Switching to HTTPS: SEO Guide for Your Website [LNIM114]

by | Nov 17, 2016 | Podcast | 0 comments

Switching to HTTPS: SEO Guide for Your Website [LNIM114]

Switching to HTTPS can seem like an alphabet soup of acronyms and technical jargon, but the reality is that it is one of the most straightforward improvements you can make for both your SEO and your visitors' trust. In this episode, I walk through why HTTPS matters for search engine rankings, what SSL actually is, and exactly how I moved LateNightIM.com from HTTP to HTTPS using CloudFlare and a WordPress plugin called Really Simple SSL.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

  • What HTTPS and SSL are in plain English
  • Why Google gives ranking preference to HTTPS sites
  • Two practical methods for switching your WordPress site to HTTPS
  • How to use CloudFlare for free SSL certificate provisioning
  • How the Really Simple SSL WordPress plugin simplifies the migration
  • What you need to update in Google Analytics and Search Console after switching
  • Why Penguin 4.0 makes unnatural outbound links more dangerous than ever

Episode Summary

You have probably noticed that websites like Amazon show HTTPS with a lock icon in the browser bar instead of plain HTTP. That lock means the connection between your browser and the website's server is encrypted using a technology called SSL, or Secure Socket Layer. No one can eavesdrop on the data being transmitted. This has always been important for sites handling financial information, but Google has now decided to give ranking preference to HTTPS sites regardless of whether they process sensitive data.

That is why I switched LateNightIM.com to HTTPS. I do not handle financial information on this site, but making the switch sends a signal to Google that I care about being a trusted website and offering the best possible experience to readers. Google has been transparent about the fact that HTTPS is a ranking signal, and while the boost may be small, in competitive niches every advantage matters.

There are two main approaches to switching your WordPress site to HTTPS.

The first option is to check with your web host. Many hosting companies now support HTTPS directly and have their own instructions for enabling it. If your host offers this, follow their process as it will be the most straightforward path.

The second option, which is what I used, involves two tools: CloudFlare and the Really Simple SSL Plugin for WordPress. CloudFlare acts as a reverse proxy that sits between your visitors and your server. When you route your traffic through CloudFlare, you automatically get access to a generic SSL security certificate at no cost. The Really Simple SSL plugin then handles the WordPress side of things, making sure all your internal links, images, and resources load over HTTPS instead of HTTP. Together, these two tools make the migration remarkably painless.

After switching, there are two important housekeeping steps. First, update your site URL in Google Analytics from HTTP to HTTPS. Second, add your HTTPS site as a new property in Google Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools). I recommend keeping both the HTTP and HTTPS properties in Search Console so you can monitor the transition.

I also cover some important SEO news in this episode. Penguin 4.0, Google's real-time algorithm update, now pays attention to unnatural outbound links. If your website has a bunch of do-follow links that look like paid placements without proper disclosure, Google can reduce the authority of those pages or issue manual spam penalties. If your site has this problem, you need to either remove those links or mark them as no-follow immediately.

The episode opens with listener feedback about embedding video in ConvertKit emails. The answer depends on your goal: are you trying to drive traffic to your website, build your email list, or grow a presence on a video platform? The answer to that question determines the best approach for video in your email marketing.

Key Takeaways

  • HTTPS encrypts the connection between your visitor's browser and your server using SSL technology
  • Google has confirmed that HTTPS is a ranking signal. Every legitimate site should be using it.
  • CloudFlare provides free SSL certificates through their reverse proxy service
  • The Really Simple SSL WordPress plugin handles internal link and resource migration automatically
  • After switching, update your site URL in Google Analytics and add an HTTPS property in Google Search Console
  • Penguin 4.0 now penalizes sites with unnatural outbound do-follow links
  • Even if you do not handle financial data, HTTPS signals trust to both Google and your visitors

What's Changed Since This Episode

Mark recorded this in November 2016 when HTTPS was still optional for many website owners. That is no longer the case.

HTTPS is now a minimum requirement, not a competitive advantage. Every major browser, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, now displays a prominent “Not Secure” warning for any site loaded over plain HTTP. This warning appears in the address bar and actively discourages visitors from interacting with the page. Running an HTTP site in 2026 is essentially telling visitors and Google that your site is not trustworthy.

Free SSL certificates are now standard. Let's Encrypt, the free certificate authority, has become the default SSL provider for most hosting companies. Nearly every shared hosting plan now includes free SSL certificate provisioning with automatic renewal. The CloudFlare workaround Mark describes is no longer necessary in most cases because your host will handle SSL directly.

Most web hosts include HTTPS setup as a one-click feature. Companies like SiteGround, Cloudways, Hostinger, and managed WordPress hosts like Kinsta and WP Engine all provide automated SSL certificate installation. The manual process Mark describes has been almost entirely eliminated by host-side automation.

HTTP/2 requires HTTPS. The modern web protocol HTTP/2, which provides significant performance improvements including multiplexing and header compression, only works over HTTPS connections. This means switching to HTTPS does not just help your SEO; it actually makes your site faster by enabling HTTP/2.

Core Web Vitals benefit from HTTPS connections. Google's Core Web Vitals metrics, which are confirmed ranking signals, measure page loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. HTTPS connections combined with HTTP/2 contribute to better scores on these metrics, particularly Largest Contentful Paint.

The Really Simple SSL plugin Mark mentions is still available and still useful for sites that have not yet migrated, though most new WordPress installations are set up with HTTPS from the start. The migration advice in this episode remains fundamentally sound for anyone still running HTTP, though the process has become much simpler than it was in 2016.

Resources Mentioned

Related Episodes

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Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.

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