• Google will also reward sites using HTTPS to rank slightly higher than HTTP websites.

  To ensure Google doesn’t serve your website audience a “NOT SECURE” warning from your website, we will need to install a Security Certificate, also known as an SSL. While this is not a mandatory COG Digital advise to have us install an SSL on your website.

  Protect your site and your users Secure your site with HTTPS

  What is HTTPS?

  HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is an internet communication protocol that protects the integrity and confidentiality of data between the user’s computer and the site. Users expect a secure and private online experience when using a website. We encourage you to adopt HTTPS in order to protect your users’ connection to your website, regardless of the content on the site.

  Data sent using HTTPS is secured via Transport Layer Security protocol (TLS), which provides three key layers of protection:

  1. Encryption—encrypting the exchanged data to keep it secure from eavesdroppers. That means that while the user is browsing a website, nobody can “listen” to their conversations, track their activities across multiple pages, or steal their information.
  2. Data integrity—data cannot be modified or corrupted during transfer, intentionally or otherwise, without being detected.
  3. Authentication—proves that your users communicate with the intended website. It protects against man-in-the-middle attacks and builds user trust, which translates into other business benefits.

   

• Use robust security certificates

  You must obtain a security certificate as a part of enabling HTTPS for your site. The certificate is issued by a certificate authority (CA), which takes steps to verify that your web address actually belongs to your organization, thus protecting your customers from man-in-the-middle attacks. When setting up your certificate, ensure a high level of security by choosing a 2048-bit key. If you already have a certificate with a weaker key (1024-bit), upgrade it to 2048 bits. When choosing your site certificate, keep in mind the following:

  • Get your certificate from a reliable CA that offers technical support.
  • Decide the kind of certificate you need:
    • Single certificate for single secure origin (e.g. www.example.com).
    • Multi-domain certificate for multiple well-known secure origins (e.g. www.example.com, cdn.example.com, example.co.uk).
    • Wildcard certificate for a secure origin with many dynamic subdomains (e.g. a.example.com, b.example.com).

  Use server-side 301 redirects

  Redirect your users and search engines to the HTTPS page or resource with server-side 301 HTTP redirects.

  Verify that your HTTPS pages can be crawled and indexed by Google

  • Do not block your HTTPS pages by robots.txt files.
  • Do not include meta noindex tags in your HTTPS pages.
  • Use Fetch as Google to test that Googlebot can access your pages.

   

• Migrating your site from HTTP to HTTPS is easy when you get COG Digital to take care of it for you. Google treats this as a site move with a URL change. This can temporarily affect some of your traffic numbers. COG Digital are specialists in this task and while the move from http to https can temporarily affect some of your traffic numbers, we know how to ensure if there is any SEO activity or investment in your websites links we can take steps to make sure we honour them.

  Contact us today to ensure you’re ready for the Google Chrome October 2017 update.

Our team conducts customised strategies that use a variety of applications to obtain efficiency and operate optimally for Australian small businesses.

COG Branding is human first. Advanced technology and software requires smart humans to guide and manage how they are implemented. We offer both packaged products and customised services – because no two of our clients’ businesses are the same.

Our purpose is to create more time for business owners, and to nurture opportunities through to success. Over time it’s become clear that our skill is in being able to provide value when others are not able – and this continues to remain a core part of the COG Branding purpose. COG Branding leads as a technology and small business consultancy and operates as a brand and marketing agency.

Our team has an advanced knowledge of digital literacy ensuring the solutions and services we provide small businesses and brands are the most appropriate for the business, the most innovative and commercially viable. The COG Branding structure makes certain that we are providing brand, marketing and technology solutions for Australian small businesses that are underpinned by true value.

Our Sydney Branding Agency has two fundamental functions. The first is to deliver a dynamic consulting service to Australian small businesses, which includes the communication of knowledge, advice and strategic processes that are purposefully built to make them more profitable, sustainable and enjoyable.

Our approach is primarily due to the strong nature of our wider business model. It’s COG Branding’s mandate to continually push hard and assist Australia in becoming more innovative, competitive and prosperous. 

We know you need a trusted professional brand and marketing agency to support your business.

We’re focused on providing first class lead generation and digital marketing services, where services are financially-friendly, easy to understand yet deliver leads and perform successfully.

With this understanding of our clients needs, our experienced trusted Sydney digital agency offers free quotes and consultations, so to start witnessing your online success, call us today.

(+61 2) 9523 6007