Google Giving Small Ranking Boost to Secure HTTPS Sites
Just a few months ago, Matt Cutts
publicly spoke of the importance of having an HTTPS enabled Web site, and went on to say that if it were up to him
it would already be a ranking factor.
Well, after that public declaration we weren't surprised when Google officially announced that HTTPS is now a "very lightweight" ranking factor, "affecting fewer than 1% of global queries, and carrying less weight than other signals such as high-quality content". However, in time HTTPS may become a stronger ranking factor in order to "keep everyone safe on the Web".
Google also released a best practices/resource guide, along with their announcement, to help you switch from HTTP to HTTPS. Some of the topics covered are:
- Finding the right security certificate
- How to show search engines your secure status
- Common problems with HTTPS (and how to fix them)
Once you've set up your secure site, here's a great (and free) tool to test that you've set up your Web server with the proper SSL configuration, certificates and settings: the Qualys SSL Server Test.
Remember, at this time having an HTTPS enabled site isn't a big enough Google ranking factor to make much (if any) difference. We've done the research and we're currently recommending that, unless you're already moving your site, you DO NOT need to switch to HTTPS at this time, as it can be expensive and technically difficult to get 100% correct. As you can see, SEN already made this change sometime ago and there are plenty of pitfalls to be avoided.
The good news is that we created a resource specifically designed to help you make the transition, when the time is right for you, as quickly and painlessly as possible:
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