Will Using HTTP Links Affect SEO?
Will Using HTTP Links Affect SEO?
If you're wondering whether having links to non-HTTPS web pages can harm your website's search engine optimization (SEO), John Mueller, a Search Advocate from Google, has offered some interesting insights on this topic.
In response to a question regarding the potential negative effects of linking to unsecured HTTP pages on SEO, Mueller shared a fascinating response.
It's understandable that users may perceive linking to HTTP pages as a poor user experience because HTTPS ensures the security and privacy of user data, such as passwords.
HTTP vs HTTPS
HTTP is a protocol that delivers data from a server to a browser, while HTTPS indicates that the website is secure and can be trusted with sensitive information.
In 2014, Google announced that HTTPS is a ranking signal, meaning it uses this factor to determine the ranking of web pages in search results.
Given that Google values secure websites, it may seem logical that the sites linked to should also be HTTPS. However, Mueller argued that this is not always the case.
Is Linking to HTTP Pages Bad for SEO?
While linking to HTTP websites is generally not recommended for several reasons, the question at hand was whether linking to exclusively insecure HTTP sites could have a negative impact on SEO.
Mueller confirmed that it is acceptable to use the HTTP protocol to link to other websites (for SEO purposes). However, since HTTP does not provide a way for the browser to verify the authenticity of the server returning a response, it is less secure than HTTPS.
In the past, many online publishers did not prioritize implementing HTTPS, believing it was only crucial for businesses handling sensitive customer data, such as banks, hospitals, e-commerce sites, and other industries.
However, as websites using HTTP are susceptible to various cyber attacks, this is no longer the case. Hackers have developed ways to trick users into accessing fake websites and stealing critical information such as bank passwords, among other exploits.
Therefore, identifying outbound HTTP links and ensuring that the linked website uses HTTPS is a good practice to improve user experience and security. If not, it may be advisable to search for a more trustworthy website to link to, especially if user safety and usability are a priority.
Apart from SEO, there are other factors to consider when linking to websites, including user trust and credibility, among others.