As part of the Chrome 62 update in January 2017, Google started flagging sites which were storing credit card data without an SSL certificate installed. Now, as of October 2017, any website that doesn’t use a secure HTTPS connection, regardless of whether it contains an online store, will be flagged as ‘NOT SECURE’ when visitors land on your site.

So, what is an SSL Certificate? 

SSL Certificates are small data files that digitally bind a cryptographic key to an organisation’s details. When installed on a web browser, it activates the padlock and the https protocol and allows for secure connections from a web server to a browser. Typically, SSL is used to secure credit card transactions, data transfer and logins, and more is more recently securing the browsing of social media sites.

For example:

Why do you need an SSL Certificate? 

SSL Certificates provide an extra layer of security for the information web users enter into a website, particularly credit card information, by encrypting data that travels between their server and your computer.  Traditionally, website domains have always been presented with the instantly recognisable pre-fix http://, whereas more secure websites now display as https://.

With the world’s leading search engine, Google Chrome, showing its preference for websites that have better security features, the addition of an SSL Certificate to your website is now more important than ever.

These changes in the Google Chrome web browser are starting to signal the future of the internet and online security, and those who do not adapt and keep up will quickly be left behind in the search rankings. As an incentive to encourage website owners to add SSL security to their site, Google is offering a ranking boost to those secured. 

This backs up a change in their search algorithm last year which introduced SSL Certificates as a positive ranking signal for websites, and will become increasingly important especially for eCommerce sites looking to drive sales online.