3 minute read

In the past it was technically difficult to migrate your site from HTTP to HTTPS, and now it’s becoming the norm. Technology has evolved so that implementing encryption on your site is now easier than ever. This is due to many things including faster servers, affordable and easy SSL certificate set up, and better protocol mechanisms. It’s not just ecommerce sites that require this anymore. The age of interactive and social shareworthy content has also led to a need for greater security. As more and more websites implement encryption, the need for companies and brands to redirect HTTPS links has subsequently grown. We’re all seeing more and more search engines amend not only their rankings but browser warnings are also made to encourage HTTPS sites. A web migration of any kind may seem like a large task, and there are many things to consider during a migration: like how SEO will be affected and how will SSL certificates be managed, to name a few.

The importance of security for SEO

Search engines reward secure sites with higher SEO rankings, and HTTPS redirection ensures that you keep this value even when you redirect your URLs. A few other benefits of HTTPS for SEO include;

  1. HTTPS creates security for visitors by preventing your content or redirects from being changed by third parties.
  2. The SEO of HTTPS content is improved because Google rewards sites for implementing encryption.
  3. HTTPS increases trust in your brand.

SSL Certificate Management

With HTTPS redirection comes the need for SSL certificate management. SSL certificates are necessary anytime HTTPS is used. Ideally, you’d like one provider to handle both the redirection and the SSL certificate activation and renewal.

Automatic HTTPS, where SSL certificates are automatically configured and renewed, is increasingly important to any business who is looking to save time and money during their migration. If this is done automatically, once the DNS records are pointed to the redirection engine service, the SSL certificate will be provisioned and the URL will be redirected.

HTTPS is a ranking factor for Google

Secure HTTPS sites are here to stay, and the way you use the internet depends on it. Many browsers have long term plans to mark all non-HTTPS sites as insecure, so the time is now to protect your customers and your content and avoid nasty error messages from browsers. In fact, Google has publicly announced on their Chromium blog that they will show warnings to users who try to visit non-HTTPS sites.

Google Chrome said, “[beginning] October 2017, Chrome will show the ‘Not secure’ warning in two additional situations: when users enter data on an HTTP page, and on all HTTP pages visited in incognito mode,” and that, “Eventually, we plan to show the ‘Not secure’ warning for all HTTP pages, even outside Incognito mode. We will publish updates as we approach future releases, but don’t wait to get started moving to HTTPS!”

The switch to HTTPS doesn’t need to be a headache, and is well worth it when done correctly. There are now ways to make these changes yourself quickly, and URL redirection is a part of that.

Start your HTTPS migration today! Keep your business and your customers secure and ahead of the curve, while protecting your SEO power and improving your Google ranking. For websites not already on HTTPS, it is crucial to start this transfer now. EasyRedir securely redirects HTTPS URLs quickly, and easily. Sign up today for a 14-day free trial.

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