Nov
24
Are DKIM And SPF Keys Really Important?
If you have sent email campaigns through SEO Resources’s Email Module, then you have probably implemented DKIM and SPF keys already. Or you would have at least heard us talk about the importance of these authentication keys. Authentication is not an option, but a necessity to secure your brand and online reputation. Use it to protect yourself from domain forgery and phishing scams.
Why Is Email Authentication Important?
To get a better picture of why authentication is important, let’s start from scratch. Email was developed before the evolution of www and was not designed with security in mind. Email was used by a very limited circle then, like the Department of Defense and some major universities. But now, email is universal. Since it’s inconvenient to change the core technology, new security features like email authentication have been added to the existing infrastructure.
In the case of Email Service Providers (ESP) like SEO Resources, who send emails from their IP addresses on customers’ behalf, authentication plays a major role. It shows the recipient that though the email comes from lfmxmail.com and the “From Email” mentions another corporate domain, it is still a legitimate email. Authentication adds a clear sender identity with every email message.
What Are These Authentication Keys?
There is no single method for authentication. Different ISPs look for different things, like Yahoo checks for Domain Keys or Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM), AOL looks for Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and Hotmail/MSN requires a Sender ID. These keys take advantage of the existing network infrastructure provided by the Domain Name Service (DNS) to publish authentication data.
How Does It Help?
Authentication allows ISPs to assign a reputation to a mail stream by accurately identifying the originator of a given email message. A compliant infrastructure establishes oneself as a reputable mailer. It’s often the first thing that the recipient server looks at to decide where to deliver the email (Inbox or Junk/Spam).
Can Authentication Solve Deliverability Problems?
Please note that authentication is just a process to verify or sign emails. It is not the only factor which will decide whether your email will land in the inbox or spam folder. It’s just a part of domain validation. Email content, outdated mailing lists, complaints and bounces also affect deliverability.
Need help to set up DKIM and SPF keys in your specific DNS? Find the step-by-step instructions here or contact info@seoresources.com
