Google has mandated the use of HTTPS for every website, and modern browsers display an error to users if a site lacks this security. Here's why it matters for your site.
HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. It encrypts data during transmission between the server and browser, ensuring the secure processing of sensitive information.
Before 2015, it was common to have a website without HTTPS, but since then, it has become essential for all sites. Now, even if your site doesn't process credit card or sensitive user information, you still need HTTPS.
With HTTPS, your site will display a green lock and the 'https://' prefix in the URL. Without it, you'll see a red warning sign or error message in some browsers.
For WordPress users, we recommend the Simple SSL plugin. It has over 4 million installations and nearly five-star reviews, and is consistently updated for optimal performance.
Once you have installed Simple SSL, you'll need to add both the HTTP and HTTPS versions of your site to Google Search Console:
1. Go tohttps://search.google.com/search-consolehttps://search.google.com/search-console.
2. Click 'Add a property'.
3. Enter your website URL with 'http://', then click 'Continue'
4. Verify your ownership, then click 'Continue'
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for the HTTPS version of your site.
HTTPS is now a ranking factor, so make sure to secure your new website with an SSL certificate.
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