Does an SSL certificate affect SEO?

To define an SSL certificate, we should first explain the HTTP and https protocols. In a nutshell, they are used to transfer data from a website’s server to web browsers. The main difference between the two is that the HTTP protocol is enriched with an SSL certificate, which makes the data sent using it securely. 

What is an SSL certificate used for?

SSL certificate is used to secure users’ data of a given website on the path between the web server and the web browser they are currently using. Data secured by an SSL certificate includes login credentials for various user accounts, such as mail or bank accounts. Securing data transmission in this way is especially important for any online payments. In case the site does not have an SSL certificate, the data transmitted is in an open way, which can easily be intercepted and used. So, when using websites, we should consider whether they have an SSL certificate before providing any personal information. 

Poorly installed SSL certificate on a site and positioning

An improperly installed SSL certificate on a site can bring our SEO efforts more trouble than good. Therefore, if we conduct any SEO activities, we need to ensure they are correct, preferably already at the stage of an SEO audit of the site. 

The most common mistake when installing an SSL certificate is the lack of redirection between the site’s http and https protocol versions. As a rule, for the Google search engine robot, http://domena.pl and https://domena.pl are two different websites, and in this case, we are dealing with duplicate content for the entire site. As we know, duplicate content rules out the possibility of achieving high rankings for any keywords, so avoiding this mistake by adding a 301 redirect when installing an SSL certificate is crucial to our SEO efforts.

Another element to remember when installing an SSL certificate on a site is the internal linking done so far. Any link that appeared in the content, links, images or CSS must be changed to a version with https. 

If these two elements are forgotten when installing an SSL certificate, a huge drop in organic visibility and website traffic – and not just free traffic – will await you. 

Does a well-installed SSL certificate affect positioning?

Google does not mention the direct positive effect of installing an SSL certificate on a site’s keyword positions, but having one is a requirement for websites. Therefore, we can guess that its absence will, to some extent, prevent us from effective positioning. 

Additionally, it should be remembered that the lack of an SSL certificate is visible in the browser to any user, who, in most cases, will receive a message that the site is unsafe and enters it at his own risk. Even if the site ranks high, this will result in an increased rejection rate, as web users are increasingly aware of cyber threats. So positioning a site without an SSL certificate seems to make no sense at all.

Installing an SSL certificate and collecting data in Google Search Console

Even after the certificate is installed correctly, we will stop collecting data in the Google Search Console. This is no mistake, as I mentioned earlier for Google’s robot the version of the site with http and https are in theory, two different sites. So for the data to continue to collect for us, we need to verify the Google Search Console account for the page version with https. The exception, of course, will be when we had the GSC account verified for the domain service, in which case we do not need to perform any action, and the counting will remain unchanged. 

Summary

As we can see, an SSL certificate carries the same benefits for SEO efforts, so it should definitely not be overlooked. Its installation should be done correctly with proper redirects. A properly added SSL certificate will significantly facilitate our SEO and help build trust in our website in the eyes of its users.