How does SSL work? ( Secure Sockets Layer )
If you use the Chrome browser , you must have noticed that there is a green lock next to the address of some websites ; But what does this mean ? The address of some websites starts with https : // instead of http : // , and this means that this site uses the protocol for communication between the user and the server . It uses SSL encryption . After the introduction of this protocol , at first many sites were not interested in implementing this protocol on their website and did not realize its importance . Over time , the use of SSL protocol among websites will increase Found . Later in 2014 , Google changed its algorithm and announced that it gives more importance to sites with SSL protocol ; For this reason , the use of SSL protocol on websites has increased in recent years . Found .
In this article , we are talking about the SSL protocol and its impact on SEO and the digital market . If you also intend to launch a website for your business If you still have n’t implemented the SSL protocol for your website , we suggest you read this article .
What is the SSL protocol ?
Whatever activity you do on the Internet, It is reading the same article in front of you or buying something online, sending message and …, all are done by sending a message to the server and receiving that message by the server. In normal mode and when the domain of the site is http : //, the message sent from the user’s system to the server is in the form of a piece of code and can be easily It is a water trail. In this way, it is possible that a person will find access to this email and will easily see the email sent. If this is message If it is a normal one, probably the problem will not occur; But imagine that this message sent to the server contains the bank account information of your customers. This is where the importance of using the SSL protocol becomes apparent. When your site is equipped with SSL protocol, when a message is sent from the user’s system to the server, it is encrypted before sending the message and then when In the case of a drop from the server side, it is decrypted again. By implementing such a process, even if it is observed by other people in the middle of the message, the probability of decoding it is very low and this issue causes The security of your website becomes. This protocol was designed for the first time in 1996 by Netscape and was able to create a secure platform for data transfer. From that year until now, websites transfer a lot of their data on the protocol and the security of the virtual space has increased a lot. Sites such as payment gateways , banking sites , online stores , stock exchange and digital currency sites , and many other sites. They use this protocol to keep their users’ information safe.
Does the SSL protocol affect your website 's SEO ?
In all browsers , next to the websites that use the SSL protocol , a sign indicating that this website is secure is placed. This sign is usually imagined It is locked; It also identifies websites that do not use the SSL protocol with the term ” Not Secure ” and warns users that this website is not secure for exchanging information. Chrome browser , like other browsers , gives importance to this issue and specifies the security of the website for users. In the past, this browser identified the sites for which the SSL protocol was active by showing a green lock next to the site address. With the passage of time and in the latest updates of the browser, there has been a change in the appearance of secure sites. In the new updates of this browser, instead of highlighting the sites that use the SSL protocol, the sites that do not use this protocol are highlighted. Specifies. In this way , next to the sites that do not use the SSL protocol , Chrome displays the word Not Secure in red. All these changes show the importance of Google and search engines to use the SSL protocol and create a secure platform for information exchange. Google announced in 2014 that sites that use SSL protocol will have better rankings than similar sites. In fact, Google ‘s action was to encourage people to use the SSL protocol. With the passage of time , many websites used SSL , and nowadays you can hardly see a website that still works with http : //. In those years , many businesses started SSL protocol for their website and saw a remarkable increase in ranking. Although today, as in the past, the SSL protocol does not affect the ranking of the site , but it is still considered one of the important factors of SEO. Today , if you don’t use SSL protocol , your site will rank lower than your competitors.
Advantages of using SSL protocol
In addition to the impact on the site’s ranking, using the SSL protocol has other advantages, which we will examine below.
- Increasing the site’s SEO and ranking
As we said, Google gives importance to the SSL protocol and places the websites that use this protocol in a higher place. Assume that your website and your competitor’s are similar in terms of content and design. Your promotion site uses SSL protocol, but your website still uses http. In a similar search, your promotion site will be ranked higher due to the use of SSL protocol. Therefore, it is very important to enable the SSL protocol for your website in order to stay ahead of your competitors in today’s competitive world.
- Increase safety level
The SSL protocol provides a safe platform for exchanging information with the encryption that it does, and you can do it with ease and without fear of information being hacked. Enter your information on websites that use this protocol. Websites such as payment gateways , bank websites and internet stores use this protocol for greater security of their users’ account information.
- Achieving users’ trust
Since the use of SSL protocol provides a secure platform for information exchange, users enter their information with ease. When your business website is equipped with https : // , the user knows that he is dealing with a secure website , and users who are more sensitive to the security of their information, Feel free to enter their information on your website.
Disadvantages of using SSL protocol
Although the SSL protocol has many advantages, like anything else, along with its good advantages, it also has disadvantages. Note that the existence of these disadvantages does not mean that this protocol should not be used. With the presence of these disadvantages, we still recommend you to use SSL protocol for your business website.
The most important problem of using the SSL protocol is reducing the speed of the website. Since this protocol encrypts the PMs sent to the server , it is natural that compared to the time when you do not use this protocol , the speed of the website Your energy will decrease. Of course , this problem can be solved by optimizing other things to increase the speed of the website.
Another one of the disadvantages of the SSL protocol is its higher cost compared to http. Domains for which the SSL protocol is activated must pay an additional fee for the activation of this protocol. This fee is paid annually and considering the advantages that this protocol brings to the website, this fee is completely reasonable and appropriate.
To Conclude
To summarize, it should be said that the SSL protocol is a global standard for website security. Websites that use this protocol can provide a secure platform for information exchange. This protocol sends encrypted PMs to the server and reduces the possibility of information leakage. Google gives importance to the SSL protocol and in order to encourage the website administrators to use the SSL protocol, they place the websites that use this protocol in the higher position of the serp. In addition to the impact on SEO, the use of SSL protocol increases the security of the website and gains the trust of users. The use of SSL protocol can reduce the loading speed of the website, which can be solved by optimizing other parts of the website.
