By Ann Smith
HTTPS and HTTP are two variations of the Internet communication protocol used to exchange user data with a server through a browser. The main difference between the two is the presence and absence of encryption of the data being transmitted. It is only tech-savvy people who know the difference between them. Aren’t you on their team? What to use when creating a new site? Let’s take a closer look.
Benefits of HTTPS
When talking about HTTPS vs HTTP and their pros and cons, we want to flag out the benefits of the former. The use of the secure protocol allows you to safeguard user banking transactions and the transfer of other personal information, such as details, registration data of users of social networks, shops, etc. Thus, even if attackers intercept information, they simply cannot decrypt the data without a key.
The presence of HTTPS can be taken into account when it comes to site ranking since search engines consider the use of a secure protocol a sign of the owner’s concern about an important characteristic of any site – data transmission security.
Pros of HTTPS:
Unlike link baits known to webmasters, this protocol has nothing to do with content creation for getting individuals to link to it or share it. It comes with a solid pack of benefits:
- Enhanced security – everything is encrypted: URLs, credit card numbers, browsing history, etc.;
- It is a ranking factor in search results;
- Increased trust among visitors;
- Saving/improving conversion.
Which Sites Need HTTPS
It should be on every new site you create – this is the standard. If you have an old site, you should also connect SSL certificates to them, especially when it comes to online stores.
Who needs that?
- Online stores;
- Software developers;
- Banks and financial institutions;
- Companies that handle personal data;
- Sites with the possibility to make an online payment or perform online registration;
- Mail services.
Switching to HTTPS – Things to Know
To avoid lower ranks in the search results and increase traffic, it is necessary not only to correctly connect a digital SSL certificate. You should also explicitly indicate that the main version of the web resource works over the HTTPS protocol in the site settings for search engines.
In the process of setting up the site through the tools for webmasters, you should explicitly indicate that the main version of the site supports HTTPS. To do this, in Google, you need to go to the site transfer page with a URL change where you configure a 301 redirect from the site’s HTTP pages to equivalent HTTPS pages. You also need to add a new URL to the webmaster’s panel and register the main site mirror. If the redirection is configured correctly, all SEO indicators of the resource will be preserved, and its position in the ranking will slightly increase.
For correct data transfer and operation, it is essential that all links to downloaded content – images, web fonts, scripts, style files – go through HTTPS. If an HTTPS resource downloads a piece of content over an unsecured protocol, users may receive a notification that the site is not fully protected. Some browsers may not support the display of combined content, which will lead to incorrect website performance. So, you should take care of it as well.
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