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Protect Your SEO Rankings: Why Website Cyber Security is Critical for Your SEO Performance
Why Website Cyber Security is Critical for Your SEO Performance?
In today’s digital age, website security has become more critical. With increasing cyber threats and data breaches, ensuring your website is secure has become a top priority. However, website security doesn’t just protect your website from cyber threats. It also plays a crucial role in SEO performance. This article will explore how website security affects SEO performance and why it’s essential for your website’s success.
How Website Security Affects SEO Performance
Google, Bing and other search engines take website security very seriously. They want to ensure that users have a safe browsing experience and don’t end up on websites that could harm their devices or steal their data. Therefore, website security is a ranking factor in search engine algorithms. Websites with better security measures are likely to rank higher than those with weaker security measures.
Google has even stated that website security is one of its top priorities. They encourage website owners to use HTTPS, a secure protocol that encrypts data sent between the user’s browser and the website’s server. Websites that use HTTPS are rewarded with a slight ranking boost in search engine results pages (SERPs).
In addition to HTTPS, search engines also look for other security measures such as two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and regular software updates. Websites with these security measures are less likely to be hacked and, therefore, less likely to be penalized in search engine rankings.
Why Website Security is Important for SEO Performance?
A website that has been hacked or compromised can negatively impact SEO performance in several ways. First, search engines may flag the website as malicious or unsafe, which can display a warning message when users attempt to visit the site. This can cause users to lose trust in the website and avoid it altogether, leading to a drop in traffic and, ultimately, lower search engine rankings.
Second, a hacked website may contain malicious code or spammy links that can harm users’ devices. This can lead to search engines blacklisting the website, resulting in a significant drop in search engine rankings or even complete removal from search results pages.
Third, a hacked website may result in data breaches, compromising website visitors’ personal and sensitive information. Data breaches can lead to legal action and a tarnished reputation for the website owner, resulting in a significant loss of trust and credibility with users and search engines.
How a hacker can use your high-ranking website for their benefit?
If your website is ranking high on search engines and you do not have appropriate cyber security measures on your website. This attack is known as SEO Spamming. SEO spamming can result in a sudden loss of ranking and ruin your years of hard work.
Injecting malicious code
Hackers can inject malicious code into your website’s HTML code or database, which can cause your website to display unwanted content or redirect visitors to spammy websites.
Creating fake pages
Hackers can create counterfeit pages on your website with content stuffed with keywords or links to spammy websites. These pages are often hidden from regular visitors but visible to search engine bots, which can negatively affect your website’s ranking.
Comment spam
Hackers can use automated tools to leave spammy comments on your website’s blog or forum containing links to their websites.
Backlink spam
Hackers can create backlinks to their websites by adding them to your website’s content, footer, or sidebar. These links can negatively impact your website’s ranking in search engine results.
Hacking your website
Hackers can gain access to your website’s backend through vulnerabilities in your website’s security and then use your website to host spammy content or redirect visitors to other spammy websites.
Our Experience at Web99 recommends the following steps to Ensure Your Website is Secure for SEO Performance
- Use HTTPS: Implement HTTPS on your website to encrypt data sent between the user’s browser and the website’s server. This encryption will not only improve website security but also improve search engine rankings.
- Keep your software updated: Regularly update your website’s software, including any plugins, themes, and CMS. These updates often contain security patches that address known vulnerabilities.
- Use strong passwords: Use a complex, unique password that includes a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using common words or phrases.
- Enable two-factor authentication: Adding a security factor to your login process can prevent unauthorized access. Two-factor authentication requires users to enter a code sent to their phone or email in addition to their password.
- Use SSL encryption: SSL encrypts data transmitted between a website and its users, making it harder for hackers to interrupt and steal sensitive information. We recommend Comodo SSL.
- Regularly backup your website: In case of a security breach or other issue, having a recent website backup can be a lifesaver. Ensure to backup your website frequently and keep the backups secure.
- Use a reputable Australian web hosting service: We recommend using an Australian web hosting service that prioritizes website security and provides regular security updates and maintenance.
- Cybersecurity tools: At Web99, we understand the importance of website security for SEO performance. That’s why we suggest a range of web security products to our clients, including SiteLock, Comodo SSL, and Immunify360. SiteLock is a comprehensive website security solution that offers daily malware scanning, automatic malware removal, and vulnerability patching. Comodo SSL is a trusted certificate provider with high-level encryption for secure website connections. Immunify360 is an all-in-one security solution that offers real-time website protection, firewall, and advanced threat detection.
- Avoid backyard SEO agencies, international SEO agencies and Freelancers: SEO service providers often take shortcuts to secure sales at low cost by compromising your website security, which can cost you significantly high if you lose your SEO ranking by getting blocklisted by Search Engines.
Conclusion
In conclusion, website security is an essential aspect of SEO performance. Search engines prioritize website security and HTTPS encryption, which can improve your search engine rankings. In addition, website security is critical for maintaining user trust and confidence. Web security products like SiteLock, Comodo SSL, and Immunify360 can help protect your website from online threats and improve your SEO performance. At Web99, we offer our clients a range of web security products and recommend SiteLock for the best website security.
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About Author
Prem Rathod
Director & co-founder
Prem Rathod is a highly skilled professional and co-founder of Web99, a digital marketing and web development agency based in Australia. With expertise in SEO, he is committed to providing innovative solutions to help businesses improve their online presence and visibility. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Prem is passionate about leveraging technology to automate processes and drive innovation in the healthcare sector. His proficiency in SEO, automation, and health tech has helped Web99 stay at the forefront of the industry. His skills in web development, UI/UX design, and project management have also been instrumental in the growth and success of the company.
