Virtual private network (VPN) is a technology that stretches a private network across a public network. It helps you build a secure connection to another network over the World Wide Web. In other words, it shields your browsing activity from almost all kinds of investigation on a public network.
VPN is prevalent nowadays, but not for the reasons it was originally invented for. Initially, VPNs were set up to link different business networks together safely over the internet or allow people to access their business networks from home or any remote place.
Today, the virtual private network has been used for a variety of purposes, ranging from hiding/changing IP addresses, accessing blocked websites, encrypting data, and more. In this article, we will learn about how a VPN works and how you can use it for SEO purposes. However, before that, let’s have a quick look at the VPN market growth over the years.
VPN global market and users
According to stats by Statista, 26%[1] of global internet users accessed the internet through a VPN in the first quarter of 2018. While in North America alone, 18% of people used VPNs and proxy in the first quarter of 2018.
In 2018, the global market for VPN was worth $20.60 billion that has constantly been increasing with each passing year.
How does a VPN work?
A virtual private network routes your device’s internet connection via your selected VPN’s private server instead of your internet service provider (ISP). For that reason, when your data is transferred to the internet, it comes from a VPN rather than your own device. In other words, VPN acts as an intermediator when you connect to the World Wide Web. It hides your IP address and safeguards your identity.
A virtual private network builds a secret “tunnel” from your device