In August of 2015, Google announced the official switch to HTTPS, giving online marketers an outlet to boost their search engine ranking. Yes, a change from HTTP to HTTPS in your web address can make a huge difference in the search engines. Once Google is giving you an opportunity to boost your online presence, you should obey because it is to your advantage.

Your Best Interest

For those company owners that take up the offer, then this is the appropriate mentality to have. However, it is still of utmost importance to understand the difference between the two: HTTP and HTTPS. It is also essential in knowing how to make that switch. You also have to decide whether the switch will be in your company’s best interest or not.

The Questions                             

Ultimately, you should ask a few essential questions before making your decision:

• Why is Google offering HTTPS for increased SEO rankings and why has this become such a preference all of a sudden?
• What are the benefits of HTTPS when it comes to search engine optimization?

When making the change to HTTPS, there are some search engine optimization concerns that you should consider. Let’s take a closer look.

The Fundamentals

Whether you are on the HTTP side or the HTTPS side, you should still understand the fundamentals of the two. For your users to have the best online experience, secure encryption is important. HTTP, which is the short term for HyperText Transfer Protocol is the ‘http’ portion of your URL address. It transmits and receives information over the Internet. Its protocol is an application layer, which places emphasis on how users are presented with information. HTTP is not dependent on how the information is transferred from one point to the next. It does not keep your past web sessions in memory and for this reason, there will be less information to send, increasing the speed. HTTP is essential in the accessing of html web pages. Website owners that use HTTP do not normally store your personal information.

HTTPS

On the other hand, HTTPS, which is Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol is more secure than the HTTP option. It was developed with an attempt to allow for secure transactions and authorization. This is ideal for the exchange of confidential data, preventing hackers from stealing your personal information. HTTP and HTTPS do follow similar fundamental protocols, but one is more secure than the other. It utilizes SSL in the movement of data.

Conclusion

If you are doing business online, it is time to take a look at HTTPS since Google already rewards you for the switch and you will be making your customers happy. You will get the best of both worlds.