Does Google trust your website?

Have you noticed a security warning on your website? Is Google saying your site is unsafe? It’s time to take action.

Back in February last year (2016) we announced that Google was going to be prioritising sites that it deemed “secure” in its search rankings. Now, Google and many web browsers will actively warn visitors when your site isn’t trustworthy.

[br]

Your site must have an SSL certificate

The main technology driving this change is called an “SSL certificate”. Having one allows your site to appear with the “HTTPS” prefix in your website address. Ever noticed the little padlock symbol? That’s there because of an SSL certificate.

[br]

Security & Trust

On a basic level, the HTTPS prefix is far safer than the HTTP in terms of encryption. As well as protecting user data, it also ensures that the user is really connecting to the right site and not an imposter one. This is important because setting up a fake version of a website users is a hacker’s favourite tactic. HTTPS also ensures that a malicious third party can’t hijack the connection and insert malware or censor information.

[br]

Customer Trust

The extra security that HTTPS brings to your website will be a reassuring presence for more tech-savvy customers, especially as they may be providing personal details to you. Google Chrome and Firefox will mark all HTTP sites with a red cross in the URL bar signalling ‘insecure’!

[br]

The good news is that we can help to set this up for you. Just get in touch.

Share this: