Security and authenticity have become important in the modern age.

What may have been allowed in the past are certainly not permitted now. This includes websites without appropriate certification legitimizing their presence on the Internet.

The SSL certificate is commonly used as an identifier by websites and has a role to play in SEO campaigns.

What is an SSL Certificate?

SSL refers to “Secure Sockets Layer” and is found in certificate form.

In this case, it’s a digital certificate designed to authenticate a website’s identity based on the underlying SSL technology. Everything is encrypted by the certificate and acts as a way to keep the data safe in its current format. With the right key, this format can then be “decrypted” so it is readable.

The sole premise of the SSL certificate is to act as an ID for the website. It is similar to walking to the airport with a passport in hand. It is the first point of verification for a website. As soon as the user makes contact with the service, their browser will access the SSL certificate and set up an immediate connection.

An SSL certificate is made of different parts including a digital signature (certificate issuer), holder’s public key (copy), serial number/expiration date, and the holder’s name.

Benefits of an SSL Certificate in SEO

1) Authenticates Website

The primary benefit is a simple one to digest. It is the best way to authenticate a website and make sure it’s “real” and usable. This layer of protection is key while looking to lay a foundation for the website’s SEO campaign.

Google and Bing are going to respond well to the presence of this certificate and it can become easier to rank higher. This alone is a good reason to set up the certification as soon as possible!

2) Boosts User Engagement Metrics

According to studies, a noticeable change can be seen in user behaviour or engagement with regards to an SSL certificate. Users respond better to websites that are deemed to be secure in their eyes.

They will stay longer and interact with the website instead of running in the opposite direction. This is ideal for website owners since SEO results do hinge on good performance metrics especially things such as the bounce rate.

3) Helps Bypass SEO Hurdles

Google and Bing want good search results and that is their sole focus.

By including the SSL certificate, you are able to bypass some of the SEO hurdles that pop up during the ranking process. It is a good detail to have in place, so you are not left stuck at the bottom.

Conclusion

SEO is a combination of variables coming together to form a formidable search result. Whether it’s Google, Bing, or any other search engine, the goal is to provide users with a tangible, high-quality website for their needs.

Of course, this means providing a well-balanced website on the other end of things.

This is why the SSL certificate holds a tremendous amount of value when it comes to SEO and pushing up the rankings.