When you are interacting with a website or developing a website, the secret tends to be utilizing a trusted third party and having good encryption. In the past HTTP worked just fine for websites that were not holding or asking for confidential information, but the mentality has shifted over the last year or so since Google’s announcement that HTTPS may have SEO benefits. So the question is simple: What is the real difference between the two, and does it really matter?

The HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) is a system for transmitting and receiving information across the Internet. In simpler terms, there are several different points that make HTTP unique and several characteristics to understand:

  • HTTP is an “application layer protocol”, which means its real focus is on how information is presented to the user of the computer but does not emphasize how data gets from Point A to Point B.
  • It is “stateless,” which means it does not attempt to remember anything about the previous Web session.
  • This is all great news because there is less data to send, which therefore means speed. Websites tend to run faster if they are HTTPS.
  • HTTP is commonly used to access html pages, but other resources can be utilized as well through HTTP.

Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTPS)

In many ways, https is identical to http, because it follows the same basic protocols. The http or https client, such as a Web browser, establishes a connection to a server on a standard port. However, it offers an extra layer of security. In the case of exchanging confidential information with a server, which needs to be secured in order to prevent unauthorized access, https, or secure http, was developed to allow authorization and secured transactions. A few characteristics include:

  • The main difference is that it uses TCP Port 443 by default, so HTTP and HTTPS are two separate communications.
  • HTTPS works in conjunction with another protocol, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), to transport data safely.
  • Remember, HTTP and HTTPS don’t care how the data gets to its destination. In contrast, SSL doesn’t care what the data looks like.
  • People often use the terms HTTPS and SSL interchangeably, but this is actually not accurate. HTTPS is secure because it uses SSL to move data.

So What Does This Mean for Google and Your Website?

Google likes sites that are trusted and certified because users can be guaranteed that the site will encrypt their information for that extra level of security. However, getting a certificate can be an involved task. When a site goes through the effort to get the certificate, this makes the issuer a trusted third party. When your browser recognizes a secure Web site, it uses the information in the certificate to verify that the site is what it claims to be. Ultimately, a user knowing the difference between HTTP and HTTPS allows them to buy with confidence, and thus, businesses can get started in electronic commerce because of this credibility.

Google is now using https as a ranking signal (for all of the reasons we just explored related to website security and user preference). Moral of the story: It is pretty clear from data analysis that HTTPS sits have a ranking advantage over http-URLs.

SEO Advantages of Switching to HTTPS

There is a clear indication that HTTPS offers security, but in terms of staying in Google’s good graces, there are additional SEO benefits for you to consider:

  1. Referrer Data

When traffic passes to an HTTPS site, the secure referral information is preserved. This is unlike what happens when traffic passes through an HTTP site, and it is stripped away and looks as though it is “direct.”

  1. HTTPS to increase rankings

Google has confirmed the ranking boost of HTTPS. However, like most ranking signals, it is very hard to isolate on its own, not to mention there are several other things that can impact your ratings as well, but it is something to keep in mind. The value of switching to HTTPS is likely to increase over time.

  1. Security and privacy

HTTPS adds security in several ways:

  • HTTPS verifies that the website is the one the server it is supposed to be talking to,
  • HTTPS prevents tampering by 3rd parties; it makes your site more secure for visitors.
  • HTTPS encrypts all communication, including URLs, which protects things like browsing history and credit card numbers.

Because No Risk SEO works with the plastic surgeon SEO clients, we know better than anyone that security isn’t only important for websites taking down credit card information, but for the privacy of searchers. Many people don’t want a trail online that they were looking at plastic surgery services, and HTTPS is always the first thing we tell plastic surgeons to do in order to make their patients feel safe.

Conclusion: HTTPS or HTTP?

For me, the clear conclusion is switching to HTTPS in order to stay in good graces with Google. However, because it is hard to isolate as a factor contributing to ranking, to date, there is no good data that shows a significant relation to rankings. It is also very possible that because these relationships cannot be clearly established yet, that Google has not yet implemented this “ranking factor” just yet.

Ultimately, HTTPS is a far more secure system for your website to operate on. Not only will users feel more comfortable shopping on a secure site, but Google is likely to reward you for making the change as well. HTTPS is not only good for security but also for referrer data and other SEO strategies. So again, when looking at the issue holistically and considering the future of what Google might do with HTTPS, the conclusion is a resounding YES—switch over to HTTPS, for Google’s sake.

Visit this article from Yoast to learn more about the details of actually make the switch.

Your Turn

Have you recently switched over to HTTPS and seen any results? Have you run any analyses to see if being an HTTPS site is helping your SEO?

We would love to hear about your experience, and especially any specific success you have had through HTTPS. Although the data is not completely clear at this point, it is my suspicion that users may have successes with this they want to share. Let us know in the comments section below!