TECHNICAL · SEO GLOSSARY
HTTPS Migration
Moving a website from HTTP to HTTPS — a required step for Google's security ranking signal, user trust (the padlock), and accurate Core Web Vitals data.
Definition
HTTPS migration is the process of moving a website from serving pages over HTTP to HTTPS (HTTP Secure, using TLS/SSL certificates). HTTPS became a minor Google ranking signal in 2014 and is now effectively table stakes — browsers show a "Not Secure" warning for HTTP sites, which destroys conversion rates. An HTTPS migration involves: (1) installing a TLS certificate on the server; (2) updating all internal links from `http://` to `https://` or using protocol-relative `//` URLs; (3) setting up 301 redirects from every `http://` URL to its `https://` equivalent; (4) updating the canonical tags, sitemap, and any hardcoded URLs in the CMS; (5) updating Google Search Console to use the HTTPS property.
Why it matters for SEO
An incomplete HTTPS migration is one of the most common causes of duplicate content and link equity loss. If `http://example.com/page` and `https://example.com/page` both serve the same content without a 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS, Google must choose a canonical version — and may choose differently than you intend. External links to the HTTP version don't automatically pass equity to the HTTPS version unless a 301 redirect is in place. Mixed content (HTTPS page loading HTTP resources like images or scripts) also causes browser security warnings.
How DeepSEOAnalysis checks this
The audit checks: whether the site is served entirely over HTTPS (any HTTP response is flagged), whether HTTP to HTTPS redirects are in place (not just for the homepage — for all crawled pages), whether canonical tags use HTTPS URLs consistently, whether internal links use HTTPS URLs (or protocol-relative), and whether the sitemap URLs are HTTPS.
Useful tools and resources
GLOSSARY
Related terms
technical
301 Redirect
A permanent HTTP redirect that passes ~90–99% of link equity from the old URL to the new one — the correct redirect type for permanent URL changes in SEO.
Read definition →technical
Canonical URL
The preferred URL for a page, declared via <link rel="canonical"> to prevent duplicate content from splitting ranking signals.
Read definition →technical
Crawlability
Whether search engine crawlers can successfully access, fetch, and parse a page — the prerequisite for indexing and ranking.
Read definition →onpage
Duplicate Content
Identical or substantially similar content appearing at multiple URLs — which forces Google to choose one version to index and can dilute ranking signals across copies.
Read definition →technical
Index Coverage
The count and status of pages Google has discovered, crawled, and indexed from a site — tracked in Google Search Console.
Read definition →See how your site scores on HTTPS Migration.
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