An SSL certificate is a set of files installed on a website’s server to protect users’ data. Having a certificate ensures the security of personal information that a visitor leaves on your website: bank details, passwords, contacts, name.
Let’s look in more detail at what SSL is, its types, how to install it, how it affects SEO promotion, what HTTP and HTTPS are, and the difference between the two.
Detailed analysis of the concept of “SSL certificate”
Imagine that you are registering for a webinar or making a purchase in an online store. After completing all the items in the dialog box, you click “Submit”. The information is sent from point A (your browser) to point B (the site’s web server). An SSL certificate is required so that no hackers can steal information about you along the way.
Internet resources that protect themselves in this way are marked with a lock symbol at the beginning of the address bar. If you click it, information about the reliability of the website will appear. In 2023, though, Chrome replaced the padlock with a neutral settings icon. And sites without a certificate are now openly labeled “Not secure” by browsers.
How digital data is protected
Information sent to a server protected with an SSL certificate is encrypted. Encryption and decryption are performed using special keys, which are accessible only to the parties to the “agreement”.
Communication between the user’s browser and the server occurs according to a protocol.
SSL protocol — clear, generally accepted rules for encoding and decoding information. Step-by-step instructions for how an SSL certificate works.
The SSL protocol itself is long obsolete — it has been replaced by its successor, TLS (the current versions are TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3). But the name “SSL certificate” has stuck and is still used today.
That is, if an attacker intercepts the transmitted information, he will not be able to understand it.
What an SSL certificate gives the site owner:
- Trusting relationships with customers — they feel safe, so they are grateful to you. This encourages them to take the targeted action.
- Improved search positions — search engines work for people. They show good, professional, reliable sites at the top of search results.
What are HTTP and HTTPS, and what is the difference
To fully understand what SSL is, you need to know about HTTP and HTTPS.
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) — clear rules that determine how communication between the user and the server takes place. This protocol is the basis of data exchange on the Internet.
HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) is HTTP, but with data encryption.
We mentioned the SSL protocol above. So, the prefix “s” in the abbreviation HTTPS means that security rules are added to the usual rules of information exchange.
There is one more practical argument: browsers support the modern, faster HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 protocols only over HTTPS.
Types of SSL certificates
A portfolio site, a thematic forum, an online store, a travel agency, a social network, a real estate agency — they all need an SSL certificate. The only question is, which one exactly?
They are divided into 3 types depending on the type of web resource verification, and 3 types depending on the number of domain names.
Types of SSL certificates by the type of website verification:
1. DV certificate — domain validation
For small businesses and individuals. For forums, blogs, business card sites.
This is the simplest certificate. It ensures that a user who clicks on a specific domain address lands on the resource they were looking for.
Pros:
- Issued very quickly — about 15 minutes of waiting time.
- The cheapest option — little information is checked, everything is automatic.
- Easy to install — you will receive an email to your domain mailbox with a confirmation link to follow.
Cons:
- A basic level of protection. Poorly suited for commercial services.
2. OV certificate — organization validation
For online stores, travel agency resources, insurers, social networks. Suitable for both small and medium businesses.
Such a certificate certifies the owner of the website, providing extensive information about the organization.
Pros:
- Protects users’ confidential information and payment details.
- The certification authority carefully, manually studies the information about the company: registration and domain documents.
Cons:
- Wait about 3 days.
3. EV certificate — extended validation
Suitable for large enterprises that require strict protection. Needed where customers make large financial transactions.
Pros:
- Maximum protection of consumer data — greater user trust.
- The legal entity’s details are visible in the certificate information — this confirms that a real company is behind the site.
Cons:
- More expensive than the previous ones.
- Documents are checked for about ten days.
Types of SSL certificates by the number of domains:
1. For one domain — used for simple sites or their separate parts.
2. WildCard — for sites with a complex structure, with several subdomains. Such a certificate covers an unlimited number of subdomains of one level. It cannot be issued with extended validation.
3. SAN (multi-domain) — if the company has many web resources with different domain names. One certificate can cover up to 100 domains. Can be issued with different types of validation.
How and where to get an SSL certificate
They are issued by special certification authorities. The most famous: DigiCert, Sectigo (formerly Comodo), GlobalSign. But they are sold through intermediaries. There are a lot of them on the market. Sales companies, in addition to working with the client, provide technical support.
A basic DV certificate can now be obtained for free: the Let’s Encrypt certification authority issues them automatically. Most hosting providers enable such a certificate in a few minutes and renew it themselves every 90 days. Paying makes sense for an OV or EV certificate — when a business needs organization validation.
Most providers are similar. It is difficult to settle on one. A good indicator of their quality work is a quick response to problems. If an error occurs while using the website, the customer may leave the resource without the targeted action, and this will adversely affect the company’s revenue.
How to get an SSL certificate:
- Determine what kind you need.
- Choose a provider (a company that sells and maintains certificates).
- Make a purchase.
- Activate — you are given access to a personal account where you create a request to issue a certificate.
- Pass verification — depending on the type you have chosen, the verification may differ. They ask for the necessary documents and call to clarify the information.
- Install it on your server (companies provide step-by-step instructions).
An SSL certificate plays an important role in SEO promotion
An SSL certificate is a recognized ranking factor. This was announced by Google back in 2014.
Search engines “love” quality, reliable sites that work with the customer in mind. Such sites are rewarded with better positions in search results. Protecting the personal data of your visitors is the best expression of care.
Encrypting information improves the reputation and behavioral factors of a resource. Search engines also pay attention to this.
So, a reliable way to protect data on the Internet is to use SSL encryption. Moving a website to the HTTPS protocol improves the relationship with the client and the position in search results. After the migration, set up a redirect from http to https and the HSTS mechanism — then the browser will go straight to the secure version of the site. This is a good investment in brand development, and hence in income.