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If I need HTTPS / SSL encryption on my web site, does it matter who I get my certificate from? Are some SSL certificate vendors better than others? If so, why?

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If price is your main concern then it probably doesn't matter. However, I think some brands are trusted more than others e.g. Verisign is more well known than Comodo, so your users may be more comfortable if you go with Verisign.

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    The average user is not going to look at who has issued the certificate. Not even the average power user. Only perhaps the most paranoid user will be looking at who issued the certificate.
    – Mark Henderson
    Jul 9, 2010 at 1:30
  • Not sure I agree. With ecommerce sites it is common to display the logo of the SSL issuer, so I think users may be more aware of this than you give them credit for.
    – user42
    Jul 9, 2010 at 13:07
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We have seen that Google has different "trust" signals in how it ranks pages. One of these is that the more expensive your technology, the less likely you are to be a fly-by-night spam outfit. Spammers don't spend money on SSLs, and definitely not a nice Verisign SSL.

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    Sounds interesting. Any reference to back this up?
    – Chris W. Rea
    Jul 9, 2010 at 22:40
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    It was in a book that I happened to have read while waiting for someone at Barnes and Nobles. I'll have to see if I can find it. There was also a discussion amongst some SEOs that generalized this, but its not on the web :(
    – Dan Gayle
    Jul 14, 2010 at 20:53

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