HTTPS & SEO

In the past, website security was a technical concern. Today, HTTPS is a top SEO priority. Google’s job is to recommend the best and most trustworthy websites to users. Because of this, they are constantly looking for signals that your site is secure and safe to use. Without a secure site, you can’t hope to rank well.

A security breach can be devastating for your business. Hackers can use your site to hide malicious links and redirects. Even worse, they can steal customer data and personal information. If Google finds your site has been compromised, it will immediately warn users away, which can destroy your traffic and brand reputation.

What Is HTTPS?

HTTPS, or Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure, is a more secure way to send and receive information online. The “S” stands for “secure” because it encrypts, or scrambles, all data sent between a user’s browser and your website. This means that a hacker can’t read the information, keeping your visitors’ data and your business safe.

Why You Need to Switch to HTTPS

• Privacy and Security: HTTPS protects your users’ data, especially on public Wi-Fi networks where it can be easily intercepted. This keeps your website and your visitors safe from malicious attacks.
• SEO: Google has confirmed that HTTPS is a ranking factor. While it may not be the biggest factor, for two websites with similar content and quality, the one with a secure connection will likely rank higher.
• Trust: When a website uses HTTPS, it gets a green padlock icon in the browser’s address bar. This is a powerful signal of trust for visitors. Browsers like Chrome now show a “Not secure” warning for websites that don’t use HTTPS, which can drive visitors away.
• Referral Data: Websites that use HTTPS will not send referral data to insecure websites. This means if you want to know where your traffic is coming from, you need to be on a secure connection.

Your brand’s credibility starts with security. If you’re looking for help with your overall branding, you can use our free tools like the Slogan Generator or the Brand Name Generator to get started.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Switching to HTTPS

Switching to HTTPS is a simple process, but it requires a few important steps to ensure a smooth transition.

Step 1: Get a Certificate

To use HTTPS, you need an SSL/TLS certificate. These are often free or very inexpensive and are typically provided by your hosting provider. Some providers offer free standard validation certificates, which are suitable for most websites.

Step 2: Install and Check Your Certificate

Once you have a certificate, you need to install it on your server. Your hosting provider’s support team can help you with this if you’re not sure how. After installation, you should check for the green padlock icon in your browser’s address bar when you visit your site. This tells you the connection is secure.

Step 3: Fix Mixed Content

Mixed content occurs when your secure HTTPS page tries to load insecure HTTP content, such as images, videos, or scripts. This causes your browser to show a warning. To fix it, you need to update all your file paths so they load using https://. A simple way to do this is to replace http:// with // in your file paths, as the browser will then automatically use the correct protocol.

Step 4: Update All Your Links

Once your site is fully secure, you need to update every single link to use https://. This includes internal links, links in your sitemap, canonical tags, and any other references to your website.

Step 5: Redirect Your Traffic

The final and most crucial step is to redirect all traffic from your old, insecure http:// address to the new https:// address. The best way to do this is with a 301 redirect, which tells search engines and users that the move is permanent. For a website on an Apache server, you can add this code to your .htaccess file:

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off

RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

This ensures that any old links or bookmarks automatically take visitors to your new, secure site.