While you might not think that website security has any real connection with digital marketing, you may be surprised to learn how yours can impact your search engine optimization. Read on if you’d like to learn more about the five ways in which website security can support your ongoing SEO efforts…
Table of Contents
1. Improved ranking signals
Proper website security should be your number one priority, full stop. However, the fact that it can benefit you in other ways as well should be all the more reason to double check yours and look for ways in which it can be improved.
For one thing, improved security leads to improved ranking signals. Since Google has incorporated onsite security in its Page Experience ranking signals, ‘HTTPS’ URLs will ultimately gain priority.
2. Faster connection times between various websites
To put this as simply as possible, websites like Google have exceptional security. As such, whenever you use Google and select a website from the provided SERP (search engine results page), Google will attempt to make the connection for you, using the same level of high security.
If that fails, they will then attempt to make the connection using the next best option – and again and again until a connection is successfully made.
If a website has poor security, this process will ultimately take longer – often leading to people abandoning the website and trying a different link.
3. Faster connection between site network
Contrary to popular belief, most modern websites rarely exist on their own, single network. This is because most websites tend to have a collection of content rendered from other websites. For example: embedded content on a blog post from websites like YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest, including various social media feeds, widgets, apps, and subdomains.
Using the same example listed in the point above, each of these connected websites will have their own level of security – which means that when your website’s security is more consistent, your website visitors will ultimately enjoy a much smoother and faster UX, with fewer delays.
The better the user experience, the longer users are likely to spend on your website, the greater your authority in the eyes of Google.
4. Greater (and sustainable) link value
For websites that have valid SSL certificates, connections should always be made via a https:// link, as opposed to a http:// link. Who’d have thought one letter could make such an impact?
This is what is often referred to as having good ‘link hygiene’; thus reducing the number of unsafe connections to your website, reducing unnecessary redirects (which cause further delays), and providing more valuable and actionable data via your Google analytics.
It’s good practice to regularly review and tidy up your internal and external linking.
5. Trust
And finally, it all comes down to a matter of trust. If your website security is poor:
- A) Many users won’t even be able to access your site.
- B) Those who do will likely receive warnings and may abandon it altogether.
In this case, not only are you missing out on valuable trust signals, but you’ll be losing a lot of potential business as well.
Conclusion
Batten down those hatches! Understandably, if you aren’t so tech-savvy but want to start a successful online business, this article has likely left you feeling overwhelmed, rather than inspired. As such, the best bet is to find yourself a reputable SEO in Melbourne who can not only help you with your onsite security, but your onsite optimization and overall long-term digital marketing strategy.
