SSL CERTIFICATE – ENCRYPTION & SECURITY

Protect Your Website with SSL and Get an SEO Boost

Your SSL certificate offers website encryption, which helps your website rank higher on Google and nurtures greater trust levels with site visitors. SSL is here to stay – 90 of the top 100 non-Google websites default to secure HTTPS and 91% of pages loaded over Chrome by Mac users (and 89% of Android users) are HTTPS secure. Is your website secure?

Schedule Your SSL/HTTPS Conversion

What is SSL and Why Does It Matter?

With an SSL certificate, your private information will be encrypted as it travels between your server and your visitors’ computers. Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) is the backbone of protecting sensitive information on your website.

  • Protection

    Secures your visitors’ personal information and safeguards your brand against devastating data breaches and new potential threats.

  • SEO Boost

    HTTPS has been a ranking signal for a couple of years now and websites with HTTPS on all pages are expected to get an increasing boost in SEO visibility in the future.

  • Engagement and Visitor Trust

    Better SEO rankings can bring in more visitors who are more confident with using your website because of the SSL certificate and added security.

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BENEFITS OF SSL CERTIFICATE

How HTTPS Can Enhance Your Website

There can be time and money costs associated with SSL security. However, an SSL certificate offers several crucial benefits that you must consider when deciding whether to take the plunge or not.

  • Google Highly Recommends HTTPS

    On Google’s Security Blog, the search engine states that Google is focused on building a “more secure web by strongly advocating that sites adopt HTTPS encryption.” For several years they have been prompting website owners to become more secure.

  • Protect Sensitive Visitor Data

    An HTTPS web connection safeguards the integrity of information sent and received from your website. Not only does an SSL certificate help protect and secure data transfers, credit card transactions, logins, and other personal information, it also protects you against the liability and PR disaster of a security breach.

  • SEO Ranking Boost

    Google first introduced HTTPS as a lightweight ranking boost in 2014 as a way to encourage all website owners to install an SSL certificate to encrypt their websites. Over the years we have seen the HTTPS ranking signal increase in significance. Data shows that when all else is the same, HTTPS webpages rank higher in Google than non-HTTPS webpages.

  • PCI Compliance for E-Commerce Websites

    Yes, you must also consider the legal implications of collecting payment information on your e-commerce website. As the vendor you are responsible to take appropriate measures to protect your customers. An SSL certificate can help you meet these legal requirements.

  • Increasingly Strict Browser Compatibility

    With each update released, popular website browsers are becoming stricter in terms of displaying website security and protecting their users. Browsers now provide several visual cues for users as to whether a website is actually secure, and give users the opportunity to back out of your website if it poses risks.

  • Improves Your Customer Trust

    As more and more websites move to install an SSL certificate, your visitors will expect it from you as well. SSL encryption will become a standard checkpoint for visitors to determine if your business is legitimate and deserving to be trusted with their personal and payment information.

Stop Ignoring Your Website’s Security

Talk With Us Now! 1-888-262-6687 Schedule Your SSL/HTTPS Conversion

HOW WE CAN HELP

SSL Certificate & Website Conversion Services

We can help you whether you choose to acquire a free SSL certificate (issued by Let’s Encrypt) or purchase a paid commercial SSL encryption service sold by hosting providers like Verisign, Comodo, DigiCert, or GeoTrust. Regardless of how you acquire your SSL certificate, the following areas must be addressed once the SSL is installed to ensure proper “SSL Always-On” status and SEO ranking benefits.

  • DNS checks for zone files (email, subdomains)

  • Update .htaccess files

  • Update 301 redirect files and hardcoded http references

  • Update URL removal requests and disavow link file

  • Update WordPress settings and database

  • Address mixed content warnings

  • Verify HTTPS versions of site and submit new sitemap

  • Update links in Social Media profiles and PPC Campaigns

  • Identify critical backlinks to update to HTTPS

  • Update Google Analytics and Google Search Console

  • Monitor Ranking and Site Performance Data

  • Troubleshoot additional issues identified

What is SSL?

Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) in its most basic explanation is the backbone of protecting sensitive information sent across the Internet. An SSL connection encrypts private information such as credit card numbers, usernames, passwords, addresses, etc., as it travels between computers and the server.

What is HTTPS Everywhere?

Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) defines how messages are formatted, transmitted and what actions occur between a visitor’s browser and the website’s server. HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP once an SSL Certificate is installed. HTTPS ensures that all information passed between the browser and the server is encrypted and secure. HTTPS Everywhere means that each and every page on your website is secure and uses HTTPS.

Why do we need HTTPS?

There are several reasons, with the top two being HTTPS protects the integrity of your website and Google highly recommends making your website HTTPS. Through several initiatives like HTTPS Everywhere and the recent Mixed Content Update, Google is rewarding fully secure websites with better rankings.

How much does an SSL certificate cost?

SSL Certificates range from FREE to several thousand dollars per year depending on your website’s security requirements and business type. For example, a local electrician can likely use a free SSL certificate while a national bank requires the highest level of security protection. There are also additional labor costs for a trained developer or SEO to properly convert your website to HTTPS, such as URL redirects and updating sitemap(s).

How can I tell if a site has an SSL certificate?

The simplest way to tell if a website is using an SSL certificate is look at the domain. It is secure if it starts with https as opposed to http. The S stands for secure and tells visitors any data passed through the browser is protected.

More About 1st on the List

For the last 22+ years, 1st on the List has worked with businesses of all sizes across Canada and the United States to obtain better search visibility, search traffic, and revenues. As part of our SEO Campaigns and Website Security Plans, we highly recommend installing an SSL Certificate and implementing HTTPS Everywhere.

Our clients are thrilled by the results we achieve (check out some recent SEO Case Studies). Third-party feedback websites like Clutch.co and TopSEOs also rank us among the best SEO companies in the country.

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CLUTCH 2021 Manifest for Top SEO Companies & Marketing Agencies in Canada
3 website design awards for 1st on the List.

CLIENTS WE’VE WORKED WITH

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START TAKING WEBSITE SECURITY SERIOUSLY

Need an SSL Certificate for Your Site?

In the next year or so we expect that most websites will move to HTTPS as Google continues to push towards secure browsing. Give us a call at 1-888-262-6687 to speak with our SSL Experts immediately or use our website quote form to start the conversation online.

Schedule Your SSL/HTTPS Conversion

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