Pages Served Over HTTP (Not HTTPS)
Pages delivered over plain HTTP expose user data, reduce trust, and receive a Google ranking penalty.
By Seoxpert Editorial · Published
Why it matters
HTTPS encrypts data between browser and server. Google has used HTTPS as a ranking signal since 2014. Chrome marks HTTP pages as "Not Secure", visibly reducing trust.
Impact
HTTPS is a confirmed Google ranking signal. HTTP pages display browser security warnings that suppress conversions.
How it's detected
Scanner checks the protocol of every crawled URL. Any URL beginning with http:// is flagged.
Common causes
- SSL certificate not installed or expired
- Server not configured to redirect HTTP to HTTPS
- Hardcoded HTTP links in content or templates
How to fix it
Code examples
Nginx HTTP→HTTPS redirect
server {
listen 80;
return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}FAQ
Does HTTP vs HTTPS affect rankings?
Yes. Google confirmed HTTPS as a ranking signal in 2014 and has progressively increased its weight.
Related Issues
HTTPS pages that load resources (like images, scripts, or stylesheets) over HTTP create mixed content. This undermines security, can break page functionality, a
Missing recommended HTTP security headers leaves your site vulnerable to a range of attacks, including clickjacking, MIME-sniffing, and cross-site scripting (XS
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