SEO Alert: Non-HTTPS Websites to be Marked with “Not Secure” Warning Starting October 2017
Have you recently received an email from Google about the non-HTTPS websites that you are managing?
Google has been working on making the web a more secure and private place since the start of the year. As early as September 2016, the company has already talked about the “Not secure” warning being implemented on the 1st part of the following year.
What does this mean?
It means that non-HTTPS websites that collect passwords and credit cards will be marked with “Not Secure” warning as a move to enhance privacy and security on the Internet. Furthermore, the move didn’t stop there as Google has other plans.
In February 2017, the next step for websites without an SSL certificate was announced along with the arrival of Chrome 56. It was then revealed that in October of this year, the “Not secure” warning will also be implemented on non-HTTP sites that require users to enter data, as well as in any website accessed in incognito mode.
In this case, the website data being referred to are any of the following:
- Search boxes;
- Comment boxes that require information such as name, website, email address, and comment;
- Online forms such as inquiry forms, mailing lists, etc.;
In simpler terms, the “Not Secure” warning that require web users to type their information.
The “Not Secure” Warning’s Impact on SEO
Now that it’s only a few weeks until the penalty is implemented, the next thing that you’d want to know is how the “Not Secure” warning will affect your search engine standings. Will this penalty have an impact on SEO?
Although this will not instantly impact the search visibility of a website, this is a clear indicator that Google is serious in pushing the adoption of the HTTPs protocol, with its firm belief that the integrity of data transferred from servers to browsers are preserved through secure URLs.
Clearly, HTTP websites have no better way to go than to secure an SSL certificate.
Furthermore, Google has already shown its support for websites with HTTPS connections by giving them a slight boost in search engine rankings. Recently, it became apparent that there is an increasing number of HTTPS-protected websites that are ranking higher on the search algorithms.
The “Not Secure” warning being implemented in October is yet another sign that Google has resorted to negative reinforcement in order to push the move for SSL certification. How it will impact SEO and the rankings of your websites is yet to be seen. Moreover, nobody is really sure if the next penalties to be imposed by the company will be stiffer.
At the rate things are going, it is better to abide by Google’s regulations than to put in question the security and privacy of the data used in your website. Most likely, as Google gets more serious in converting sites to HTTPS, this won’t be the last measure that will be implemented by the company–and for sure, you don’t want to bear the consequences that can pull your rankings down, compromise your reputation, and put your SEO efforts to waste.
How about you, what are your thoughts on this recent development? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
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