HTTPS as an SEO Ranking Signal: Boost Your Google Ranking

Does HTTPS Help SEO Ranking? Why Secure Sites Rank Higher on Google

If you're trying to climb the Google rankings, switching to HTTPS could be one of the easiest technical wins. HTTPS is more than a padlock icon - it's a direct ranking signal in Google's algorithm.

In this post, we break down how HTTPS impacts SEO, what Google has confirmed about it, and how it fits into a wider SEO strategy.

It’s worth reading if you want to stay ahead of competitors who still haven’t moved to HTTPS or are unsure if it really affects their search engine ranking.

Outline

1. What is HTTPS and how does it work?

2. Is HTTPS a confirmed Google ranking signal?

3. Why did Google start favouring HTTPS?

4. How does HTTPS influence search engine ranking directly?

5. Does HTTPS help you rank higher for competitive search terms?

6. What are the SEO benefits of HTTPS beyond ranking?

7. What happens if you don’t switch from HTTP to HTTPS?

8. How do you move to HTTPS without damaging SEO?

9. Why is HTTPS important for SEO strategy today?

10. What other ranking factors should you combine with HTTPS?

1. What is HTTPS and how does it work?

HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It's the secure version of HTTP - the basic protocol used to send data between your browser and a website.

When you use HTTPS, the data is encrypted using an SSL certificate, which creates a secure connection to Google or any other service.

For SEO, this secure layer matters. Google and other search engines want to rank pages users can trust.

If your site uses HTTPS, Google considers it a safer destination and marks it with a padlock icon in browsers like Google Chrome.

This gives users more confidence in your website, especially on pages that involve forms or payments.

Google interprets HTTPS pages as a positive ranking signal because they indicate that website owners care about online security.

Starting to use HTTPS is no longer optional - it's part of the basic expectation for any credible site.

2. Is HTTPS a confirmed Google ranking signal?

Yes, Google confirmed that HTTPS is used as a ranking signal. It’s not the most powerful factor, but it does play a role.

In fact, Google gives preference to HTTPS URLs in its ranking algorithms, especially when comparing otherwise similar content.

This means that if two websites have roughly equal quality and relevance, the version of the website using HTTPS will likely rank better.

Google uses this as a light-weight signal to encourage all website owners to switch from HTTP.

By using HTTPS, you're not just protecting your users - you're giving your SEO a subtle but real edge.

Google has stated they’d like to encourage all website owners to adopt HTTPS as standard, and they even created resources to help webmasters prevent and fix problems when migrating.

3. Why did Google start favouring HTTPS?

Google prefers HTTPS because it helps keep everyone safe on the web.

Websites people access from Google should be secure - that’s the core reason behind using HTTPS as a ranking signal.

Security breaches on their sites can have a big impact on users, which affects Google’s reputation too. So taking into account whether sites use secure connections is a logical move for the search engine.

HTTPS also aligns with Google's long-term push for better search results. Content in search must be relevant, but it must also be delivered safely.

Using HTTPS protocol shows that your site values data protection, which is important for SEO trust.

4. How does HTTPS influence search engine ranking directly?

HTTPS affects search engine results by being a direct, measurable ranking signal.

Google’s ranking algorithms include hundreds of factors, and HTTPS is one of them. It works alongside other signals like content relevance and page speed.

When Google crawls a site, it looks at whether the connection is encrypted. If it is, this is logged as a positive signal in the ranking process.

Although it might not be as strong as a high-quality backlink, it’s still a useful boost - especially in tight ranking battles.

If you're aiming to improve your Google ranking, switching from HTTP to HTTPS is a great way to improve your technical SEO without changing your content.

Even on its own, it's a way to improve your rankings, and combined with other best practices, it gives you a more competitive position in the search engine results.

5. Does HTTPS help you rank higher for competitive search terms?

It can. In industries where dozens of websites are producing high-quality content with strong on-page SEO, even small ranking factors like HTTPS can make a difference.

If you're targeting competitive search terms or aiming for the first page, you need every advantage.

Google uses HTTPS as a tiebreaker when ranking content with similar quality and intent. So if you want to rank higher for a high-volume search term, don’t ignore the importance of HTTPS.

In these tight races, search engine spiders compare multiple signals. Using HTTPS could tip the balance and help you rank higher on Google.

6. What are the SEO benefits of HTTPS beyond ranking?

HTTPS isn’t just about helping you rank. It improves the experience and trust of your users.

When users see the padlock icon in their browser, they’re more likely to trust your site and stay on it longer - reducing bounce rates and improving dwell time.

Both are signals that may help Google and other search engines evaluate your site as providing value.

So HTTPS can indirectly help SEO performance, not just through the ranking signal itself, but by influencing how people interact with your content.

It also gives you access to better referral data in Google Analytics.

When your site is secured with an SSL certificate, Google Analytics can properly track where traffic is coming from, rather than labelling it all as ‘direct’.

This helps you sharpen your SEO strategy using accurate data.

7. What happens if you don’t switch from HTTP to HTTPS?

Google Chrome marks non-HTTPS sites as “Not Secure”, which puts visitors off. This message can damage your credibility and affect how long users stay on your site - especially if they’re entering personal information.

Not switching from HTTP to HTTPS to keep your site secure is now seen as bad practice.

Google considers security as part of a good user experience, and ignoring HTTPS could hurt your SEO rankings over time.

More importantly, you’ll miss out on the confirmed ranking signal, and you’ll be left behind as more webmasters adopting HTTPS take the higher positions on the search engine results page.

8. How do you move to HTTPS without damaging SEO?

Switching from HTTP to HTTPS must be done carefully. You’ll need a valid SSL certificate, proper redirects, and updated internal links.

Done right, it won’t harm your SEO - it can improve the SEO if you follow the correct process.

Start by installing an SSL certificate and testing it. Then set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS on every page. This preserves link equity and helps Google understand the version of the website to index.

Update your sitemap and robots.txt, resubmit them in Google Search Console, and monitor for errors.

Make sure all canonical tags and links point to the HTTPS version. These steps help Google index your site cleanly and improve your search engine optimisation without losing ranking.

9. Why is HTTPS important for SEO strategy today?

HTTPS is no longer optional. It’s an expected basic element of any modern SEO strategy.

Website owners to switch to HTTPS years ago, and those who still haven’t are falling behind.

Google gives small but meaningful boosts to sites that use HTTPS, and that boost compounds when added to other good practices.

It also aligns with long-term SEO goals: building trust, protecting users, and giving search engines a clear signal of quality and intent.

In the eyes of Google, using HTTPS shows that your site is up to date and reliable.

Every piece of your SEO strategy should help Google understand your site’s relevance and trustworthiness.

HTTPS does both - it sends a clear ranking signal and protects your users at the same time.

10. What other ranking factors should you combine with HTTPS?

While HTTPS is important, it’s not enough on its own. To truly improve your search engine rankings, combine it with high-quality content, proper technical setup, and solid backlinks.

Focus on content with search intent, fast page speed, internal linking, and mobile optimisation. Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor progress and fix issues.

HTTPS is a ranking factor, but it becomes more powerful when combined with on-page and off-page SEO best practices.

To improve your search ranking long-term, think of HTTPS as a necessary foundation, not a quick fix.

Summary: What to Remember About HTTPS and SEO

• Google confirmed HTTPS as a ranking signal.

• HTTPS helps you rank better when other signals are equal.

• Moving to HTTPS improves trust, user experience, and SEO data.

• Sites without HTTPS may lose trust and fall behind in rankings.

• Migrating to HTTPS needs a proper process to avoid errors.

• HTTPS supports your SEO strategy by improving site credibility.

• Combined with other factors, HTTPS is a great way to improve your google ranking.

• Google prefers secure sites and has created resources to help webmasters switch.

• HTTPS to keep everyone safe is part of Google's push for better search.

• Start using HTTPS today to improve your rankings and stay ahead.

Want to talk more about your SEO setup or ranking strategy? Contact SEOJet today!