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How much does SSL help with SEO?

by verbatime
32 replies
  • SEO
    • |
What are your SEO experiences with adding SSL to your website(s)? Does it even help by much? I made a website that issues free SSL certificates and am thinking of adding a point on it helping with SEO but not sure if it's worth it if it doesn't help noticeably - https://www.sslforfree.com
#seo #ssl
  • Profile picture of the author irawr
    Banned
    Has very minimal/near zero effect on "SEO" or rankings. Recommended for sites that do commerce since it will help with conversions to a degree. It certainly makes certain sites look more trustworthy, but if SSL was the route to rank 1 don't you think that's kind of too easy to manipulate?
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    • Profile picture of the author verbatime
      Okay thanks. In case your wondering, I saw some SSL providers advertising it helps with SEO and saw this google blog post https://googlewebmastercentral.blogs...ng-signal.html. They said over time it would strengthen and that was in 2014:

      For now it's only a very lightweight signal — affecting fewer than 1% of global queries, and carrying less weight than other signals such as high-quality content — while we give webmasters time to switch to HTTPS. But over time, we may decide to strengthen it, because we’d like to encourage all website owners to switch from HTTP to HTTPS to keep everyone safe on the web.
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      • Profile picture of the author paulgl
        Google says a lot of things, but people want to read deepr
        for some reason.

        Logic: What if all sites were switched? Then what?
        No ranking benefit...whatsoever.

        Logic: Most websites that are secured also need a nonsecure
        version....the web is iffy...and probably always will be.

        Logic: https just might take longer to load...toss this into
        those crazies who think site speed matters.

        Logic: If you use a CC on a nonsecure site, you are an idiot.
        Google can't fix stupid.

        Logic: If you think making your shower curtain review wordpress
        website is going to get a boost from secure, you are a
        double idiot.

        Logic: If your site warrants being secure, and you have made
        no effort to secure it, you are a triple idiot.

        Logic: Since my websites do no require anything like that,
        I'm not biting.

        Logic: Eventually the web will indeed make every site secure,
        most likely. Then it will be automatic.

        And we return to the beginning of this idiotic loop.

        Paul
        Signature

        If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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  • Profile picture of the author MrMintyBluez
    Mat Cutts directly said sites with SSL certificates would be given a better chance at ranking though he didnt say how much of a chance. If I know of a way to increase my odds at outperforming my competitors in the serps I'd do it. SSL costs only 8 dollars per year so whats the hurt?
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    • Profile picture of the author verbatime
      Originally Posted by MrMintyBluez View Post

      Mat Cutts directly said sites with SSL certificates would be given a better chance at ranking though he didnt say how much of a chance. If I know of a way to increase my odds at outperforming my competitors in the serps I'd do it. SSL costs only 8 dollars per year so whats the hurt?
      Where do you get it for $8 a year? I used to get mine at Namecheap for 12.5 and I thought that was cheap.
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      • Profile picture of the author MrMintyBluez
        Originally Posted by verbatime View Post

        Where do you get it for $8 a year? I used to get mine at Namecheap for 12.5 and I thought that was cheap.
        www.ssls.com
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        • Profile picture of the author DannyVeiga
          Like others have said, SSL doesn't have an immediate effect on "SEO" directly, however it does provide a great benefit to the website's visitors that shows trust and that the website cares enough to protect their data.

          *CASE STUDY*



          Here's a real case study of a client of mine that I've been working with to increase revenue among other things with his eCommerce business. The immediate drop off in bounce rate that you see is a direct reflection of when SSL was integrated into his website.

          As soon as this was inserted, the users on his website believed that the website was secure throghout the entire site, and not just on the product, cart and checkout pages. This also increased the page views on the site and kept the users browsing more and more.

          Before I came on board, this particular's website bounce rate was hovering around 65% and then 53% - the customer was SUPER happy.

          As soon as I came on and worked with him on the digital marketing and SEO, his bounce rate is now consistently at 15-17% daily over the past 30 days.
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          • Profile picture of the author verbatime
            Originally Posted by DannyVeiga View Post

            Like others have said, SSL doesn't have an immediate effect on "SEO" directly, however it does provide a great benefit to the website's visitors that shows trust and that the website cares enough to protect their data.

            *CASE STUDY*



            Here's a real case study of a client of mine that I've been working with to increase revenue among other things with his eCommerce business. The immediate drop off in bounce rate that you see is a direct reflection of when SSL was integrated into his website.

            As soon as this was inserted, the users on his website believed that the website was secure throghout the entire site, and not just on the product, cart and checkout pages. This also increased the page views on the site and kept the users browsing more and more.

            Before I came on board, this particular's website bounce rate was hovering around 65% and then 53% - the customer was SUPER happy.

            As soon as I came on and worked with him on the digital marketing and SEO, his bounce rate is now consistently at 15-17% daily over the past 30 days.
            Wow those are big results. Do you get similar results with any type of ecommerce or does it depend on the industry?
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            • Profile picture of the author DannyVeiga
              I think it depends on the industry for sure. Not all websites are the same, just like not all client results will be the same either.

              Originally Posted by verbatime View Post

              Wow those are big results. Do you get similar results with any type of ecommerce or does it depend on the industry?
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          • Profile picture of the author verbatime
            Also what type of SSL is this. Is this an EV or DV?
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            • Profile picture of the author DannyVeiga
              That particular SSL is EV and came from wpengine where the client hosts.

              I don't have any case study examples to compare between EV or DV SSL certificates, but I would be inclined that having EV ensures more trust factor with your visitors. But regardless, even a regular DV SSL is better than not having one at all.

              Originally Posted by verbatime View Post

              Also what type of SSL is this. Is this an EV or DV?
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          • Profile picture of the author nettiapina
            Originally Posted by DannyVeiga View Post

            *CASE STUDY*
            The image seems to be broken. Can you please reupload it?
            Signature
            Links in signature will not help your SEO. Not on this site, and not on any other forum.
            Who told me this? An ex Google web spam engineer.

            What's your excuse?
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  • Profile picture of the author karenwilliams
    Secure Sockets Layer doesn't helps in SEO. Because in search engine optimization we publish our content in the online environment their is nothing security part in it.
    Signature
    Best SEO services in Toronto |
    Digital marketing services in Toronto
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    • Profile picture of the author verbatime
      Originally Posted by karenwilliams View Post

      Secure Sockets Layer doesn't helps in SEO. Because in search engine optimization we publish our content in the online environment their is nothing security part in it.
      So you are saying SSL doesn't help enough for you to implement it in your SEO strategy? Sorry, I can't fully understand those sentences.
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      • Profile picture of the author lerxtjr
        bounce rate is now consistently at 15-17% daily over the past 30 days.
        A year ago, I tested the same thing with a client site that provides elderly relocation services. During a month of the year where things are traditionally slow, the ONLY thing we changed was adding the SSL component to all its pages. We didn't make that change for SEO reasons but more for the confidence angle and the market.

        SERPs stayed the same for the next couple of weeks after reindexing occurred and all the https pages and redirects took effect. In fact, a few of the pages took nose dives in serps from position 7 or 8 to, like, 85. But, that was probably more due to inactivity.

        When we launched the new traffic building campaign, that's when we saw the real difference, mostly in the areas of visitor engagement and how many pages visitors were looking at.

        Whether SSL specifically impacts serps one way or the other I can't be certain. But, it definitely had some impact in that instance on visitors being confident that at least some thought to security had been given. And, I'm sure Google gives brownie points for higher engagement.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    I don't care what anyone says, the average traffic will never have a clue what http is let alone what's https.

    I call BS on the improved conversion claims. Besides most webmasters use a 3rd party checkout (ex: Paypal) which handles the secured processing.

    Ask anyone in your own family that's not into a web career what https is, you'll get a WTH are you talking about look. The average traffic will never have a clue which is 99.99% of traffic on the web.

    People don't care about stuff like that (https). They might complain If their credit card number is stolen but they don't have the slightest clue about anything technically related.

    To answer OPs question, NO, you're not ranking a page because it's https.
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    • Profile picture of the author verbatime
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      I don't care what anyone says, the average traffic will never have a clue what http is let alone what's https.

      I call BS on the improved conversion claims. Besides most webmasters use a 3rd party checkout (ex: Paypal) which handles the secured processing.

      Ask anyone in your own family that's not into a web career what https is, you'll get a WTH are you talking about look. The average traffic will never have a clue which is 99.99% of traffic on the web.

      People don't care about stuff like that (https). They might complain If their credit card number is stolen but they don't have the slightest clue about anything technically related.

      To answer OPs question, NO, you're not ranking a page because it's https.
      Yes they don't know what https is but I am pretty sure people know that the green lock in the location bar means that the website is secure for them to put in sensitive information. I definitely see it helping with commerce checkouts. I wouldn't put my card and address in if it wasn't. There are many people that use their own checkouts or have checkouts embedded on their website. Stripe actually requires that you use HTTPS for any pages. Also even if they do use Paypal they still have to enter their address and other personal details which they may or may not be fine with
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      • Profile picture of the author yukon
        Banned
        Originally Posted by verbatime View Post

        Yes they don't know what https is but I am pretty sure people know that the green lock in the location bar means that the website is secure for them to put in sensitive information. I definitely see it helping with commerce checkouts. I wouldn't put my card and address in if it wasn't. There are many people that use their own checkouts or have checkouts embedded on their website. Stripe actually requires that you use HTTPS for any pages. Also even if they do use Paypal they still have to enter their address and other personal details which they may or may not be fine with

        If the green lock isn't there nobody will miss it. The only ones that care about this stuff is webmasters/techies. You could http Paypal today & non-techie people (the majority) would never know/care.
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        • Profile picture of the author verbatime
          Originally Posted by yukon View Post

          If the green lock isn't there nobody will miss it. The only ones that care about this stuff is webmasters/techies. You could http Paypal today & non-techie people (the majority) would never know/care.
          Interesting point, I can only see people understanding SSL more and more. Either way any online business that deals with payment information needs SSL to be PCI Compliant. Because of this you won't ever see an unencrypted Paypal.
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          • Profile picture of the author yukon
            Banned
            Originally Posted by verbatime View Post

            Interesting point, I can only see people understanding SSL more and more. Either way any online business that deals with payment information needs SSL to be PCI Compliant. Because of this you won't ever see an unencrypted Paypal.

            My point wasn't really Paypal, it was traffic that's oblivious to https. Don't take my word for it, ask any non-techie (average person) to explain https to you.

            It's a safe bet the majority will be clueless because it's something the average end user would only care about after a data breach. Even then most still wouldn't comprehend https, they'll nod ok & forget everything https involved because someone posted a cat photo on Facebook (priorities).











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    • Profile picture of the author irawr
      Banned
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      I don't care what anyone says, the average traffic will never have a clue what http is let alone what's https.

      I call BS on the improved conversion claims. Besides most webmasters use a 3rd party checkout (ex: Paypal) which handles the secured processing.

      Ask anyone in your own family that's not into a web career what https is, you'll get a WTH are you talking about look. The average traffic will never have a clue which is 99.99% of traffic on the web.

      People don't care about stuff like that (https). They might complain If their credit card number is stolen but they don't have the slightest clue about anything technically related.

      To answer OPs question, NO, you're not ranking a page because it's https.
      To be fair, I was pretty careful about how I worded what I said. I agree with you completely, but it really depends on the context.

      Some people are security/tech minded, so if they don't see SSL and they're at an airport, they might decide not to buy something until they're at home and then forget.

      So, SSL/vs non SSL; it will effect conversions to an extent. It might not be measurable, but depending on your traffic strategy it might matter.

      You use the word "average" a lot and some are thinking about conversion maximization.

      With niches like preppers, security, antivirus, or stuff like that, I think the difference will be measurable.

      Either way, in regards to SEO, I highly doubt the difference is measurable at all.

      If I saw a video game wiki with SSL, they wasted their money, that doesn't do anything significant.
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  • Profile picture of the author sulbha
    SSL - Secure Sockets Layer.

    >It ensure the best SEO results.
    >It products information between you and your customer
    >It preventing third parties related links, information.
    Signature
    ecommerce web portal development Bangalore | web designer company in bangalore
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  • Profile picture of the author hostxyz
    SSL is just another hype created by google. Basically they want to combat spam. In my opinion ssl has too little effect on seo. If your site is blog or magazine ssl will not much make much difference but it can be helpful to gain customer trust where online transactions are being done.
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    • Profile picture of the author verbatime
      Originally Posted by hostxyz View Post

      SSL is just another hype created by google. Basically they want to combat spam. In my opinion ssl has too little effect on seo. If your site is blog or magazine ssl will not much make much difference but it can be helpful to gain customer trust where online transactions are being done.
      It wasn't actually created by google, it was developed in 1995. Pretty much any site that processes payments need it so most ecommerce sites, don't see any hype in order to be PCI Compliant. How does SSL help with spam though?
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    • Profile picture of the author CaraMurphy
      Originally Posted by DannyVeiga View Post

      That particular SSL is EV and came from wpengine where the client hosts.

      I don't have any case study examples to compare between EV or DV SSL certificates, but I would be inclined that having EV ensures more trust factor with your visitors. But regardless, even a regular DV SSL is better than not having one at all.
      Yes, agree with your statment that it is good to have DV (domain validation) SSL instead of no security. EV (extended validation) SSL remain the best for ecommerce website or say large business because it helps to improve user's trust towards that website because of green addressbar. Read here for both DV and EV SSL certificate.

      Originally Posted by hostxyz View Post

      SSL is just another hype created by google. Basically they want to combat spam. In my opinion ssl has too little effect on seo. If your site is blog or magazine ssl will not much make much difference but it can be helpful to gain customer trust where online transactions are being done.
      It is not hype created by Google but it is true that it will not totally but slight help in google search engine ranking. Read more on it at https://googlewebmastercentral.blogs...y-default.html
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  • Profile picture of the author element121
    You can get free SSL from https://www.cloudflare.com/overview/
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    http://element121.com
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    It makes no difference.

    Use it if you're processing financial transactions or handling sensitive information.

    If I have a simple blog about Goldfish it would make absolutely no sense for me to be running SSL.
    Signature

    BS free SEO services, training and advice - SEO Point

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    • Profile picture of the author danparks
      Originally Posted by John Romaine View Post

      If I have a simple blog about Goldfish it would make absolutely no sense for me to be running SSL.
      No SSL? This man is a good candidate as one to report to PETA. Obviously he has no concern for the security of goldfish!
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  • Profile picture of the author Project Sniper
    It doesn't but extensions like webroot point it out in google
    Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author Shahidul Islam Rakib
    For me, Adding SSL does not provide you any extra benefit. But, yes Google give priority to the sites with SSL. However, this is not a major concerning point.

    You build focus on building QUALITY links from authority websites.

    If you are running a website that needs online transaction, then, you can add the service.

    Otherwise, this will increase your expense more than you want for boosting your SEO!
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  • Profile picture of the author kavyaanjali
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author nettiapina
      Originally Posted by Jordan Alexander View Post

      SSL is a must have today!
      You dug up a thread from 2015 to post this turd? Jeez.

      Originally Posted by MrMintyBluez View Post

      SSL costs only 8 dollars per year so whats the hurt?
      Usually the web hotels take much more than $8 per year to use your cert. That's the cost if you're running your own server, and don't count your work as an expense.
      Signature
      Links in signature will not help your SEO. Not on this site, and not on any other forum.
      Who told me this? An ex Google web spam engineer.

      What's your excuse?
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