HTTPS - A "Tiebreaker"

[enlytend]

Google's Gary Illyes clarified that, as many of us suspected, https is a "tiebreaker", not a major factor in rankings. All other things being equal (which they never are ), the https page will jump ahead of the non-https.

(Actually Gary said "dealbreaker", but taking it in context it's pretty obvious he meant "tiebreaker.")

Twitter exchange posted at SEORoundtable

 

[ulterios]

Thanks E, good to have some kind of official word or reference on this. I figured that was about what it came down to but this helps to verify that.

When the Algo update was coming out many people were going crazy thinking they needed the "s" to rank higher.

I also noticed that he made reference to the number 1 spot only: "it acts as a dealbreaker when two sites are in a tie for the same number one ranking.", so I wonder if the number 1 spot is the only place it matters?

I only use https on sites that involve a $ transaction of some kind.

 

[enlytend]

Probably applies to any position... The only time I've actually SEEN it is when pages of a site get indexed for both https and http (A Bad Thing), they will rank the https above the same page with http. But even then, you need to go through some search contortions to see it,

 

[ulterios]

I would think it would apply to any position myself. I just noted the statement about the number 1 position.

It's still early enough for me to catch things like that!

BTW:
How would ranking the same page for https & http be bad? LMAO

Doesn't that mean a page would have 2 spots and 2 chances to get a click?

Next thing you are gonna tell me is that it's bad to rank for the WWW and Non-WWW version of the same web page!

Sounds like Snake-Oil talk to me! LOL

 

[enlytend]

How would ranking the same page for https & http be bad? LMAO

Duplicate content.

Google won't show both in normal searches, the only way I saw that they preferred the https on 2 equal pages was to do an unfiltered site search - site:domainname.tld&filter=0 . That returns all the indexed pages including ones they don't normally show because they're too "similar."

In a "normal" search they'll pick one copy to show you. In that example, they were showing https for the home page and http for most other pages. PS - they had a lame shared SSL certificate that returned warnings because info didn't match the domain - https wasn't intentional and it certainly didn't inspire trust in this case!

Next thing you are gonna tell me is that it's bad to rank for the WWW and Non-WWW version of the same web page!

Why yes I am .

Google claims they can make sense out of duplicate content. They do ... sort of ... In real life, it confuses them and they just throw up their hands and don't treat any of it well. Also, both scenarios split your link equity.

 

[ulterios]

Duplicate content.

I was actually watching some videos the other day on Duplicate Content. A lot of which I had thought was the case before watching.

Too many webmasters and new/inexperienced SEO's freak out at those 2 words, being scared of penalties.

It's not always the case as some are scared of using the same 3-4 words on one page vs. another. Some people do take their so-called understanding of things in a strange/paranoid direction.

Some people actually think using the same words across a website on many different cases is duplicate penalty. I got involved in a conversation a few days ago and told someone that they are crazy, unless of course they are trying to load their site with repetitive keywords. I said as long as your posts are worded properly and you aren't trying to cram the same keywords across your site and you are genuinely using the words properly, then you will be fine.

That's what triggered my Matt Cutts parody videos that I posted a couple of days ago.

I love those!!! I posted one on another site long ago and someone thought they were real! LMAO

Google won't show both in normal searches, the only way I saw that they preferred the https on 2 equal pages was to do an unfiltered site search - site:domainname.tld&filter=0 . That returns all the indexed pages including ones they don't normally show because they're too "similar."

Wow, thanks. I have learned something new today. Now I have to go and try that one out. :D

In a "normal" search they'll pick one copy to show you. In that example, they were showing https for the home page and http for most other pages. PS - they had a lame shared SSL certificate that returned warnings because info didn't match the domain - https wasn't intentional and it certainly didn't inspire trust in this case!

So you are telling me that HTTPS doesn't inspire trust? I guess all those Chinese sites selling traffic to unknowing people using the HTTPS protocol for their websites are trying to instill false trust? Say it isn't so!



Why yes I am .

Google claims they can make sense out of duplicate content. They do ... sort of ... In real life, it confuses them and they just throw up their hands and don't treat any of it well. Also, both scenarios split your link equity.[/QUOTE]

 

[enlytend]

Loading your site with keywords is bad too, but it's not duplicate content.
Fixing real duplicate content /canonicalization issues can be a big win.

 

[ulterios]

Loading your site with keywords is bad too, but it's not duplicate content.
Fixing real duplicate content /canonicalization issues can be a big win.

Yes, that's true. Too bad many people don't understand that.

Oh wait, maybe it's better for me/my sites that they don't understand that.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge & experience Enly, it's greatly appreciated as usual. :D

Now between the info above & your Blog Post , you have given me some things to look into. Thanks for sharing!