What does this mean and why is it important?
The technical explanation: HTTP stands for “hypertext transfer protocol” and it allows communication between a web server and a browser. The concern with HTTP is that the data is not encrypted and could potentially be intercepted by a third party. With the introduction of HTTPS, there is now a secure version of this data transfer to make sure the connection between server and browser is encrypted.
Why is this important?
There are actually big implications to your SEO and local rankings.
Google is in the business of providing the best possible search results so that consumers keep coming back to their site for answers. Because of this, Google favors sites that have the HTTPS certificate because there is less risk to consumers using the site.
Even beyond the SEO benefits, some browsers and mobile apps today will only properly display websites with the HTTPS encryption. Chrome will even say “Not Secure” next to your website URL or not direct consumers to your site without them specifically clicking through to the “Unsecure site”.
All of this to say that we have completed the task of updating all of our Perfect Patients websites to this crucial level of security.
Are you not a Perfect Patients client and unsure if your website has this encryption?
Simply type your URL into your browser and if you do not have the little green lock of approval, then your site is not secure.