Google Update | HTTPS To Boost Your Real Estate Website

GOOGLE UPDATE WILL BOOST WEBSITES THAT USE HTTPS

Interested in improving your real estate website? Google just announced that sites which use the HTTPS encryption will receive a ranking boost. HTTPS provides an overall safer user experience, and Google has decided to reward websites for that. Sites that aren’t encrypted often leave behind informatoin about metadata that can be compromising to a user’s privacy.

Any individual visit to a particular website is not informative on its own– but when someone’s search history is looked at holistically, it can create trouble. Currently, when a person uses unsecured and unauthentic wifi– passive hackers can listen in and gather data about what they are doing.

A hacker can also target your real estate website and wreak servoius havoc. If an attacker targets your site, they can potentially trick a visitng homebuyer or homeseller  into using a website that is hosted by them. When actively attacking your customers — these hackers have the ability to modify your real estate website — without you ever knowing!

When you have an encrypted website, it protects the potential homebuyers and homesellers that visit,  and also keeps your real estate site secure.  HTTPS (TLS)  covers 3 different things:

Authenticaion – Are users talking to the entity they claim to be? HTTPS ensures you are talking to the right entity. 

Data Integrity – Ensures your data is not modified while it’s in tranisit between client and server.

Encryption – Protect communicatoin from ease droppers and attackers. 

Currently, sites that employ HTTPS will notice a slight increase. Google says it will only affect about 1% of all search queries. HTTPS is also not as important as quality content and links.  However,  with the increase of indentity theft and viruses, Google plans to raise the level of importance overtime, as a way to encourage all websites to be safer.

Google takes the user experience into consideration when it comes to listing websites. Ranking factors include site speed and the safety of a website overall. Unfortunately, employing HTTPS could potenially slow down your site, resulting in a negative impact on your ranking in search results.  However, if  done appropriately, HTTPS should be able to perform at the same speed while delivering a more secure experience.

For more information about the HTTPS update and how it can affect your real estate business click here. To get your website encrypted, talk with your Webmaster or contact HomeFolio media at:

HomeFolio Media

925- 202 – 2426

charde@homefoliomedia.com

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Charde' Henderson

Born and raised In the San Francisco Bay Area, Charde' Henderson developed an appreciation for the real estate industry at an early age. Her father, a real estate investor, would take her around every Sunday to visit homesin luxury home markets such as Blackhawk, Danville, Alamo and Diablo. It was there her understanding of the housing industry began. After high school, Charde' studied real estate, and later on received a Bachelors Degree in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley. She has worked with some of the leading pioneers in social media marketing, and uses her educational and professional training to act as HomeFolio Media's Content Strategist& S.E.O Manager. Charde' currently resides in Pleasanton, CA.

Latest posts by Charde' Henderson (see all)

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