The year 2018 was a turning point for website security and search engine optimization. That July, Google Chrome began labeling all HTTP websites as "Not Secure," pushing millions of site owners to adopt SSL certificates and move to HTTPS. Many asked the same question: does an SSL certificate actually help SEO? The short answer is yes. Google confirmed HTTPS as a ranking signal, and the user trust benefits of SSL made it essential. Understanding what happened in 2018 helps explain why HTTPS remains a baseline requirement for every website today.
How AAMAX.CO Helps Websites Stay Secure and Search-Friendly
Security and SEO go hand in hand, and AAMAX.CO helps businesses manage both. They are a full-service digital marketing company offering web development, digital marketing, and search engine optimization services worldwide. Their team handles HTTPS migrations, fixes mixed content issues, implements proper redirects, and ensures rankings are preserved during technical changes. Because they combine development and SEO expertise, they can secure websites without sacrificing search visibility.
What Is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate, now technically based on TLS (Transport Layer Security), encrypts data transmitted between a user's browser and a website's server. When a site has a valid certificate, its URL begins with HTTPS instead of HTTP, and browsers display a padlock icon. Encryption protects sensitive information such as login details, payment data, and form submissions from being intercepted.
Google's HTTPS Ranking Signal
Google announced in 2014 that HTTPS would be used as a lightweight ranking signal. At the time, it affected a small percentage of queries, and Google noted it carried less weight than signals like content quality. However, Google indicated it might strengthen the signal over time to encourage a more secure web.
By 2018, HTTPS had become part of Google's broader page experience considerations. While it remained a tiebreaker-level factor rather than a dominant one, sites without HTTPS were increasingly at a disadvantage.
The Chrome "Not Secure" Warning in 2018
The biggest impact in 2018 came from Chrome 68, released in July, which labeled every HTTP page as "Not Secure" in the address bar. Because Chrome held a dominant share of the browser market, this warning reached a massive audience. Visitors who saw the warning were more likely to leave, especially on pages requesting personal information.
This had indirect SEO consequences. Higher bounce rates, lower engagement, and reduced trust could hurt conversions and the signals associated with user satisfaction.
SEO Benefits of SSL
An SSL certificate supports SEO in several ways:
- Direct ranking signal: HTTPS is a confirmed, though lightweight, ranking factor.
- User trust: secure sites avoid browser warnings that drive visitors away.
- Accurate referral data: traffic passing from HTTPS to HTTP sites can lose referral information, while HTTPS preserves it.
- Access to modern features: technologies such as HTTP/2 and many browser APIs require HTTPS, improving speed and functionality.
- Conversion protection: visitors are more willing to submit forms and payments on secure sites.
How to Migrate to HTTPS Without Losing Rankings
A careful migration protects your search visibility:
- Obtain and install a valid SSL certificate from a trusted provider or your host.
- Update internal links, images, scripts, and stylesheets to use HTTPS.
- Set up permanent 301 redirects from every HTTP URL to its HTTPS equivalent.
- Update canonical tags and XML sitemaps to reference HTTPS URLs.
- Add the HTTPS property in Google Search Console and submit the updated sitemap.
- Fix mixed content warnings caused by resources still loading over HTTP.
- Consider enabling HSTS to enforce secure connections.
Rankings may fluctuate briefly during migration but usually stabilize when redirects and signals are implemented correctly.
Common SSL Mistakes
Frequent mistakes include using temporary 302 redirects instead of 301s, leaving mixed content on pages, forgetting to renew certificates, and creating redirect chains. Expired certificates trigger severe browser warnings that can drive away nearly all visitors, so automated renewal is highly recommended.
Does SSL Still Matter Today?
Since 2018, HTTPS has become the standard for the web. Free certificates are widely available, and most hosting providers offer them automatically. Today, SSL is less of a competitive advantage and more of a baseline requirement. Sites without it look outdated, insecure, and untrustworthy, which affects both users and search performance.
Choosing the Right Type of SSL Certificate
SSL certificates come in several validation levels. Domain Validated certificates confirm ownership of a domain and are suitable for most blogs and small business sites. Organization Validated and Extended Validation certificates involve additional verification of the business behind the site and are often used by larger companies and financial institutions. From an SEO perspective, Google does not reward one type over another; any valid certificate enables HTTPS. Wildcard and multi-domain certificates can simplify management for sites with subdomains or several properties, reducing the risk of an expired or missing certificate on part of your website.
Conclusion
An SSL certificate did help SEO in 2018, and it continues to matter today. Google's HTTPS ranking signal, combined with Chrome's "Not Secure" warnings, made SSL essential for rankings, trust, and conversions. While HTTPS alone will not push a page to the top of results, lacking it creates clear disadvantages. Every website should use HTTPS, implement it correctly, and maintain it carefully to support a secure and search-friendly online presence.
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