We recently received a number of emails, like the one below, from Google Search Console or GSC. GSC is a free service from Google that allows webmasters to, among other things, check their site’s health.

The purpose of the message below is to remind webmasters that Google is really, really serious about encouraging (browbeating, arm twisting, forcing) website owners to make their sites secure for users by deploying an HTTPS browsing environment (using an SSL certificate).

Come sometime in October, if your site is not secured with an SSL certificate, visitors to your site using the Chrome browser will receive a message that the site is insecure, if you are trying to collect information from the user via a form. (And Google isn’t the only one. The makers of all mainstream browsers are on board with the move to HTTPS.)

The result is that visitors will pause before completing the form, and may abandon it altogether, even if the information they are submitting is not terribly sensitive. That can mean lost business.

And that’s not all. Notice the highlighted text below. The long-term goal –from Google and other browser makers– is to mark every page on your site that is not secured with HTTPS as “not secure”. The “long term” is fast approaching.

Skip below image for the solution…

google search console warning about https

Help! What Do I Do to Stop Browsers from Labeling my Site as Insecure?

The solution is fairly straightforward. You need to install a security (SSL) certificate on your website. And you should do it sooner rather than later.

You need to check with your website host to see what’s available. Basic SSL certificates range from free to about $80/year. Hosts often charge an installation fee.

If GoatCloud is your host, the security certificate itself is free. Between now and October 20, we will assess a one-time fee of $39 (per domain) to install the certificate.

If GoatCloud is not your host and you still want a certificate, we can help. In addition to any costs associated with the certificate or your host, our normal hourly rates apply to install it.

Click on the button below to get us started.

Let’s Get Secure!

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