What is SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate (Secure Sockets Layer, technically now TLS) enables an encrypted, secure connection between a user's web browser and the web server. Websites with SSL certificates are recognizable by "https://" and the lock symbol in the browser. SSL is now standard and is considered a ranking factor by Google. Without SSL, browsers show warnings like "Not secure," which deters users and reduces conversion rate. There are different SSL types: Domain Validation (DV) - simple and cheap, Organization Validation (OV) - with company validation, Extended Validation (EV) - highest validation. Let's Encrypt offers free DV certificates.
Key Points
- HTTPS is a Google ranking factor
- Browsers show warning without SSL
- Let's Encrypt offers free certificates
- DV, OV, EV: different validation levels
- Certificates must be renewed regularly
- Avoid mixed content (http resources on https page)
Practical Example
“After SSL implementation, the "Not secure" warning disappeared and conversions increased by 12%.”
Frequently Asked Questions about SSL Certificate
Effectively yes: browsers mark non-HTTPS pages as "not secure", Google has used HTTPS as a ranking signal since 2014, and encryption is required under GDPR for forms with personal data. A website without SSL is no longer defensible.
Standard certificates are free via Let’s Encrypt and are set up and renewed automatically by most hosts. Paid certificates (EV/OV) only make sense in special cases, for example when an organization must be named in the certificate.
By the padlock icon in the address bar and the URL starting with https://. The site should also redirect http requests to https automatically — otherwise both versions exist in parallel, which also hurts SEO.
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