Having https now a Google Ranking Signal

Google is now putting more of an emphasis on security for SEO. You may have noticed over the past few years Google has moved all Google assets onto secure servers (https://). Putting a website on a secure server ensures user privacy.

Now Google is going beyond just having their websites on secure servers, they have announced that they are now rewarding websites that use secure servers. They have added a lightweight ranking signal that having a secure server will improve your website’s SEO.

The importance of using HTTPS right now has a small benefit, but Google has threatened in the future that not having a HTTPS secure server will hurt your SEO more and more as they increase its importance as a ranking signal.

What does this mean for car dealerships?
Right now most car dealerships have a finance or credit application on their websites. These credit applications are hosted on a separate https server. Now your entire website may have to move to a secure server.

Show me the $$$! Having a secure server costs you more money. A secure server is protected by SSL Certificates. These certificates cost anywhere from $80 to $300 per year per website. The SSL Certificate companies probably love this SEO change.

Further Reading:
HTTPS as a ranking signal – Google’s Webmaster Central Blog.