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Another change to Google algorithm affects visitor numbers

RICHARD WEINER
Technology for Lawyers

Published: September 4, 2015

In the last couple of years, Google has instituted several changes to its algorithm that will affect how many people may visit your website.

The algorithm is Google’s way of ranking which pages show up closest to the top of the first search page when a potential client types in, for instance, “Akron divorce lawyer.”

The guaranteed way to get to the top of the page is to pay for that service, of course. But if that isn’t an option, Google ranks pages based on specific criteria. The original Google algorithm ranked pages based upon how many other pages linked to any given web page.

Commercially, that algorithm led to the development of “link farms,” where, for a fee, any commercial site could have thousands of other pages linked to it.

In response to that, Google changed its algorithm to reward content in its web pages, which is right where an information-heavy law firm website should be living.

Now, Google has instituted another change, based on what really happens to commercial sites—which is, that they are very susceptible to having their monetary transactions hijacked.

The new wrinkle in the Googlesphere is that secure commercial websites will now be ranked above sites that do not have security certificates. The change in the algorithm tracks back about a year, but its effect is now more front and center in Google’s website results.

A commercial website, including law firm websites, with a security certificate will now be ranked higher than one that does not have one.

This is important for more than just Google results—it also means that clients who pay online can be more assured that their payments will end up where they intended.

While not perfect, secure websites are far more, well, secure, than open sites. A secure website has a purchased and installed security certificate, called an SSL. The web address begins with HTTPS://, instead of HTTP://, and shows a lock in the address bar.

Adding a security certificate to a website is easy.

If you have a web developer, the cost to add a security certificate will be around $50 a year. Just talk to your web developer.

If you’re doing your own site, figure on paying slightly more. All the information you need is at https://www.sslshopper.com/. (Notice that this is a secure site).

If you don’t have an SSL, don’t feel bad. I just looked at the websites of Akron’s three largest firms, and none of them have one, either. They should get one, and so should you. (Thanks for the tip to Georgia attorney Lee Rosen, like me a nice Jewish boy who likes legal technology).


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