Do You Know What an SSL Certificate Is? (You Should)

Time to read: 8 minutes

Have you bought an SSL certificate for your website yet? Are you familiar with what an SSL certificate is and what it can do for your site? Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t hold off on this vital addition to your company’s online presence.

What Is an SSL Certificate? And Why Should You Care?

If you look at the top of your browser, you will notice that most web addresses begin with “https://” followed by the website URL. The “s” on the end stands for “secure.”

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates affirm that your web address is secure, allowing visitors on your site to know it’s a safe place to enter sensitive information like emails and credit card information. And while in the past this has only really been important for sites that require credit cards for purchases, it’s been announced in the past by Google that secure sites gain a higher ranking in its search engine, even if they are non-ecommerce websites.

To put things in perspective and encourage site owners to get an SSL certificate, Google Chrome’s browser has been adding this warning on sites that aren’t secure, making your site look unreliable to visitors.

And according to SERPWatch, global cybercrime costs grow by 15% per year, amounting to a $10.5 trillion per year market by 2025. This means protected and encrypted internet traffic will likely become a necessary second-nature aspect of internet browsing. HTTPS has already become the norm, but with an increased focus on cybersecurity, it will become an immediate deterrent to browsers if a site does not have an SSL certificate.

What Information Does an SSL Certificate Contain?

An SSL certificate will contain the following:

• The domain name
• The person, organization, or device which the certificate was issued
• Which certificate authority issued it
• A digital signature from the certificate authority
• Associated subdomains
• Issue date
• Expiration date
• Public key

(Source)

Not only that, but around 68% of the top million websites are already using a secure address. Keep reading to find out how this could also be affecting your search engine optimization efforts.

How to Obtain an SSL Certificate

Domains should obtain an SSL certificate from a third-party certificate authority. According to Spice Works, the top seven certificate providers are:

1. GoDaddy – A name we all recognize as one of the leaders in web products. GoDaddy is a convenient choice for those looking to fulfill multiple site needs with one provider.
2. Comodo – With more than 100 million certificates issued, Comodo is the largest certificate authority in the world.
3. The SSL Store – The SSL store is a broker that partners with a number of certificate authorities, including Comodo and DigiCert.
4. DigiCert – With over a decade of experience issuing certificates, DigiCert is a global provider.
5. GeoTrust – Issuing certificates since the 90s, GeoTrust is one of the oldest and most experienced in the business.
6. Sectigo – This platform provides SSL certificates for small and large businesses and has issued over 1 billion digital certificates.
7. Entrust – Gaining an SSL certificate from Entrust will give you the ultimate security, as they offer various plans depending how many domains you have.

The Benefits of Switching to a Secure/HTTPS Site

Previously, many people weren’t interested in the thought of switching over to an HTTPS site. Back in 2014, over 57% of people said they weren’t interested in the switch, according to a poll conducted by Moz. But the tide has certainly turned in recent years.

Now more than ever, there are clear benefits to getting your site secured. Here are two key reasons you should consider it:

1. It can help prevent your site from getting hacked

Web hosting providers such as GoDaddy suggest that protecting your site is a smart move, even if you won’t be collecting sensitive information from visitors. HTTPS will protect the data between your web browser and the website server and prevent any outside party from accessing your information.

Especially websites that are ecommerce, performing financial transactions, or even websites that hold private medical information, it’s highly important to secure these websites with HTTPS.

2. It can boost your SEO

While numerous companies practice the same SEO tactics to increase their online rankings, you can get ahead and get a boost by making your site secure as soon as possible. In 2023, SERPWatch states that SSL remains a vital search engine ranking factor.

There are a couple of reasons why this may be:

• Builds trust – Users visiting your site will acknowledge the HTTPS, which gives your website credibility and trustworthiness right off the bat. It shows users that you care about their security and that you are preventing any risk of scams.
• Stays in compliance – Depending on the industry you’re in, an SSL certification may be required for security reasons. Having a secure site ensures your website follows these guidelines, which in the eyes of Google is also a positive element.
• Enhances performance – If your website does not have an SSL certificate, the pop-up of a site is “not secure” slows down web performance. An SSL certificate ensures users can go right the website, which overall enhances web performance.

Consumer-Facing Benefits of HTTPS

Some recent security stats help break down why sites with HTTPS are more appealing for consumers:

• The total number of cybersecurity attacks have increased by 31% year over year
• A report from Splunk suggests that one of many trickle-down effects from the pandemic is cybersecurity. More than 65% of organizations face a substantial increase in cyberattacks, and companies report having trouble protecting remote employees from attacks
• A report from Gartner predicts a 45% increase in cyberattacks by the end of 2025
• As of March 2025, 99% of pages were loaded over HTTPS in Chrome on a ChromeOS platform. Additionally, 99% of users were browsing in HTTPS pages
• It was found that 2/3 of desktop users spend their time on HTTPS pages
• More than half of the pages that desktop users download are over HTTPS
• In the United States, 98% of pages were loaded over HTTPS in Chrome

As consumers spend more time online for remote work, it’s arguable they’re spending more time on a computer or mobile device than ever before. Consumers are attracted to safe and simple processes. They’ll become less likely to click past Google’s warning for insecure sites and will simply find a competitor whose site doesn’t come with an ominous security warning.

What Happens If I Don’t Have an SSL Certificate?

If you haven’t obtained an SSL certificate, you may experience many negative effects, such as:

• Data leaks – Not securing your website increases the chances of a data leak occurring, and cybercriminals stealing private information.
• Browsing warnings – If you don’t have an HTTPS domain, many browsers now will let users know this by showing the site is “not secure,” which can hurt your website’s traffic and visibility. With the rise of recent text scams, many users may not want to risk going on your website if you don’t have an SSL certificate.
• Decline in trust – Customers of your business will be less likely to utilize your website if they don’t feel that their information is secured. This can overall hurt your brand as a whole, and your online presence.

Overall, the benefits of gaining an SSL certificate outweigh the risks. It’s important to stay up to date on the latest internet security, so you can protect your business and your customers.

Getting Started on Making Your Site Secure: Things to Keep in Mind

Going through the process of making your site secure is no easy feat. Make sure to keep these things in mind when you start the process:

• One of the first steps in securing your site is to find out which type of certificate your website needs. You have three options:
  • Single domain
  • Multi-domain
  • Wildcard certificate (for websites with subdomains)

• Purchase your SSL certificate through your web host provider, such as GoDaddy, Bluehost, etc.
  • This is to make sure you get SSL certificates issued by trusted certificate authorities to ensure all legal regulations are in place, and so the site is verified as a trusted resource
  • There are plenty of spammy sites out there that will say you can get a certificate for free, but be wary of what you are agreeing to
  • And if you use WordPress, you should check with your hosting provider to see if they offer SSL certificates for free, like Bluehost.

• You will need to redirect pages to point search engines like Google, as well as the users visiting your site, to the newly secured HTTPS pages

• If you use a content delivery network (CDN), you will need to update your CDN’s SSL settings as well

• Make sure you use a server that supports HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security)
• Just in case any mishaps happen during the process, make sure to have a backup of your site and database

Need Some Help Making Your Website Secure?

We know that if you aren’t familiar with the complexity of a website’s inner workings, all of this can look a little overwhelming. And while it may be tempting to secure your site on your own, experts will know how to secure your site without putting any files at risk. That’s why we’re here to help!

Contact us today to see how Sixth City Marketing can help your company’s site become secure, along with providing you with a wide range of other web design and development services.

We look forward to working with you!