Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates are important for website security. Almost every list of website security tips on the Internet recommends using SSL certificates, which are effective in protecting websites against hackers and other bad actors.
These certificates also help in website growth and ranking. As a result, many people wonder how these certificates execute their function. In this article, you’ll learn the role of SSL certificates in website security and ranking.
How SSL Certificates Secure Your Websites
SSL certificates play two key roles, authentication and encryption, in website security. Here’s how:
Website Authentication
SSL certificates act as digital passports and authenticate a site’s identity before establishing secure connections. This happens through a handshake process in which the browser and server exchange information to verify that all parties are who they claim to be. This identity verification is important to ensure that users communicate with a legitimate site, not fake ones created by hackers and bad actors.
Data Encryption
SSL certificates enable data encryption between the user’s browser and the website to ensure privacy and limit unauthorized access. It makes it difficult for hackers to intercept and access data when transmitted between a website and its visitors. This encryption is especially beneficial for protecting sensitive data such as your login credentials, payment details, and other personal data.
These simple encryption and authentication roles form the basis for website security provided by SSL certificates. It reinforces the importance of SSL certificates for your website, even if it is a starter site. They are also important when building your site with a reliable platform. Use SSL certificates even when you build a starter site with Blocksy.
The Impact of SSL Certificates on Website Performance
Beyond security, SSL certificates also play key roles in website performance and ranking. Below are some important functions SSL certificates play in improving a website’s ranking and performance:
Improving User Confidence and Trust
SSL certificates are a popular website trust signal, proving a website’s legitimacy. Users are more confident browsing a website with SSL certificates because they know their data is transmitted securely and they are safe from hackers and bad actors.
When website visitors increase trust and confidence in a site, their engagement increases as they become more comfortable sharing information and completing transactions on the site. This increases essential metrics, like engagement and conversion rates, and reduces bounce rates.
Increasing SEO and Website Ranking
SSL certificates can improve a website’s SEO by boosting its search engine ranking and increasing user trust and engagement. Popular search engines, like Google, prioritize websites with SSL certificates and rank them higher than those without. This ranking factor helps increase the visibility of these websites and potentially, their organic traffic. As the organic traffic increases, the website ranks even higher.
Improved user confidence and engagement also affect website SEO. A secure user experience lowers bounce rates and increases engagement and conversion rates. Search engines note these positive improvements and factor them into their rankings.
They also consider other indirect factors such as the brand reputation, improved user experience, longer user duration, and more pages visited per session. Search engines consider these indicators of a high-quality website and favor them when ranking.
Ensuring Compliance
All websites require compliance with data protection laws such as:
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
Since SSL certificates offer data encryption and authentication roles, using them on your site ensures compliance with data protection laws. Some industries, especially those handling sensitive data and conducting transactions, specifically require using SSL certificates on your site to meet industry standards.
Endnote
SSL certificates are popular website security tools because they efficiently protect your website and data from hackers and bad actors. They provide data encryption and website authentication services to ensure thorough protection. SSL certificates also improve website performance by ensuring compliance, improving SEO, and increasing user trust.
