Encrypted web pages could be ranked higher in Google search results, according to reports.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Matt Cutts, a software engineer with the company who currently heads-up the online spam division, has been discussing such changes in internal conversations.
Google’s motivation is apparently a desire to make the web more secure. Encryption could enable this, by making it harder for third parties to snoop on users’ activities online.
Currently, the search giant uses over 200 factors in its algorithms that help determine search rankings and adding encryption to the list would encourage wider adoption as websites jostle for position at the top.
However, according to a Wall Street Journal source, discussions are in their early phases and no change should be expected soon.
This is not the first time Cutts has mentioned encryption with regard to the Google algorithm, having first touched on the subject at Search Marketing Expo in the US last month.
Kevin Mahaffey, chief technology officer at mobile-security company Lookout told the Wall Street Journal that Google including web page encryption in its search algorithm would be "a wonderful thing".
PC Pro contacted Google for comment, but the company had not responded at the time of publication.
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