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More About HTTPS

No More Mixed Messages About HTTPS

HTTP to HTTPS impact is now more important due to Google’s update that has some website creators concerned that they are not prepared. HTTPS sites will eventually refuse to load non-secure HTTP content and sub resources in Google Chrome’s browser. This information may not at first seem relevant to your digital marketing strategy, but everything having to do with how websites are ranked is important to understand for SEO secure websites. Read on to understand why and how this change could affect your website’s search engine readiness.

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS stands for “hypertext transfer protocol secure.” The original hypertext transfer protocol is designated at the beginning of a website URL with “http://,” while secured websites use “https://”. Over the years, security on the internet has become more and more important to consumers; thus, increasing the HTTP to HTTPS impact. More websites are opting to move from HTTP to the HTTPS version in order to maintain security.

HTTP vs. HTTPS

The issue Google wishes to address is the fact that websites contain many complex components: links, videos, photos, polls, and many other complex design elements. If one or more of those elements is still non-secure, http://, it can compromise the security of the entire site.

In response to this security risk, Google is increasing the impact of HTTP to HTTPS by slowly phasing out the ability to show “mixed content,” meaning a combination of secure and non-secure content, on the same website within their browser. They’ll begin by giving Chrome users the option to block the non-secure content, keeping their HTTPS websites secure. Then they’ll create a browser update that will “auto-upgrade” photos and videos to secure versions or block them if that isn’t possible; it will also display a “not secure” message if there are mixed content items. Finally, by February 2020, Chrome will start blocking or upgrading all mixed content.

Why is HTTPS Important for SEO?

Upgrading your many site components may seem like a pain, but it is important for a variety of reasons. HTTP to HTTPS impacts security and gives visitors peace of mind that they are visiting a reputable website that cares about their data security. This is especially important if you are taking sensitive demographic or credit card information from them. 

No company wants to announce a security breach, so in addition to reputational aspects, it is much more secure to use HTTPS and protect your users’ information. By using an SEO secure website, you make it harder for anyone to access your data. Data breaches can cause you to lose customers, create costly lawsuits, and generally erode trust in your company.

Lastly, Google gives sites advantages in the search engine rankings if they don’t do this mixed-content action or if they have entirely secure sites. HTTP is going away, slowly but surely, because it is not too hard to upgrade your site and it provides such good security. Not doing so is simply a way to see yourself sink through the SEO ranks.

Admittedly, modifying one’s website from HTTP content to HTTPS requires clarity and skill on the topic. Work with a highly skilled digital marketing team to streamline the HTTP to HTTPS impact and other website upgrades; and ensure that your SEO remains strong throughout the process. We keep up to date at SocialSEO about all of the Google algorithm updates and ways that browser security is changing, so we can pass this information along to our customers and keep them on the cutting edge. 

To learn more about the impact of HTTP to HTTPS and other advanced strategies, get in touch with a SocialSEO Rep today. You don’t want your website traffic and resulting revenue to take a hit as search engine updates take effect. Protect your website from falling off the grid using a trusted team of digital marketing experts from SocialSEO. Receive a free quote today.

SocialSEO Team