HTTP/2 is coming to Google. And with it, better web browsing will follow.
Faster load times. Safer browsing. Better user experience. This is what HTTP/2 has to offer. If you haven’t yet implemented HTTP/2 for your site, you should. And you should do it soon.
Because with Google soon supporting HTTP/2, you can’t afford to go without it.
We’re already on board. So are several of our clients. To compete in today’s fast-paced web world, you’d better hop on. This is one train you don’t want to miss.
When Will Googlebot Support HTTP/2?
In the SEO world, we are used to relying on Google a lot. They help put our clients in front of their customer base, and they let us know when big, industry-shaking news is about to happen.
We also rely on Google to make our websites “seen.” The Googlebot crawler gathers website info and adds it to their vast database.
But currently, Googlebot does not support HTTP/2 protocol. And all that is about to change.
In a Google+ hangout last month, Google revealed that Googlebot will soon support HTTP/2. John Mueller suspects that it could be ready “by the end of the year.”
So if you’ve already moved to HTTP/2, Googlebot could see major increases to your site speed very soon. And if you’re still on HTTP, you could be missing out once the change happens. Remember—site speed is a ranking factor. With Googlebot support, it’s highly likely that HTTP/2 websites may see a boost to their rankings. It’s important to have every advantage over your competition, so why wouldn’t you make the switch to HTTP/2?
How HTTP/2 Will Increase Your Site Speed
Two features of HTTP/2 will increase your site speed:
Multiplexing. Mueller praised HTTP/2 for being able to “bundle requests.” Unlike HTTP, which has to complete each request before it can move on to the next one, HTTP/2 can grab many at once on a single connection. Embedded images, CSS, JavaScript files, and other elements can be part of a single request. With HTTP/2, websites will load faster because the browsers aren’t stuck processing a single request.
Header compression. Header compression improves upon HTTP’s ability to receive the requests and responses of a page. For example: a page with 80 assets and 1400 bytes of headers can take 7-8 round trips for the page to load (Source: HTTP/2 FAQ). Compressing these headers reduces overhead, leading to a lower overall page load time.
How HTTP/2 Makes Your Site Safer
With web security being the hot topic it is these days, HTTP/2 has the ability to bring improved security to web browsing. Currently, HTTP/2 requires that websites use HTTPS and the latest and most secure version of Transport Layer Security (TLS), version 1.2. This provides data encryption between servers and web browsers using advanced cipher suites. It’s the logical security solution for the modern internet age.
However, once HTTP/2 really gets rolling, it’s possible that browsers may support HTTP/2 without encryption. Why? Well, it was decided that making encryption a requirement got into murky territory, essentially “telling” users they have to pay for cryptography just to use HTTP/2. But Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer currently refuse to support a non-secure HTTP/2 version (they all run TLS-based versions at the moment). This could change in the future, but for now, this strong stance on user privacy provides a clear—and safe—advantage over HTTP.
Moving Forward: HTTP/2 and You
As leaders at the forefront of technology, we strive to provide our clients with the very best SEO services and web-based practices. The world’s top search engine is making a move toward HTTP/2, and it’s in everyone’s best interests to follow. We have seen firsthand the speed and security offered by HTTP/2. And it’s only going to get better once the Googlebot gets on board.
The longer you wait, the more you stand to lose. Why put off making your site the best it can be when Google might all but hand you better rankings?
There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be on HTTP/2 by early next year. It is the most up-to-date version of the very innards of the Internet, the stuff that makes it work. So do yourself (and your customers) a favor and get HTTP/2 now. We have already done this! Do you have Questions? Contact Search Engine Optimization Inc we can help!
