Definition

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the encrypted version of HTTP, secured with TLS so traffic between the browser and server can't be read or tampered with in transit.

Google announced in 2014 that HTTPS is used as a lightweight ranking signal, alongside many stronger factors such as content quality. Modern browsers also mark plain-HTTP pages as "Not Secure", and a number of web platform features (service workers, geolocation, the Push API) only work on an HTTPS origin. A correctly deployed HTTPS site uses a valid TLS certificate, redirects HTTP traffic to HTTPS, and keeps internal links and resources on HTTPS to avoid mixed-content warnings.

Examples

• Migrating a site to HTTPS

  An e-commerce site moves from `http://shop.example` to `https://shop.example`, sets up 301 redirects from the old URLs, and updates all internal links. After Google recrawls, the search results display the HTTPS URL with a padlock indicator in supported browsers.

Sources

• Google Search Central — Secure your site with HTTPS
• Google Search Central blog — HTTPS as a ranking signal

Related terms

• 301 Redirect
  A permanent redirect — an HTTP 301 status code telling clients and search engines that a URL has moved permanently to a new location.
• Page Experience
  Google's umbrella term for signals describing how users perceive a page — Core Web Vitals, HTTPS, mobile usability, and absence of intrusive interstitials.

Where QueryCatch uses this

• SEO Audit