HTTPS
HTTPS is a secure version of HTTP that encrypts data between browsers and servers. This Implementation standard protects user information and has been a Ranking Factors signal since 2014, giving secure sites a small boost over non-secure ones.
You add it by getting an SSL certificate from your hosting provider, a certificate authority, or free from Let's Encrypt. Next, you install the certificate on your server and update your Site Structure to use secure URLs. Then you set up redirects using Redirect Management to send all old traffic to the secure version, and update your Sitemap to reflect the new URLs.
HTTPS improves Security Considerations by stopping hackers from seeing or changing data in transit. Modern browsers mark HTTP sites as "Not Secure" which hurts trust and User Signals, while HTTPS sites get a padlock icon. Top SERP results now have SSL universally, making it essential rather than optional. The switch also enables features like HTTP/2 that improve Site Speed and Core Web Vitals scores.