Search giant Google has announced that adding an SSL 2048-bit key certificate on your site (or making it https) will slightly improve your Google ranking. Read the official announcement here.

Security as a top priority for Google

Google gives high importance to security, making sure that all the services they offer – including Search, Google+, Gmail, and Google Drive – use industry-leading security, like strong HTTPS encryption by default. This is why they are promoting security to other websites, as well. They want web users to have a secure connection once they land to a website they find relevant after a search.

Ranking benefit to secure sites is small

According to Google, the ranking benefit they are giving to websites that will go https is small, describing it as “very lightweight signal” compared to the overall ranking algorithm. The search giant emphasises that factors such as quality content will still hold strong in their ranking process.

If they really want to promote security, as how they described it as their top priority, I think Google should provide a better and more noticeable incentive, rather than a slight ranking boost.

Will your SEO suffer when you go https?

When you switch your website from http to https, you do not have to worry so much about your SEO efforts and current search rankings on Google. Google has been telling webmasters it is safe to do so for years, provided that you take proper steps in communicating to Google that you made the switch.