Website security and SEO are closely bound. Security measures play a significant role in ensuring the success of your SEO efforts. Search engines like Google prioritize user safety while delivering a top-notch search experience. Website security, therefore, becomes a ranking factor.
Secure websites, protected by SSL certificates and HTTPS, enjoy an advantage in search engine rankings. A website that is protected with defensive measures like a firewall and offensive measures like vulnerability analysis also improves other SEO metrics, such as engagement and bounce rate. We’ll try to create a comprehensive picture of the relationship shared by SEO and website security.
Website Security, User Trust, and Engagement
Every website owner is responsible for providing a safe, secure browsing experience for their visitors. If search engine users encounter warnings or signs of potential security risks while visiting a site, they are likely to avoid engaging with that site. On the flip side, a secure website inspires confidence in users. When you create a secure browsing experience for your visitors, they are likely to stay longer, engage with your content, and even make a purchase from your site. Any doubts about security can completely ruin the possibility of conversion. Moreover, it contributes to a higher bounce rate, pushing your site further down the search results.
Getting Blacklisted can ruin your SEO Efforts.
Google checks all the sites it indexes for malicious scripts. If your website is found to contain malware, Google can silently add it to the blacklist and remove it from search results. Now this situation has a devastating effect on SEO.
- All the work you have put into enhancing your site’s position on the SERP goes down the drain.
- Users can no longer find your sites, so they are likely to reach out to a competitor.
- Even if someone tries to visit your site using a link, they’re likely to get a warning message, which in turn would discourage them from engaging in business with your company.
Overall, being blacklisted has a terrible effect on your brand, on your customer footfall, and, as a result, revenue.
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Do not let Hackers Hijack your SERP Position
A GoDaddy study found that 73% of website hacks had SEO spam at their core. When your website has vulnerabilities such as insufficient input validation, misconfigurations, and SQL injection vulnerabilities, hackers can use your high-authority site as a link farm. They can insert malicious links into your website directing your visitors to malicious sites.
Three things can happen here. One, your visitors start mistrusting you after being redirected without intent. Two, your business suffers significant reputational damage following an incident like that. Three, Google blacklists your site to protect its users from phishing attacks.
Now remember, you are most likely to be subject to such hijack attempts after you have climbed up the SERP. That means you have already invested a ton of money, hours, and effort in SEO before a hacker notices your site and decides to corrupt it.
To safeguard your online presence and protect your visitors, it is crucial to scan your server for vulnerabilities regularly. By conducting vulnerability scans, you can identify potential weaknesses — such as insecure input validation, misconfigurations, and SQL injection vulnerabilities — that could be exploited by hackers. Addressing these vulnerabilities promptly can prevent your website from being used as a link farm for malicious activities and ensure the safety and integrity of your visitors’ browsing experience. Incorporating SAST scanning further strengthens security by analyzing your source code for vulnerabilities before deployment, allowing you to fix issues early and maintain a robust, secure application.
Additionally, scanning your server for vulnerabilities is an essential proactive measure to maintain your visitors’ trust, protect your business reputation, and avoid potential blacklisting by search engines like Google.
SEO Sinks if you suffer a DDoS attack
Distributed Denial of Service is probably one of the most hated phrases in the IT business fraternity. For big businesses that handle millions of transactions an hour, a DDoS lasting even an afternoon can mean heavy losses. For companies fighting tooth and nail to make an impact—updating thousands of lines of code and overhauling architecture to reduce load time—a DDoS attack can cut even deeper.
Hackers use botnets (infected computers) to flood a specific website with traffic, crippling it and making it unusable for legitimate users. It destroys the work you’ve put into improving website performance, creating a quicksand into which your SEO efforts sink.
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Steps to Protect Your SEO Efforts from Cyberthreats
Implement Robust Website Security
- Make sure your hosting provider keeps the environment secure
- Keep your CMS, plugins, and themes up to date.
- Always use secure protocols such as HTTPS.
- Set up a web application firewall (WAF) to filter out malicious traffic.
Use Strong and Unique Passwords
- Ensure that all user accounts, including administrator accounts, use long, complex passwords.
- Completely avoid using common passwords.
- A password management tool can help you in this regard. You should also download SurfShark to cover your tracks when accessing your login board.
Regularly Back up your Website
- Perform regular backups of your website’s files and databases
- Test the restoration process periodically
- In case of a cyberattack or data loss, having recent backups will help you recover your website and SEO efforts.
Protect Against Malware and Hacking Attempts
- Install a reliable antivirus and anti-malware solution on your computer and keep it up to date.
- Opt for regular vulnerability assessment and penetration testing.
Be Cautious of Third-party Integrations and Code
- Carefully vet and review any third-party integrations or code
- Monitor your website’s performance and behaviour for any unexpected changes that could indicate a security breach.
Monitor and Respond to Suspicious Activity
- Monitor probable attack surfaces and indicators of malicious activity carefully.
- Have an incident response protocol in place to promptly deploy a countermeasure for any security incident.
Regular Security Testing
The importance of regular security testing cannot be stressed enough. Setting up a system of continuous vulnerability scanning and frequent penetration testing helps you be vigilant about your business’s security posture. Vulnerability analysis helps you identify the most potent risks and address them accordingly through intelligent resource allocation.
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Conclusion
Search engine optimization plays a pivotal role in driving traffic to your marketing websites. It directly impacts your revenue. SEO and content professionals spend innumerable hours building organic traffic to your website through blogging, link building, and whatnot. A cyberattack can turn all this effort into ash.
A strong security posture builds trust, creates reliability, and boosts reputation. All of these qualities lead to a better ranking. Your website’s performance is key to ranking high in the SERP for a keyword, and it depends on security. All of these correlations establish website security as a key component for the success of your SEO efforts.
