What Is SSL?
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the technology that encrypts data exchanged between a user’s browser and a website’s server, preventing that data from being intercepted or read in transit.
SSL and HTTPS
When a site has SSL properly installed, its URLs load over HTTPS instead of HTTP, shown in the browser as a padlock icon next to the address bar. In practice, most modern “SSL certificates” actually run on the newer TLS protocol, though the term “SSL” has stuck around as the common industry shorthand.
Why It Affects SEO
Google confirmed HTTPS as a (lightweight) ranking signal back in 2014, and browsers now actively flag non-HTTPS sites as “not secure,” which can hurt user trust and conversion even where it doesn’t directly move rankings. For any site handling logins, payments, or personal information, SSL isn’t optional — and at this point, it’s standard practice for essentially every site regardless of what it collects.
