SSL, HTTPS and Google

December 6, 2016

You may have seen somethings about Google making yet another change that will affect how your site ranks online.

Beginning in January, Google will start calling out sites that are not protected and they may get slightly lower rankings.  It is all part of Googles goal to make the internet a safe place.

This is what google said:

"To help users browse the web safely, Chrome indicates connection security with an icon in the address bar. Historically, Chrome has not explicitly labelled HTTP connections as non-secure. Beginning in January 2017 (Chrome 56), we’ll mark HTTP pages that collect passwords or credit cards as non-secure, as part of a long-term plan to mark all HTTP sites as non-secure. Chrome currently indicates HTTP connections with a neutral indicator. This doesn’t reflect the true lack of security for HTTP connections. When you load a website over HTTP, someone else on the network can look at or modify the site before it gets to you."

This is an example of what you will see in the chrome browser.

screen-shot-2016-12-06-at-12-19-56-pm

 

What is it?

A SSL certificate is something that is installed on the server of your hosting company. It changes your full website address from http://www.domainname.com to https://www.domainname.com. Typically you might see a green lock next to the web address, but this depends on the browser that you use.
screen-shot-2016-12-06-at-12-16-31-pm

What does it do?

  1. Security – Hackers won’t be able to capture data exchanged through your site. SSL blocks interception or “man-in-the-middle attacks”. Even if you don’t handle sensitive data, an SSL certificate for your website is always a good idea.
  2. Trust –  It shows your visitors and customers that you are ready to go the extra mile to make sure they get the best possible experience – a key factor in building trustworthiness.
  3. Rankings – Google’s search algorithm treats security as a ranking factor. They are actually pushing towards what they call “HTTPS everywhere” and clearly stated that sites that show an SSL are going to be treated better in terms of rankings.

How to get one?

Let’s encrypt
Let’s Encrypt is a non-profit organization that is providing free x.509 security certificates for free.  Not all hosting companies work with Let’s Encrypt. The list of companies below offers super easy installation of a certificate, usually just a few clicks. https://letsencrypt.org/Hosting companies that offer Let's Encrypt
  1. Brownrice
  2. Dreamhost
  3. Godaddy – they allow installation but it is limited and difficult to do.
  4. Siteground
  5. Wp engine
  6. WordPress.com
No planned support
  1. 1and1.com
  2. greengeeks.com
  3. hostmonster.com
  4. inmotionhosting.com
  5. namecheap.com

If you hosting company is not listed above you might want to considering switching hosts or you can purchase a SSL certificate from your hosting provider. Costs: Typically the cost can vary from $20-$150

There are three main types of SSL certificates available:

  1. Wildcard – Wildcard certificate is a SSL that can be used on the main website, as well as any subdomains. Subdomains are separate sites installed under the same domain with an addition such as shop.domainname.com or login.domainname.com. You can read more on wildcard ssl here.
  2. Private SSL – This type of SSL is just for the main domain. So it would only work on domainname.com. If you only have a basic site, this is all you need.
  3. Multi-domain certificates – Enables securing up to a couple of hundred domains on the same server with a single certificate. It’s the best solution for businesses that have multiple unique domains on a single server.

What's Next

After your purchase your SSL certificate it still needs to be installed on your website. How its done depends on the type of site you have. Just purchasing the SSL does not automatically make your site compliant. Be sure to have the certificate installed properly on your site.

 SPECIAL OFFER

If You Need Help

$99 SSL Certificate install
Includes purchase, time and installation of an SSL Certificate on your website.
OR
$149 SSL Certificate & Migration
Includes migration to a new host with Let's Encrypt, purchase, time and installation of an SSL Certificate on your website.

Installations to be completed in the first two weeks of January.

(does include purchase cost of the ssl certificate. Price above is for WordPress websites. Other sites, please contact me for pricing)

Sign up below only 10 spots available!

  • $0.00
  • Please provide me further information about your website. I will require access to your current hosting provider before i begin. I will request the information before i begin. If you requested migration, please note if you have a preference on hosting providers.
  • I understand the cost of the SSL (if Let's Encrypt is not available) will be paid directly by me. If I choose the migration option, hosting fees will be paid directly to the new hosting company by credit card.
Posted in Security