SSL / HTTPS
SSL/TLS is the encryption between browser and server enabling HTTPS — a light ranking factor since 2014 and an absolute must today.
HTTPS (HTTP over TLS) encrypts the connection between browser and server and prevents man-in-the-middle attacks. Since 2018 Chrome marks non-HTTPS sites as 'Not Secure', sharply raising bounce rate. Free Let's Encrypt certificates make implementation trivial. For SEO, HTTPS is no longer optional.
Example
A site migrates from HTTP to HTTPS with correct 301 redirects per URL, updated sitemap, hreflang, internal links and canonicals. Migration shock passes within 2 weeks; rankings recover in 4-6 weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Which certificate type?
For most sites: Domain Validation (DV) via Let's Encrypt — free and auto-renewable. OV/EV only makes sense for finance, government and enterprise.
Related terms
Further reading
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