SSL certificates do much more than secure your website they also help improve your search engine rankings by building trust with both visitors and search engines. This guide explains how SSL certificates support SEO, the different types available, and how to choose and purchase the right one for your website.
Key Takeaways
- Security – SSL encrypts data and protects visitors information.
- SEO Boost – HTTPS improves trust and supports better search rankings.
- Certificate Types – Choose DV, OV, EV, Wildcard, or Multi-Domain based on your needs.
- Trust Signals – SSL increases credibility, user confidence, and conversions.
- Easy Setup – Trustname makes purchasing and managing SSL certificates simple.
Ever wondered why some web addresses start with "https://" and others with "http://"? The difference is a simple thing called an SSL certificate. SSL certificates have a positive impact on SEO. They help improve a website's ranking in search results and make it more trustworthy to search engines and visitors.
"Wait a minute, how do they do that and why should I care that much?”
Well, we're pretty sure this one time you tried to visit a website and Google told you. This website is not secure. Search engines do that because they need to verify a website's identity and ensure they are not fraudulent.
Without an SSL certificate, Google will likely reduce your rankings as it poses a potential security risk for visitors. Yep, one little letter makes a huge difference in how search engines allow others to access a web address.
Now, why should this be important to you? It should if you're.
- Thinking about getting your very first domain name.
- Already have a website but want to learn more about keeping it safe and visible.
- Own a domain and are considering moving to a safer "Neighbourhood" (aka web host).
- Just curious about how to make your online presence stronger.
In this article, we'll cover everything you need about SSL certificates and their impact on SEO. We'll keep things simple and make sure that by the end, you'll feel like an SSL pro even if you've never heard of it before today!
What Is An SSL Certificate?
An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital document that authenticates a website's identity and enables an encrypted connection between a user's browser and a website's server.
Here's a simplified 5 step process of how it works.
- Handshake – When you visit a secure website, your browser and the server start a "SSL/TLS handshake".
- Certificate Presentation – The server presents its SSL certificate, which contains a public key (a publicly available code used to start the encryption process).
- Authentication – Your browser checks if the certificate is valid and trusted (issued by a trusted certificate authority).
- Key Exchange – The server uses a private key to decrypt messages and check if the SSL certificate is valid. If valid, your browser and the server agree on a session key.
- Encryption – All data transmitted is then encrypted using this session key.
In this process, SSL certificates ensure that any data you send to a website (like passwords or credit card numbers) stays private and secure.
Even if someone intercepts the data, it looks like gibberish without the private key. So the significance of having a valid SSL certificate is the data encryption, integrity and authentication it offers.
These contribute to ranking factors for Google and without them, your SEO strategy can't yield the best results.
Now let's look at the different types of SSL certificates and which ones work best for your website and brand.
Types Of SSL Certificates
- Domain Validated (DV) Certificates
These are the entry level SSL certificates. They are perfect for small websites or blogs that don't handle sensitive user data.
[+] [Callout] Info Insert title here [+] [Callout] Title/Title with Icon -> To get a DV certificate, you only need to prove that you own or control the domain you're securing. This usually involves responding to an email sent to your domain by your web host or uploading a specific file to your website.
Because the validation is minimal, these certificates are the most affordable option. However, they don't do much to boost your brand's credibility. When someone visits your site, they'll see the padlock icon in the address bar, indicating a secure connection, but that's about it.
- Organization Validated (OV) Certificates
Moving up the ladder, we have OV certificates which are suitable for business websites. They provide a higher level of trust because they require more thorough validation.
[+] [Callout] Default Insert title here [+] [Callout] Title/Title with Icon -> In addition to verifying domain ownership, the Certificate Authority (CA) also checks the organization's details including, your business's legal existence and physical address.
The CA can also check government databases or third party business directories. They might even call your business phone number to confirm details.
- Extended Validation (EV) Certificates
[+] [Callout] Success Insert title here [+] [Callout] Title/Title with Icon -> At the top of the SSL hierarchy, we have EV certificates. To get an EV certificate, your organization must pass an extensive vetting process. This includes verifying your legal, physical, and operational existence.
The CA will check your incorporation documents, your right to use the domain and your business operations. They might even require signed affidavits from company officers.
Yeah, it sounds like a lot. But, the payoff for this thorough process is great.
[+] [Callout] Default Insert title here [+] [Callout] Title/Title with Icon -> Websites with EV certificates display the organization's name in green in the browser's address bar, although this visual indicator has changed in some browsers. EV certificates are ideal for e-commerce sites, financial institutions, or any website handling sensitive user data.
- Wildcard SSL Certificates
While not a distinct validation level, wildcard certificates are worth mentioning. They secure a domain and all its first level subdomains. For example, a wildcard certificate for *.example.com would cover www.example.com, blog.example.com, shop.example.com, etc.
[+] [Callout] Info Insert title here [+] [Callout] Title/Title with Icon -> Wildcard certificates can be either DV or OV certificates. They're cost effective for businesses with multiple subdomains, as you only need to purchase and manage one certificate instead of several.
- Multi-Domain SSL Certificates
Also known as Subject Alternative Name (SAN) certificates, these allow you to secure multiple domains with a single certificate. They can be useful for businesses that operate several related websites. Like wildcard certificates, multi-domain SSLs can also be at the DV, OV, or EV level.
Okay! You can take a deep breath now. You now know about the different types of SSL certificates and have an idea of the best fit for you as a webmaster.
To clarify, your choice of an SSL certificate should depend on these 3 things.
[+] [List] Green Ordered - Your Brand/Website Purpose.
- Your Budget.
- How Many Domains Need Protection.
The best part is you don't have to do it yourself! I know your head was probably spinning a bit with all the requirements.
Trustname takes care of the technical know how for you. We let you pick different types of SSL certificates depending on your needs.
[+] [List] Green Unordered - For a DV SSL Certificate, you can choose coverage for one domain, a wildcard (covering all subdomains), or multiple domains.
- For an OV SSL Certificate, you can choose coverage for one domain or a wildcard.
- For an EV SSL Certificate, you get to choose coverage for one domain or multiple domains.
Alright. Before we show you how to purchase an SSL certificate, let's go into the focus of the article, how important SSL Certificates are to SEO.
Trust Signals And Their Link To SEO Best Practices
SEO generally operates on a combined set of factors called "Trust Signals".
These trust signals are like different checkmarks that your website has that help Google and visitors trust you out of the ocean of other websites available. Trust signals include.
Google doesn't exactly have a "Trust Score" that it assigns to websites (at least, not one they've told us about). Instead, trust signals contribute to SEO metrics in these ways.
- Increased Click Thorough Rates – Your website can get more clicks in search results and improve your ranking.
- Lower Bounce Rates – Trustworthy sites have a lower bounce rate and longer dwell time because people stay on for more time.
- Direct Traffic – As your site becomes more trusted, you might see an increase in direct traffic (people typing your URL directly).
- Brand Mentions – Trusted brands get mentioned more often online, even without links. Google pays attention to these brand mentions.
- Conversion Rates – On a trusted website, users are more likely to take a desired action; like signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or filling out a contact form.
Where SSL Certificates Stand Among Current SEO Practices
Yes, you already know that SSL Certificates are important to the security and trustworthiness of websites. But how did they become an SEO staple in the first place?
Do SSL Certificates provide an automatic SEO boost for you?
Let's find out.
- Origin – Google's HTTPS Everywhere Initiative
Back in 2014, Google announced what they called the "HTTPS Everywhere" initiative. They basically said, "Hey, we think secure websites are super important, and we're going to start giving them a little boost in our search results." So Google started securing its services and encouraged everyone else to follow suit.
[+] [Callout] Success Insert title here [+] [Callout] Title/Title with Icon -> Google doesn't often spill the beans about what helps websites rank better, but with HTTPS, they were clear. Over the years, Google has consistently reinforced this message.
In 2014, Gary Illyes and Zineb Ait Bahajji, webmaster analysts from Google posted.
[+] [Callout] Warning Insert title here [+] [Callout] Title/Title with Icon -> At Google I/O a few months ago, we called for "HTTPS Everywhere" on the web. We've also seen more and more webmasters adopting HTTPS (also known as HTTP over TLS, or Transport Layer Security), on their website, which is encouraging.
For these reasons, over the past few months, we've been running tests taking into account whether sites use secure, encrypted connections as a signal in our search ranking algorithms.
Since that initial announcement, Google steadily increased the importance of security in its search algorithms. Today, 95% of websites on Google use HTTPS, and 99% of browsing time on Google Chrome is on HTTPS websites.
- SSL Certificates As A Trust Signal
As previously mentioned, SSL Certificates are more than just security features, they are also a powerful trust signal that boosts SEO.
Let’s look at some specific ways they do this.
[+] [List] Green Unordered - Website Speed And Performance
Previously, many users had doubts about migrating from HTTP to HTTPS because of the impact on a Core Web Vital metric like site speed. Luckily, modern SSL certificates have minimal effect on speed. In fact, they improve performance by allowing you to use HTTP/2.
[+] [Callout] Success Insert title here [+] [Callout] Title/Title with Icon -> HTTP/2 is an advanced version of the HTTP protocol that allows multiplexing (sending multiple signals or streams of web information simultaneously over a single connection), header compression, and server push, among other optimizations.
These features can significantly reduce latency and improve page load times, particularly for media rich websites.
[+] [Callout] Info Insert title here [+] [Callout] Title/Title with Icon -> SSL is a requirement for HTTP/2 and together they improve other Core Web Vitals like interactivity and visual stability, leading to a faster, more secure, and user friendly web experience that aligns with Google's performance standards.
- Mobile First Indexing
SSL certificates have become more important in today’s era of Google's mobile first indexing. Mobile users often access the internet via public WiFi networks, which are famously vulnerable to security breaches.
[+] [Callout] Warning Insert title here [+] [Callout] Title/Title with Icon -> Google, recognizing this risk, tends to favor secure sites in mobile search results. This preference is also about providing a better overall user experience for mobile users.
- Reduced Risk Of Security Penalties
Remember that sites without SSL certificates risk being flagged as "Not Secure", which negatively impacts user trust and leads to ranking penalties. When you implement SSL, you align with search engine best practices and prevent the risk of security related ranking drops.
- Website Speed And Performance
How To Purchase An SSL Certificate On Trustname
Here at last! Buying an SSL certificate with Trustname is pretty simple.
- Choose Your SSL Certificate
First, ensure you have a domain name and access to your domain registrar account. If not, you can register a new domain with TrustName, the fastest growing independent domain registrar of 2024.
Along with DV, OV and EV SSL Certificates, TrustName automatically offers a basic one for FREE when you register a domain on TrustName.
- Select Your SSL Plan
[+] [List] Green Unordered - DV SSL – Starts at $1.50/month for single domain coverage.
- OV SSL – Starts at $2.80/month.
- EV SSL – Starts at $23/month for the highest security.
- Submit Your CSR
Paste your Certificate Signing Request (CSR) into the required field. You can generate a CSR through your control panel or a CSR generator tool. Our portal will process the CSR and retrieve the common name.
Choose your validation email and server type, then click "Continue".
- Add Contact Information
Add your contact details or use the predefined contact provided by TrustName for Whois privacy.
- Validate Domain Ownership
Choose your preferred domain ownership validation method as DNS, Email, or File verification. Follow the prompts to complete verification.
- Complete Payment
Enter your billing and payment details, review your purchase, and click "Pay". Your SSL certificate will be processed based on the validation method you selected.
If your domain is registered with TrustName, we'll handle the CSR generation for you. Just log in, select your SSL, provide the necessary details, and we'll take care of the rest.
Domain privacy? That's Trustname.
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