Adding SSL to my website.

BoostMedia · Dec 21, 2016

I'm thinking to add SSL to my website. So if URL from - http://www.xyz.com will change to https://www.xyz.com will my ranking will drop? Also if possible then tell me the advantages and disadvantages of it thank you.

neilbhabuta · Dec 21, 2016

It might dance for a while but should increase rankings in long run

RightFootFanatic · Dec 21, 2016

Google announced that in the beginning of next year SSL would become a ranking factor.

For the setup of SSL as we did:
- Setup SSL on the page (make sure your sitemap also contains https url from then on)
- added https url to Google webmaster tools
- changed prefered url to https type in Google webmaster tools
- redirected (301) all none https traffic to https

mirrorer · Dec 21, 2016

I've done it.

No,if you do it right, it wont drop.

Elon Snup · Dec 21, 2016

RightFootFanatic said:
Google announced that in the beginning of next year SSL would become a ranking factor.

Source?

I haven't heard that from any official at Google.

seo dean · Dec 21, 2016

There is a chance for a dance in rankings.Patiently give some time to get back your ranking level.It will bounce back.

RightFootFanatic · Dec 21, 2016

TayaX said:
Source?

I haven't heard that from any official at Google.

Seems I mixed 2 things up.

https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2014/08/https-as-ranking-signal.html Google uses SSL / https as a ranking factor since mid 2014

https://security.googleblog.com/2015/12/indexing-https-pages-by-default.html Google indexes https as default and prefering it

https://security.googleblog.com/2016/09/moving-towards-more-secure-web.html In January Chrome will start to label non-encrypted sites “not secure.”

Sorry for the mix up.

Elon Snup · Dec 21, 2016

RightFootFanatic said:
Seems I mixed 2 things up.

https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2014/08/https-as-ranking-signal.html Google uses SSL / https as a ranking factor since mid 2014

https://security.googleblog.com/2015/12/indexing-https-pages-by-default.html Google indexes https as default and prefering it

https://security.googleblog.com/2016/09/moving-towards-more-secure-web.html In January Chrome will start to label non-encrypted sites “not secure.”

Sorry for the mix up.

No worries

sub001 · Dec 21, 2016

I haven't seen any proof that adding a SSL improves rankings. Have you?

My biggest problem with SSL is that it slows down the site (increases the load). And, speed IS a ranking factor.

Personally, my advice is to stay away from SSL unless you need to encrypt the content that goes through the pipe. In other words, if your content is intended for everybody, do not encrypt it, as you have nothing to gain by it.

bartosimpsonio · Dec 21, 2016

There are no disadvantages. Just 301 every url from the http to https via .htaccess and make sure to add both ssl and non ssl sites to google webmaster stools panel.

ThatSEO · Dec 21, 2016

301 and you're done

The one reason people dance is because they do a 301 but leave the canonical tags as http

If you do it right, doubt you'll have any issues more than the odd hour while google updates

DKolen · Dec 21, 2016

HTTPS is a really lightweight ranking signal yet, if it is at all, however, according to Goolge - 'Beginning in January 2017 ... , we’ll mark HTTP pages that collect passwords or credit cards as non-secure, as part of a long-term plan to mark all HTTP sites as non-secure', so it looks like it may be strengthened in future, and you may benefit in the long-run.
In case your website carries any sensitive info or involves any transactions - https is really a must. This totally shouldn`t affect your rankings negatively, just make sure to redirect the http version to https properly at once and update your sitemap, then allow some time for adjustments (the rankings may indeed dance for a lil while after the switch).

sub001 · Dec 21, 2016

DKolen said:
'Beginning in January 2017 ... , we’ll mark HTTP pages that collect passwords or credit cards as non-secure, as part of a long-term plan to mark all HTTP sites as non-secure', so it looks like it may be strengthened in future, and you may benefit in the long-run.

Marking pages that collect sensitive/private information as non-secure is precisely the right step and it is exactly what SSL was developed for, in the first place. But, no, it doesn't mean there is any push to have all pages run on https and it also doesn't mean you may benefit from doing so.

The entire discussion here focused on how not to screw up the move from http to https.

What this discussion should focus on, instead, is why would you want to use SSL.

RightFootFanatic · Dec 21, 2016

sub001 said:
My biggest problem with SSL is that it slows down the site (increases the load). And, speed IS a ranking factor.
Personally, my advice is to stay away from SSL unless you need to encrypt the content that goes through the pipe. In other words, if your content is intended for everybody, do not encrypt it, as you have nothing to gain by it.

Then get a decent hosting. I had no speed issues until now. But I run the stuff for the company I work for on vps or full dedicated boxes, not low end. Sites have 500 up to 5K visitors a day.

The second part is plain bs in my eyes. You loose nothing by it, but gain trust. People become more and more aware of web tech. and encryption. If you gonna sell something you need trust.

A down side that I see is that some adnetworks or adservers won't work correct or rather punch a hole in your https.

sub001 said:
Marking pages that collect sensitive/private information as non-secure is precisely the right step and it is exactly what SSL was developed for, in the first place. But, no, it doesn't mean there is any push to have all pages run on https and it also doesn't mean you may benefit from doing so.

You can adopt something earlier or later. As for now we have competitors that don't run on full https. I like to be ahead, maybe sometime in the future Google checks how long a page had site wide encryption .
Also with letsencrypt it's pretty painless to get a cert and runs almost on set and forget mode.

sub001 said:
The entire discussion here focused on how not to screw up the move from http to https.
What this discussion should focus on, instead, is why would you want to use SSL.

In unedited opening post, op ask how to do it.

bahus · Dec 21, 2016

mirrorer said:
I've done it.

No,if you do it right, it wont drop.

I'm thinking about doing it, would you mind sharing some tips on how to do it without rank drop?

cyberkiller · Dec 22, 2016

Go for it, not many downsides

sub001 · Dec 22, 2016

RightFootFanatic said:
Then get a decent hosting.

Yes, you can get a better host. But, it doesn't change the fact that SSL takes extra resources.

RightFootFanatic said:
People become more and more aware of web tech. and encryption.

At that point, people will understand the trust is misplaced. By encrypting information that are intended for public viewing (not private), they gained nothing.

RightFootFanatic said:
In unedited opening post, op ask how to do it.

True. My answer is: you don't.

RuthSam · Dec 22, 2016

I don't believe your ranking will improve just because you install an SSL cert. I know what google published but still!

RightFootFanatic · Dec 22, 2016

sub001 said:
Yes, you can get a better host. But, it doesn't change the fact that SSL/TLS takes extra resources.

The extra resources used are little to none for normal users. You're right a SSL/TLS handshake over TCP takes something around 12 packets to complete a handshake while a normal TCP handshake takes 3 packets.

In a paper published in 2010 (! read here):

Modern hardware can perform 1500 handshakes/second/core. That's assuming that the handshakes involve a 1024-bit RSA private operation

I highly doubt that the most users here are running pages that handle 1500 request per second, and that numbers were from 2010, so current hardware would be above that.

Also see this post by maxcdn. Also when Google uses speed and ssl as signals they would credit that securing a connection would cost you something about 0.03 seconds. Again don't use hosting that is overselled.

sub001 said:
At that point, people will understand the trust is misplaced. By encrypting information that are intended for public viewing (not private), they gained nothing.

You do understand what SSL or rather TLS means? It's not about encypting content / information. The information is still unencrypted just when the information is send it gets encrypted. I don't see the down site of using TLS,
and I don't get your point except that it seems you use a pretty shitty shared webspace that sucks. TLS will ensure or atleast reduce the risk for certain attacks on transport layer and ensure you're communicating with the correct participant.
I would count that as a gain for the user.

It's not that you break the "Hackers Manifesto" that phrack mag published in 1986, information still stays free and accessible...

sub001 · Dec 22, 2016

So, just to sum up your post:

1. Yes, there is an increased load when using SSL/TLS
2. No, using SSL/TLS for non-private information won't help you.

Exactly my point...

Adding SSL to my website.

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