HTTPS — HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure — encrypts the connection between a visitor's browser and your website, preventing third parties from intercepting or modifying the data exchanged. Google confirmed HTTPS as a ranking signal in 2014, and since then it has become effectively non-negotiable for any site that wants to rank competitively. Beyond the ranking benefit, browsers now display prominent "Not Secure" warnings for HTTP pages, which damages credibility and conversion rates significantly.

HTTPS as a Ranking Signal

Google described HTTPS as a "lightweight" ranking signal when it was first introduced — one that would be a tiebreaker between otherwise equal pages rather than a major ranking factor. In practice, the significance has grown as HTTPS adoption has increased. Today, virtually all pages ranking on the first page of Google results are HTTPS. An HTTP site is not competing on a level playing field.

Beyond the direct ranking signal, HTTPS affects rankings indirectly through bounce rate. When Chrome displays a "Not Secure" warning on a page, a significant percentage of visitors leave immediately without engaging. This creates negative engagement signals that compound the direct ranking impact.

Checking Your Current SSL Status

Use our SSL checker to verify your current HTTPS configuration. It checks your certificate validity, expiry date, issuer, covered domains, and whether HTTP correctly redirects to HTTPS. A secure site should pass all checks with no warnings.

Common issues the checker reveals include expired certificates, certificates that do not cover all your subdomains (www vs non-www), and HTTP pages that do not redirect correctly to HTTPS.

How to Migrate from HTTP to HTTPS

If your site is still on HTTP, migrating to HTTPS requires careful execution to avoid losing rankings during the transition:

Step 1 — Install an SSL certificate. Most hosting providers including Hostinger offer free SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt. Install it through your hosting control panel — it typically takes minutes and is fully automated.

Step 2 — Set up 301 redirects. Every HTTP URL must redirect to its HTTPS equivalent. In Apache (.htaccess), add: RewriteEngine On / RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off / RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Step 3 — Update internal links. Change all internal links, image URLs, and resource references from HTTP to HTTPS. Mixed content — an HTTPS page loading HTTP resources — triggers browser warnings and partially defeats the purpose. Use our broken link checker to find any remaining HTTP references on your pages.

Step 4 — Update your canonical tags. All canonical tags should reference HTTPS URLs. As we covered in our guide to canonical tags, a canonical tag pointing to an HTTP URL from an HTTPS page creates a conflicting signal.

Step 5 — Update Google Search Console. Add your HTTPS property as a separate property in Search Console and submit your HTTPS sitemap. Google treats HTTP and HTTPS as separate sites — you need the HTTPS version verified and your sitemap submitted there.

Maintaining Your SSL Certificate

SSL certificates expire — usually annually for paid certificates, every 90 days for free Let's Encrypt certificates. Most hosting control panels renew automatically, but verify this is set up. An expired certificate causes the same browser warnings as no certificate at all. Use our SSL checker to monitor expiry dates and set up alerts well in advance.

Summary

HTTPS is a ranking signal, a trust signal, and a basic requirement for any serious website. Check your current status with our SSL checker, install a certificate if you do not have one, implement 301 redirects from all HTTP URLs, fix mixed content issues, and update Search Console. Monitor certificate expiry proactively to prevent unexpected security warnings.

Missed the previous article? Read: How to Do a Website Speed Audit and Fix What You Find