At a recent Google SEO Office Hours (when the Google team answers questions submitted by users) a question came up about security headers on web pages.
The question was whether these headers affect the ranking of websites in Google's search rankings.
The short answer is that they don’t. But, despite being simple, this question brings interesting insights for SEO professionals, including the importance of using data protection protocols.
Back to basics: what is a security header?
For those who are lost, here is an explanation of what security headers are and their relationship to protecting a website.
In general terms, security headers are a layer of protection that nigeria whatsapp data aims to prevent cyberattacks on web pages. One example is HTTP headers, which protect user data or prevent malicious scripts from being inserted into pages.
In essence, an HTTP protocol allows communication between a website and its server. This is important so that users can view the content of a website and so that it can include hyperlinks that lead to other pages. Incidentally, HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
You may have noticed that some websites have URLs that start with HTTPS, right?
The “s” at the end stands for secure and indicates that the original protocol has encryption that encodes messages so that only the sender and receiver can access them. The goal, again, is to prevent hackers from accessing these messages and stealing data and files.
Every page protected with HTTPS displays a padlock icon and a message indicating that browsing that site is secure.
Another important concept is the HSTS (HTTP Strict-Transport-Security) response header. It notifies browsers that the website should be accessed exclusively via HTTPS, ensuring that future HTTP access attempts are automatically redirected to HTTPS.
Does a security header affect a website's ranking?
As I mentioned at the beginning, Google Office Hours asked whether a website having an HTTPS protocol is a factor that can put them in the top search positions of the algorithm.
The answer was as follows (in free translation):
“No, the HSTS header does not affect search.
This header is used to instruct users to access the HTTPS version directly and is commonly used in conjunction with redirects to HTTPS versions.
Google uses a process called canonicalization to choose the most appropriate version of a page to crawl and index – it does not rely on headers like those used for HTTPS.
Using these headers, however, is great for users.”
So, although they are not a ranking factor for SEO, HTTPS protocols are excellent because they make the website more secure and protect user data.
It is interesting to note another piece of information in the answer: Google uses a process called canonicalization to track and index websites. Are you familiar with this concept?
A canonical URL shows Google's algorithm that this is where a user should be redirected when they perform a search.
One suggestion is to use the HTTPS protocol and include a canonical tag in the source code. This shows the search engine that the content is original — an excellent best practice for ranking.
Well, if a security header is not a ranking factor, can you leave your site without it?
No way!
Having an HTTPS protocol is not just a differentiator: it is an important item for any website to protect its data and that of its users.
It is also mandatory for pages that require a user login and password, such as online stores. E-commerce sites collect sensitive payment data and must offer their customers a secure environment to make purchases.