A highly significant role is played by HTTPS in search rankings and they indeed are something more than just a mere addition to the website without any role. The websites become safer to use when users visit HTTS, and Google then values it very highly which further leads towards the addition of a layer of security. This blog talks about the consideration to the conditions where this raises any further question regarding the role of HTTPS as a ranking factor.
Claim made regarding HTTPS being a ranking factor
For an encrypted website with HTTPS, there lie great expectations for it to be receiving a boost with search rankings over HTTPS sites. The Google rewards websites that then provide a better user experience acts as the base for this claim, whereas the second factor is the enhanced security which then is considered as a way that can help the websites to be transformed into a better version for users.
Furthermore, this claim acts up because of the fact which comprises of a warning prior users make their way to the non-HTTPS websites which are displayed by the Chrome browser of Google. This warning plays a real role in being enough to give recognition to one non-SEO savvy individual regarding the different treatment of HTTPS by Google. Moreover, there can also be claims that could be regarded for the strength of the HTTPS ranking signal that they further can have a variation from one extreme to another.
An evidence for HTTPS being a ranking factor
In August 2014, there came a piece of evidence for HTTPS being a ranking factor. It was announced by Google in a blog post that HTTPS has a signal for search ranking algorithms.
That blog catered that for over the past number of months there were tests running which then were taking into account whether encrypted, secure connections are then being used by different sites as a signal in search ranking algorithms of Google.
Opinion of Uptime Web Solution regarding the claim made for HTTPS being a ranking factor
It is to be seen that HTTPS is now a confirmed Google ranking factor.
It is considered that the impact of the HTTPS ranking is expected to act as slight and often it is referenced as the “tiebreaker” signal. This then tells the true meaning of HTTPS and how it can later be used in making the difference in ranking positions in relatively equal sites.
Noting this down, the owners of the sites are not suggested to be underestimating Google’s appreciation regarding the good user experience appreciation.
Google strongly values HTTPS that then has the consideration as ranking signal of another component. Furthermore, there was a regarded consideration made regarding a number of UX factors by the page experience signal and HTTPS holds a position there.
Theoretically, websites can take advantage of HTTPS and page experience ranking boost, both. This further results from a lightweight signal in a stronger signal. Even though HTTPS comes with a confirmation of it being a ranking factor, but, there further comes an expectation that an HTTP site can still outrank an HTTPS site.
When search ranking is taken into consideration, the main key is relevance. In the conditions where the content delivers the most relevance with a query then it is on a non-HTTPS site, this then comes with an expectation to be most likely be ranked ahead of the sites that are already encrypted.
In the conditions, where each of the HTTPS advantages have been taken into account and then considered, it again is not catered as a silver bullet. As a start, if a site comes with a poor ranking then HTTPS won’t be there fast-tracking it to the first page of Google.
Conclusively, it is to be highlighted that HTTPS doesn’t work as an ultimate or the super factor for being the end-all or all of the search rankings, but again comes as a very vital and main factor. Whereas, the most important point that comes and is expected to be accounted is that it is a top-ranked factor that Google recommends itself. Considering Google’s recommendation into account, it comes with clarity that there still exists a significance to the claim that is made regarding HTTPS being a Google ranking factor.
