
no more reasons not to use encryption
So... With the new changes, there really isn't any reason to not use encryption. On top of the obvious significant increase in the security and privacy on your website - Google gives you a boost in your SEO. Given these new facts,
Previous to this change there wasn't much incentive to encrypt if it's going to negatively impact your SEO, especially on pages that are ranking high on Google's search. We all know how precious these rankings are and what they can do. However, now you can have the best of both worlds - increased security, a free SEO boost, and no more penalties when redirecting old pages.
It's a big change that's going to further incentivize companies to encrypt their websites. Something we recommend very highly.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out these other great articles from our blog!
- How to choose the Right CMS: Part 1 (Proprietary vs Open Source)
- Traditional vs Growth Driven Web Design
- Preventing Project Scope Creep
Also, if you're interested in getting more traffic to your web pages, check out our eBook on SEO Mistakes to avoid! Click below to download the eBook.
