HTTP to HTTPS Migration for WordPress without Losing SEO Traffic

HTTP to HTTPS migration for WordPress sites is no longer optional; it’s essential for SEO, user trust, and security. But here’s the thing: mess up the migration and you could tank your search rankings overnight. Google treats HTTP and HTTPS as completely different sites, so this isn’t just a technical upgrade; it’s a full site migration in Google’s eyes.

Let’s walk through the process step by step to ensure you retain every bit of your hard-earned SEO juice while making the switch.

Why HTTPS Migration Matters for SEO

Google has been crystal clear about HTTPS being a ranking factor since 2014. But it’s not just about rankings:

• Trust signals: That green padlock builds user confidence
• Data protection: Essential for any site handling user data
• Browser warnings: Chrome and Firefox actively warn users about non-HTTPS sites
• HTTP/2 benefits: Faster loading requires HTTPS
• Third-party integrations: Many services now require HTTPS

The SEO impact is real: studies show that HTTPS sites can see a 2-5% ranking boost, while non-HTTPS sites are increasingly penalized in search results.

Pre-Migration SEO Audit and Preparation

Before touching anything, document your current SEO standing. This baseline will help you measure success and troubleshoot issues.

Document Current Performance

• Organic traffic (last 3 months from Google Analytics)
• Keyword rankings for top 20-30 terms
• Backlink profile (using Ahrefs, SEMrush, or free tools)
• Page load speeds (Google PageSpeed Insights)
• Current indexation status (site:yourdomain.com in Google)

Technical SEO Inventory

Create a spreadsheet with:

• All internal links pointing to HTTP URLs
• External backlinks (you’ll need to reach out for updates)
• Canonical tags currently in use
• XML sitemap URLs
• Social media profiles and business listings

Step-by-Step HTTPS Migration Process

Step 1: Get Your SSL Certificate

Most hosting providers offer free SSL certificates through Let’s Encrypt. If you’re on shared hosting:

1. cPanel users: Look for “SSL/TLS” or “Let’s Encrypt”
2. Managed WordPress hosts: Usually auto-enabled or one-click setup
3. Custom setup: Purchase from providers like DigiCert or Comodo

Test your certificate before proceeding:

# Use SSL Labs’ free SSL test

https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest

Your goal is an A+ rating. Anything below A needs addressing before migration.

Step 2: Backup Everything

This cannot be overstated: back up your entire site.

• Database export (via phpMyAdmin or hosting panel)
• Complete file backup (all WordPress files)
• Document current settings (plugins, theme customizations)

Store backups offsite and test that you can restore from them.

Step 3: Update WordPress URLs

There are several methods, but here’s the safest approach for SEO:

Method 1: WordPress Admin (Safest)

1. Go to Settings > General
2. Update both “WordPress Address” and “Site Address” to HTTPS
3. Save changes

Method 2: wp-config.php (For Advanced Users)

define(‘WP_HOME’,’https://yourdomain.com’);

define(‘WP_SITEURL’,’https://yourdomain.com’);

Method 3: Database Update (Last Resort) Only use this if other methods fail:

UPDATE wp_options SET option_value = replace(option_value, ‘http://yourdomain.com’, ‘https://yourdomain.com’) WHERE option_name = ‘home’;

UPDATE wp_options SET option_value = replace(option_value, ‘http://yourdomain.com’, ‘https://yourdomain.com’) WHERE option_name = ‘siteurl’;

Step 4: Update Internal Links and Content

WordPress won’t automatically update your content. You need to replace HTTP links in:

Using Search Replace DB Tool (Recommended):

http://yourdomain.com → https://yourdomain.com

Manual Plugin Method: Install “Better Search Replace” plugin:

1. Search for: http://yourdomain.com
2. Replace with: https://yourdomain.com
3. Run on all tables (test first with dry run)

What to Update:

• Post content links
• Image URLs
• Custom field values
• Widget content
• Menu links

Step 5: Configure Server-Level Redirects

This is critical for SEO. You need 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS for every URL.

Apache (.htaccess method):

# Add to top of .htaccess file

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Nginx method:

server {

    listen 80;

    server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;

    return 301 https://$server_name$request_uri;

}

Test the redirects:

# Use curl to verify 301 redirects

curl -I http://yourdomain.com

# Should return: HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently

# Location: https://yourdomain.com/

Step 6: Update WordPress Configuration

Force HTTPS in WordPress:

// Add to wp-config.php

define(‘FORCE_SSL_ADMIN’, true);

if (isset($_SERVER[‘HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO’]) && $_SERVER[‘HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO’] === ‘https’) {

    $_SERVER[‘HTTPS’] = ‘on’;

}

Update theme functions (if needed):

// In functions.php – force HTTPS for admin

add_action(‘init’, ‘force_ssl’);

function force_ssl(){

    if(!is_ssl() && is_admin()){

        wp_redirect(‘https://’ . $_SERVER[‘HTTP_HOST’] . $_SERVER[‘REQUEST_URI’], 301);

        exit();

    }

}

SEO-Specific Configuration

Update XML Sitemaps

For Yoast SEO users:

1. Go to SEO > General > Features
2. Toggle XML sitemaps off, then back on
3. This regenerates sitemaps with HTTPS URLs

For other plugins: Check your SEO plugin’s settings to regenerate sitemaps.

Manual verification: Visit /sitemap.xml and ensure all URLs use HTTPS.

Update Canonical Tags

Most SEO plugins handle this automatically, but verify:

<!– Should appear in <head> of every page –>

<link rel=”canonical” href=”https://yourdomain.com/current-page/” />

Social Media and Open Graph

Update Open Graph tags:

<meta property=”og:url” content=”https://yourdomain.com/current-page/” />

<meta property=”og:image” content=”https://yourdomain.com/image.jpg” />

Google Search Console Setup

This is crucial for maintaining SEO visibility:

Add HTTPS Property

1. Add a new property in Google Search Console
2. Use HTTPS version: https://yourdomain.com
3. Verify ownership (HTML file, DNS, or Google Analytics)
4. Don’t delete the HTTP property yet

Submit New Sitemap

1. Go to the Sitemaps section in the new HTTPS property
2. Submit your HTTPS sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
3. Monitor for indexing issues

Set Preferred Domain

In the new HTTPS property:

1. Go to Settings > Domain Settings
2. Confirm HTTPS is set as preferred

Content Delivery Network (CDN) Updates

If you’re using a CDN:

Cloudflare users:

1. Enable “Always Use HTTPS” in SSL/TLS settings
2. Set SSL mode to “Full (strict)”
3. Enable “Automatic HTTPS Rewrites”

Other CDNs: Update your CDN configuration to serve content over HTTPS and set up proper SSL certificates.

Plugin and Theme Compatibility

Common Plugin Issues

Caching plugins: Clear all caches and update settings:

• WP Rocket: Update base URL in settings
• W3 Total Cache: Clear all caches, verify CDN settings
• WP Super Cache: Delete cache files, update settings

Security plugins: May need to update firewall rules and security headers.

Social sharing plugins: Often, cache HTTP URLs and clear plugin caches.

Mixed Content Issues

Use browser developer tools to identify mixed content:

1. Open the site in Chrome/Firefox
2. Press F12 > Console tab
3. Look for mixed content warnings

Common culprits:

• Hardcoded HTTP images in theme files
• Third-party widgets loading HTTP resources
• Custom CSS/JS files with HTTP URLs

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Essential Monitoring Setup

Metric	Tool	Check Frequency
Organic traffic	Google Analytics	Daily (first 2 weeks)
Keyword rankings	SEMrush/Ahrefs	Weekly
Crawl errors	Google Search Console	Daily
Site speed	Google PageSpeed	Weekly
SSL certificate status	SSL Labs	Monthly

Common Issues and Fixes

“Not Secure” warnings:

• Mixed content issues (HTTP resources on HTTPS pages)
• Invalid SSL certificate
• Incomplete redirect setup

Traffic drops:

• Check for crawl errors in Search Console
• Verify all redirects are working (301, not 302)
• Ensure canonical tags point to HTTPS versions

Slow loading after migration:

• SSL handshake overhead (usually minimal)
• CDN configuration issues
• Plugin compatibility problems

Post-Migration SEO Tasks

Week 1: Immediate Actions

• Monitor Google Search Console for crawl errors
• Check the top 10 pages for proper HTTPS loading
• Verify Google Analytics is tracking HTTPS traffic
• Test contact forms and e-commerce functionality

Week 2-4: Ongoing Monitoring

• Track organic traffic trends in Analytics
• Monitor keyword rankings for any drops
• Check the backlink profile for HTTP references
• Update business listings (Google My Business, Yelp, etc.)

Month 2-3: Optimization

• Reach out to high-authority sites linking to HTTP versions
• Update social media profiles with HTTPS URLs
• Implement HTTP/2 server push if supported
• Consider HSTS headers for additional security

Advanced SEO Optimizations

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)

Add HSTS headers for additional security and SEO benefits:

# In .htaccess

Header always set Strict-Transport-Security “max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload”

Security Headers

Implement additional security headers that can boost SEO:

# Security headers in .htaccess

Header always set X-Content-Type-Options nosniff

Header always set X-Frame-Options DENY

Header always set X-XSS-Protection “1; mode=block”

Header always set Referrer-Policy “strict-origin-when-cross-origin”

Schema Markup Updates

Ensure your structured data uses HTTPS URLs:

{

  “@context”: “https://schema.org”,

  “@type”: “Organization”,

  “url”: “https://yourdomain.com”,

  “logo”: “https://yourdomain.com/logo.png”

}

Measuring Migration Success

Key Metrics to Track

Traffic metrics (compare 30 days before vs. after):

• Organic sessions
• Organic conversion rate
• Bounce rate
• Average session duration

Technical metrics:

• Page load speed improvement
• SSL Labs rating (aim for A+)
• Google PageSpeed scores
• Core Web Vitals scores

SEO metrics:

• Keyword ranking positions
• Click-through rates from search results
• Indexed pages count
• Crawl error frequency

Success Benchmarks

Immediate (1-2 weeks):

• No significant traffic drops (>5%)
• All pages are loading properly over HTTPS
• No mixed content warnings
• Search Console showing HTTPS URLs being indexed

Short-term (1-3 months):

• Traffic recovered to pre-migration levels
• Potential 2-5% ranking boost
• Improved site speed scores
• Clean SSL Labs A+ rating

Long-term (3-6 months):

• Higher click-through rates from search results
• Better user engagement metrics
• Increased mobile usability scores
• Enhanced security and trust signals

Final Migration Checklist

Before going live with your HTTPS migration:

Technical checklist:

• [ ] SSL certificate installed and A+ rated
• [ ] All internal links updated to HTTPS
• [ ] 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS are working
• [ ] XML sitemaps updated with HTTPS URLs
• [ ] Canonical tags pointing to HTTPS versions
• [ ] Mixed content issues resolved

SEO checklist:

• [ ] Google Search Console HTTPS property added
• [ ] New sitemap submitted to Search Console
• [ ] Google Analytics updated for HTTPS tracking
• [ ] Social media profiles updated
• [ ] Business listings updated with HTTPS URLs
• [ ] Major backlinks requested to update to HTTPS

Monitoring setup:

• [ ] Traffic monitoring dashboard configured
• [ ] Keyword ranking tracking updated
• [ ] SSL monitoring alerts set up
• [ ] Crawl error monitoring active

Conclusion

Migrating from HTTP to HTTPS doesn’t have to be an SEO nightmare. With careful planning, proper implementation, and diligent monitoring, you can make the switch while preserving (and likely improving) your search rankings.

The key is treating this as a full site migration, not just a technical upgrade. Google sees HTTP and HTTPS as different sites, so you need to guide both search engines and users through the transition properly.

Take your time, test thoroughly, and don’t skip the monitoring phase. A successful HTTPS migration will pay dividends in improved rankings, user trust, and long-term SEO performance. Your future self will thank you for doing it right the first time.