With Google making the push to HTTPS, there has been little to differentiate HTTP from HTTPS in the search results aside from the URL showing HTTPS in the URL line for each individual result. Chrome is also making a change in an upcoming version to flag insecure pages as such in the browser. But what about flagging insecure sites directly in the search results.
I asked Gary Illyes this at Brighton SEO. After all, it isn’t unheard of for Google to flag specific items in the search results. We have seen sites tagged with “Mobile Friendly” as well as with AMP icons to show fast sites. And it would make sense for Google to flag sensitive results – such as sites with an ecommerce component, or anything with a form to submit as insecure for searchers to make informed choices about the sites they visit for specific types of searches.
But according to Gary Illyes there are no plans to do this, at least not currently.
However, site owners that do have forms will want to still make the HTTPS switch before Chrome begins flagging insecure sites.
Jennifer Slegg
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