HTTP vs. HTTPS: How Does It Affect SEO?

HTTP vs. HTTPS: How Does It Affect SEO?

There is a very heated debate going on within the web development industry regarding the use of HTTP or HTTPS to secure a website. HTTP is a simple standard used to transfer data from a server to a browser, while HTTPS is a secure protocol with encryption and authentication built-in. There are many advantages to using either protocol, but there is a significant difference when it comes to SEO.

This post will compare the two protocols used to transfer data on the Internet: HTTP and HTTPS. Let’s start by defining these two terms. HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. In simple terms, this protocol is a means of transferring data from a server to a browser. HTTPS, on the other hand, is an encrypted version of the HTTP protocol. What’s the difference? HTTP uses a clear text transfer, where a website can see what you are typing. HTTPS is a more secure version, as it is encrypted using SSL, a cryptographic protocol commonly used for protecting sensitive information.

This is an important distinction, as some companies have banned employees from using HTTP, as this is a security risk. And while security is given high importance by companies who tend to use VPN’s (such as a mozilla vpn or one for their overall security), there might be internal protocol concerns for certain industries who often hold such issues at high regard.

Especially when it comes to the manufacturing and pharma industry, network security standards should always be maintained in order to transfer and maintain their own data (within and outside the company). Understandably, many such companies tend to, thus, take the help of cybersecurity experts such as Fortinet (https://www.fortinet.com/solutions/industries/manufacturing) to help maintain the integrity of their network.

The following, however, will be a more in-depth examination of the two, that is – http and https :

HTTP

If you’ve been reading SEO blogs over the past few years, you might have noticed something strange: the concept of HTTP is less talked about than other elements of SEO, such as meta tags and page titles. The reason for the lack of attention to this often-ignored feature is because HTTP has also been largely ignored by SEOs and webmasters for the same reason: the amount of traffic and data it delivers and the number of search engines that index it.

For many, the thought of HTTP is a headache. Google does not return the same results for every URL, so your SEO depends on your source URL. The newer protocol, HTTPS, adds another layer of complexity by creating a link between the secure browser window and the search engine. The connection requires both parties to have a secure certificate, but do they realize that only the more experienced users can handle that scenario?

As I’ve stated before, there’s no sure-fire way to know if your site is being indexed correctly. If you are using a web crawler or have a website metrics package, it can be simple to verify that your pages are being crawled, indexed, and displayed correctly. But many people are reluctant to use these tools because they feel it’s too much work to verify their results.

HTTPS

If you’ve been paying attention to what’s happening in the SEO world, you’ve already noticed your search engine results pages (SERPs) don’t look like they used to. Now, the web is full of companies that claim that HTTPS is the best way to boost traffic and increase rankings. Is it that important, and do we need to implement it?

Not too long ago, Google started pushing HTTPS to all of its search results. It’s a security measure that helps protect your private information from prying eyes, and it’s a must-have for anyone who cares about privacy, such as journalists, human rights workers, and whistleblowers. But HTTPS is also an important factor when it comes to SEO.

In a nutshell, HTTPS is a security feature that encrypts data going from a visitor’s browser to a website’s server for added protection. But, as with many security features, there are side effects. Google Chrome and Firefox can’t search encrypted pages, and some security features in Windows and the web browser Safari can make a browser less safe to use.

HTTPS, or hypertext transfer protocol secure, is an important new technology that allows websites to share information securely while at the same time allowing the user to expect the same degree of security when browsing the website, whether or not the user is using an HTTPS enabled browser.

With more websites opting into HTTPS, the effects on SEO are mixed. HTTPS helps to shield your site from “man in the middle” attacks, which is why Google Chrome requires all sites to be HTTPS. On the other hand, HTTPS can slow down your page load times, which can harm your rankings.

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