Can SEO “stick it to the man?” Google’s betting on it with its latest search algorithm update that rewards secure sites with more ranking points.
The move is meant to encourage site owners to update their domains with secure connections (adding the “s” in “https”), and the reason given behind this move is that Google’s tech gurus just want the Web to be more secure. After all, it’s commonplace to read about a data breech these days, with one of the latest citing around 1.2 billion accounts hacked by a Russian criminal group. More security around the net will mean safer browsing, and safer browsing means more confident Internet users who are less cautious about divulging their personal data, be it financial, medical or something else.
Google Updates, Lifting All Boats
This, of course, is a win-win for anyone whose livelihood depends on people's online habits, and that includes all of us content creators. Confidence in online transactions is the foundation for content needs, because if nobody is looking to buy, we might as well hit the unemployment lines and admit to our parents that indeed, writing was the wrong major to choose.
Another plus for content on secured sites is that its credibility is artificially boosted. Secured sites project an aura of authenticity, and users are more likely to believe what they see on such sites than on ones that aren't protected. Now, people will think twice about dismissing the latest UFO sightings because they'll all be on sites where the URL has a nice, big green bubble before it. Score one for conspiracy theory sites.
But while I'm all for the boosting of online security, I can't help but wonder if we're getting the whole truth behind this change. Yes, Google has long presented itself as the savior of the Internet, only wanting what's best for all its little people. But it doesn't do this just because of some legacy indoctrination left over from idyllic founders; it's good business. Giving people as much access to the Internet in as secure an environment as possible is in Google's interest since it lessens the chance Google search results will send users to spyware-infested sites. That means more trust in Google, and thus more ad revenue.
So when something threatens this environment, I doubt Google's C-level management is going to be very happy about it. And apart from roving Russian criminal gangs (I imagine them traversing the wastelands, toting around jailbroken iPhones and small servers hosting their latest Minecraft creations), who else has been in the news? The U.S. Government, or more specifically, the NSA.
Stickin' It to the Man
The revelations of NSA spying on foreigners, Americans, diplomats (really, who haven't they spied on?) has major side-effects on Internet usage and online confidence. Major tech firms are expected to lose billions of dollars as a result, and that doesn't sit well with anyone on a company board. Regardless if Google played a part in enabling the NSA, it's been quietly doing its part to take its users out of the spotlight. In March, Gmail received a patch that added better encryption. The change makes it harder, though not impossible, to snoop on emails. Time for the NSA to cry to Congress that they need more money to pay for more staff hours.
This latest maneuver will have the same effect. By giving webmasters an incentive to secure their sites, the NSA will have a tougher time snooping on Web activity (in theory). More security means more confidence, which in turn equates to more money exchanging hands virtually. It's not foolproof, of course, since the arms race between hacking and encryption is never-ending. But it is a step in the right direction.
Regardless of Google's true reasons behind the move, it's a welcome one. Few were happy to find out about the NSA's snooping program, regardless of how effective or ineffective it might be, but better security around the virtual globe won't hurt anyone. After all, fewer still were happy to find out their Visa accounts are now in the hands of Igor and Boris.
A toast to Google, and a hope that Microsoft and others will soon follow.
