Welcome to the inaugural edition of Gladiator Law Marketing’s monthly SEO news update. Join us as we share some of the most relevant search engine news and recent top stories in the world of SEO.
Let’s dive in.
HTTPS “Not Secure”
First and foremost, Google Chrome began marking sites that are not HTTPS as “not secure”.
Why Is That Important?
There are least 3 reasons why making your site HTTPS compliant is an important measure to take:
1) Security – When your site is HTTPS, it is set up with a layer of protection. Personal data such as credit card information, email addresses, passwords, and other sensitive information is encrypted so it can transfer safely from your computer or device to its intended location.
2) Rankings Boost – Google is on record as far back as 2014 saying that sites that are HTTPS compliant receive a slight boost in rankings.
3) User Confidence – Users probably aren’t making purchases on law firm sites, but in addition to running the risk of privacy vulnerabilities, having the words, “not secure” sends the wrong message. Often times your website is the first touchpoint on a potential clients’ journey, and you’ll want to make sure you make a good first impression.
More Insights Into Image Referrals
Google announced that there is an update coming to the referral source url’s for Google Images. While Google didn’t give a specific date, the plan is to roll out a new referrer URL that is attributable to Google Images in the coming months –– https://images.google.com.
What That Means
For data lovers, this update will give better insights into what images are driving traffic. I.E–If there are images on other websites that link to your website, Google will be providing more information on those images. If you use Google Analytics, the Image Referral URL will be automatically rolled into the platform.
Google My Business Call Now Feature
Google has rolled out a “Call now” button in Google My Business. This CTA is the latest in the line of options and it allows for the ability to add a phone number directly into a post.
Learn More
The Google Chrome HTTPS compliance implementation, GMB call now feature, and image referral addition to Google Analytics were some of the highlights of the month. To learn about more SEO News, drop us a line. Additionally, if you need assistance with getting your site set up with HTTPS, improving your law firm SEO, or are curious about how to properly set up utilize a Google My Business listing for your law firm, contact us today.
Note: On August 1st, Google fully rolled out a core algorithm update nicknamed, “The Medic Update”. Based on preliminary results, the update seems to have impacted the following niches more so than others: Medical, Entertainment, and “Your Money Your Life” (YMYL) type sites.
We will dive into further analysis in the next installment, so stay tuned! In the meantime, learn more about the update here.
