Google using HTTPS as a ranking signal

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In a recent blog post, Google trends analysts Zineb Ait Bahajji and Gary Illyes outlined what the search engine is doing to ensure a safer Internet. Following a few months of testing, and positive results, the search engine will now begin using HTTPS as a ranking signal.

“For now it’s only a very lightweight signal – affecting fewer than 1% of global queries, and carrying less weight than other signals such as high-quality content -while we give webmasters time to switch to HTTPS,” wrote the analysts in a blog post. “But over time, we may decide to strengthen it, because we’d like to encourage all website owners to switch from HTTP to HTTPS to keep everyone safe on the web.”

Encryption is used to digitally scramble data as it moves between a user’s device and an online service. This prevents others, such as hackers, from eavesdropping on the information. HTTPS also makes it harder for data transmitted over unsecure Wi-Fi networks, in homes and in airports and stores, to be hijacked. Sites that use HTTPS (the ‘S’ stand for ‘secure’) usually display a padlock in the address bar.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristina Knight-1
Kristina Knight, Journalist , BA
Content Writer & Editor
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Kristina Knight is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience writing on varied topics. Kristina’s focus for the past 10 years has been the small business, online marketing, and banking sectors, however, she keeps things interesting by writing about her experiences as an adoptive mom, parenting, and education issues. Kristina’s work has appeared with BizReport.com, NBC News, Soaps.com, DisasterNewsNetwork, and many more publications.