Switch from HTTP to HTTPS without ranking loss
Why HTTPS
HTTPS encrypts the connection between the browser and the website. Forms, logins, and orders are vulnerable without encryption, and browsers mark such pages as not secure. For Google, HTTPS is a minor ranking signal.
Here is how you proceed
- Set up certificate – free of charge with many hosts via Let's Encrypt.
- Redirect all HTTP addresses via 301 to the same HTTPS address.
- Switch internal links, images, and scripts to HTTPS (otherwise mixed content).
- Adjust canonical tags and sitemap to HTTPS.
- Confirm the HTTPS variant in Search Console if it is not set up as a domain property.
HSTS only at the end
With HSTS, the website instructs browsers to use HTTPS only from now on. This is sensible, but should only be activated when everything is running stably – a wrong setting cannot be quickly reversed for visitors.
Printed addresses
Printed links without https:// continue to work as long as the redirect exists. Dynamic QR codes use their own encrypted short address anyway and redirect to your current destination.
Frequently asked questions
Short-term fluctuations are possible. With clean 301 redirects and adjusted internal links, the transition is usually unproblematic.
An HTTPS page that loads images or scripts over HTTP. Browsers partially block such content and display warnings.
No. The domain remains the same, only the protocol changes.
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