How to Get an SSL Certificate

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When it comes to on-site SEO, one of the best ways that you can improve your ranking is to simply create a better website. This means you will have to regularly audit your website to keep information current and correct, and to also update it, so that it works as best as it can. Not only will upgrading and improving your website this way better the experience of the users who visit your site, it is also a great way to improve your on-site SEO.

Search engines like Google rank your website based on factors such as:

Site speed.
Site security.
Site design.

While the quality of your content and how you format each page is also important, site speed, security, and design all play important factors that should be addressed before you worry about your content. A slow website will turn away even interested users, and a poor or ugly design will likely result in a high bounce rateBounce rate is the percentage of visitors to a website who visit only one page. A high bounce rate indicates that visitors are not satisfied with your website. [note: could link to high bounce rate article]. Site security, however, is imperative for the safety of your website and for getting users to trust you, especially if there is an e-commerce aspect to your website. One of the ways you will secure and show your security measures is with an SSL Certificate.

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What is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL Certificate is a cryptographic key that is bound to your details. When you install it onto your web server, this cryptographic key then allows secure connections to occur from your server to a browser, ensuring the data is protected for both you and the user.

More importantly, this domain certificate is the standard for securing data transfers, particularly during credit card transactions, logins, and data transfers. Users know and can recognise when a website has an SSL Certification due to the padlock and HTTPS next to your URL.Why Do You Need One?

You need an SSL Certificate in order to:

Secure data between servers and browsers.
Increase your ranking on Google’s SERPs.
Be Trustworthy.
Increase conversionA conversion is a desirable result on a website that leads to an action such as completing an order, filling out a form, or simply clicking on a link. rates.

How To Get SSL Certificate Today

To obtain an SSL certificate on your domain, you will need to buy one as they are only used from trusted Certificate Authorities. You can get this certificate, for example, from Go Daddy, a popular third-party hosting site. You will need to:

Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) which indicates which server you will use and which domain names you want to be certified.
Request an SSL Certificate, available after you purchase your certificate. On Go Daddy, this means going to SSL Certificates > Set Up > New Certificate.
Verify your certificate, by validating all the required information, depending on the type of certificate. The most common certificate is Standard Assurance, though there is also Deluxe Assurance, Extended Validation, and Code & Driver Signing.
Verify Domain Ownership, done by following the instructions from your Certificate Authority.

The type of certificate you want will change what you will need to do in order to have it issued, and how long it will take. The Premium extended validation (EV) SSL certificate, for instance, will light the URL bar green to make it more obvious to users your site is secure, but will take longer than the standard certificate to issue.

Regardless of what kind of SSL certificate works for you, ensure you have one. It is important for your, and your customers’, safety.

Simon Brisk

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