Google to give priority to secure websites

In a move to make the web a safer place for Internet users, Google has announced that it will list websites with secure connections on a priority basis in its search results.

In a blog post, the search engine giant explained that websites using secure connections like https over http will get a boost in ranking.

“For now, it is only a very lightweight signal to give webmasters time to switch to https,” Google said.

Lightweight signals affect fewer than one per cent of global queries and are less important than signals such as high-quality content.

The company, however, made it clear that it would strengthen the implementation of the indicator over time.

“We may decide to strengthen it because we would like to encourage all website owners to switch from http to https and keep everyone safe on the web,” it said.