SSL Certificates and HTTPS: What Website Owners Need to Know

SSL certificates and HTTPS are now standard requirements for modern websites. Whether you operate a business website, ecommerce store, customer portal or simple informational site, HTTPS protects data travelling between a visitor’s browser and your web server.

This article was originally published in 2018 when Google Chrome was preparing an important change: beginning with Chrome 68 in July 2018, HTTP websites would be labelled “Not secure.” That deadline has long passed, but the underlying subject is even more relevant today.

HTTPS is now an expected part of operating a professional website. However, there is still confusion about what an SSL/TLS certificate does, whether HTTPS affects SEO, what happens when certificates expire and how a website should be migrated from HTTP to HTTPS.

This updated guide explains those issues in practical terms.

What Happened to HTTP Websites in 2018?

In February 2018, Google announced that Chrome 68 would begin marking all HTTP pages as “Not secure” from July 2018.

Before that change, Chrome had gradually introduced warnings for particular HTTP pages, including pages that collected passwords or payment information. The July 2018 change extended the warning to HTTP websites more generally.

The objective was to encourage wider adoption of encrypted web connections.

You can still read the original announcement on the Google Security Blog.

The important point for website owners today is that this is no longer an upcoming deadline. HTTPS has become a normal part of the modern web.

What Is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL certificate is the commonly used name for the digital certificate that allows a website to establish an encrypted HTTPS connection. Modern web security actually uses TLS (Transport Layer Security), the successor to the older SSL protocols, although the term “SSL certificate” remains widely used.

When a browser connects securely to a website, the certificate helps establish an encrypted connection and confirms that the certificate presented for the domain is valid according to the browser’s trust system.

Instead of:

http://example.com

a properly configured secure website uses:

https://example.com

The extra S represents a secure connection using HTTPS.

What Does HTTPS Protect?

The main purpose of HTTPS is to protect information while it travels between the visitor and the website.

Without encryption, HTTP traffic can potentially be observed or modified while travelling across a network. HTTPS helps protect the confidentiality and integrity of that communication.

This is particularly important when a website handles information such as:

• Login credentials.
• Contact form submissions.
• Customer information.
• Payment-related data.
• Account information.
• Administrative sessions.
• Other information that should not travel across the network as readable plain text.

HTTPS is also valuable for websites that do not intentionally collect sensitive information. Visitors still benefit from protection against third parties reading or modifying ordinary web traffic while it is in transit.

HTTPS Does Not Mean a Website Is Automatically Safe

This distinction is important.

An SSL/TLS certificate helps secure the connection between a browser and a server. It does not prove that the company operating the website is trustworthy, that the website contains no malicious software or that the server itself cannot be compromised.

A malicious website can also use HTTPS.

Website security therefore requires more than installing a certificate. A complete security approach may also involve:

• Keeping the operating system and server software updated.
• Updating WordPress, plugins, themes or other applications.
• Using strong authentication and appropriate access controls.
• Maintaining secure backups.
• Monitoring for malware and unauthorized changes.
• Protecting administrative accounts.
• Applying appropriate firewall and server security controls.

HTTPS is essential, but it is one layer of website security rather than a complete security solution.

Why HTTPS Matters for Business Websites

A business website should use HTTPS even when it does not process online payments.

1. It Protects Data in Transit

HTTPS encrypts communication between the visitor and the web server. This makes it substantially more difficult for someone on the network path to read or alter that traffic.

2. Browsers Expect Secure Connections

Modern browsers are designed around a web where secure connections are normal. An improperly configured or expired certificate can trigger security warnings and discourage visitors from continuing to a website.

3. Customers Expect HTTPS

Users may not understand the technical details of TLS, but they expect professional websites to use secure connections. Browser security warnings can therefore damage confidence in a business.

4. Modern Web Features May Require Secure Contexts

Some browser capabilities are restricted to secure contexts. Maintaining HTTPS is therefore part of keeping a modern website technically compatible as well as secure.

Does HTTPS Help SEO?

Google has encouraged HTTPS adoption for many years and historically introduced HTTPS as a lightweight ranking signal.

However, website owners should not expect a dramatic ranking improvement simply from installing an SSL certificate. HTTPS should be treated primarily as a security and web-standard requirement rather than an SEO trick.

A useful page on HTTPS will not automatically outrank a better page simply because both use secure connections. Content relevance, quality, accessibility, site structure and many other considerations remain important.

From an SEO perspective, one of the most important issues is ensuring that an HTTP-to-HTTPS migration is implemented correctly.

How to Move a Website from HTTP to HTTPS

Installing an SSL/TLS certificate is only one part of a proper HTTPS migration. The website itself should consistently use the secure version of its URLs.

A typical migration should include the following steps:

1. Install a valid TLS certificate. Make sure it covers the required domain and hostnames.
2. Configure the website to use HTTPS. Internal resources and important site URLs should load securely.
3. Redirect HTTP URLs to HTTPS. Visitors and search engines reaching old HTTP addresses should be sent to the corresponding HTTPS version.
4. Update internal links. Avoid unnecessarily routing visitors through HTTP before redirecting them.
5. Update canonical URLs. Canonical references should point to the preferred HTTPS URLs.
6. Update the XML sitemap. Sitemap URLs should use HTTPS.
7. Check images, scripts and stylesheets. Resources should not continue loading insecurely over HTTP.
8. Test important pages and forms. Confirm that the migration has not broken functionality.
9. Check redirects. Make sure important old HTTP URLs resolve correctly to their HTTPS equivalents.
10. Monitor the website. Watch for crawling, indexing, certificate or mixed-content problems after migration.

A properly planned migration should preserve the relationship between the old HTTP URLs and their secure replacements.

What Is Mixed Content?

A page may load through HTTPS while still requesting an image, script, stylesheet or another resource through HTTP. This is known as mixed content.

Mixed content weakens the security of an otherwise encrypted page. Browsers may upgrade, warn about or block insecure resources depending on the resource and browser behaviour.

After enabling HTTPS, scan the website for remaining HTTP resources and update them wherever appropriate.

Common sources of mixed content include:

• Old image URLs.
• Hard-coded links in themes or templates.
• External JavaScript.
• Stylesheets.
• Embedded resources.
• Old database content containing absolute HTTP URLs.

Free SSL Certificates Are Widely Available

The original version of this article mentioned purchasing an SSL certificate for a small annual fee. That is no longer necessary for many ordinary websites.

Let’s Encrypt is a nonprofit certificate authority that provides free TLS certificates. Many web hosting companies integrate automated certificate issuance and renewal into their hosting platforms.

Paid certificates and specialized certificate services still exist and may be appropriate for particular organizational or infrastructure requirements. However, a basic website does not necessarily need to pay for a certificate simply to enable trusted HTTPS.

Certificate Renewal Is Critical

TLS certificates have a defined validity period and must be renewed. If a certificate expires, browsers can display a security warning that may prevent visitors from comfortably accessing the website.

Where possible, certificate renewal should be automated. Hosting platforms and ACME-compatible certificate services can often handle renewal without manual intervention.

Website administrators should still monitor certificate status because automation can fail due to DNS changes, server configuration problems, expired accounts or other technical issues.

Common SSL and HTTPS Problems

Installing a certificate does not guarantee that HTTPS has been configured correctly. Common problems include:

• An expired certificate.
• A certificate issued for the wrong hostname.
• An incomplete certificate chain.
• HTTP pages that do not redirect to HTTPS.
• Redirect loops.
• Mixed-content warnings.
• Internal links that continue to use HTTP.
• Incorrect canonical URLs.
• Old HTTP URLs remaining in XML sitemaps.
• Subdomains that are not covered by the certificate.

These problems can affect security, usability and website maintenance. Some can also create unnecessary complications for crawling and indexing.

SSL Certificate vs HTTPS: What Is the Difference?

The terms are related but they do not mean exactly the same thing.

SSL/TLS certificate: A digital certificate used as part of establishing a trusted encrypted connection between the client and server.

HTTPS: HTTP communication carried securely using TLS.

In practical website terminology, people often say “install SSL” when they mean obtaining a certificate and configuring the website to work correctly over HTTPS.

Do You Need HTTPS If Your Website Has No Login or Payment Form?

Yes. HTTPS is appropriate for ordinary informational websites as well as ecommerce sites and customer portals.

Even when a visitor is only reading a public page, HTTPS helps prevent the traffic from being read or modified while travelling across the network.

There is little reason for a modern public business website to deliberately remain on HTTP when trusted certificates are widely available and can often be issued and renewed automatically.

HTTPS and Website Security: A Practical Checklist

Website owners can use this basic checklist when reviewing HTTPS configuration:

• Confirm every important public page loads through HTTPS.
• Confirm HTTP requests redirect to the correct HTTPS URLs.
• Check the certificate is valid for all required hostnames.
• Make sure certificate renewal is automated or monitored.
• Remove mixed-content resources.
• Use HTTPS URLs in canonical tags.
• Use HTTPS URLs in XML sitemaps.
• Update important internal links to HTTPS.
• Test forms and login pages after configuration changes.
• Continue maintaining the website and server independently of HTTPS.

Frequently Asked Questions About SSL Certificates and HTTPS

What is an SSL certificate?

An SSL certificate is the commonly used term for a digital certificate that helps establish an encrypted HTTPS connection between a browser and web server. Modern implementations use TLS rather than the obsolete SSL protocols.

Does every website need an SSL certificate?

Modern public websites should use HTTPS. This includes informational websites as well as sites handling logins, forms, customer information or payments.

Are SSL certificates free?

They can be. Certificate authorities such as Let’s Encrypt provide trusted TLS certificates free of charge, and many hosting providers automate their installation and renewal. Other certificate products and managed services may carry a fee.

Does HTTPS mean a website is trustworthy?

No. HTTPS indicates that the connection is encrypted and that the certificate has passed the relevant validation process. It does not guarantee that the website owner is reputable, that the information on the website is accurate or that the server is free from security vulnerabilities.

Does HTTPS improve Google rankings?

Google has historically used HTTPS as a lightweight ranking signal, but installing a certificate should not be viewed as a shortcut to higher rankings. HTTPS is primarily a security requirement and modern web standard.

What happens when an SSL certificate expires?

Visitors may receive a browser security warning because the certificate can no longer be accepted as valid. Automated renewal and certificate monitoring help reduce the risk of unexpected expiry.

What is the difference between SSL and TLS?

SSL is the older technology and the term people still commonly use when referring to website certificates. TLS is its modern successor and is the protocol used to secure contemporary HTTPS connections.

Conclusion: HTTPS Is Now a Basic Website Requirement

The 2018 Chrome deadline that inspired the original version of this article is long behind us. Google Chrome began marking HTTP sites as “Not secure,” and HTTPS subsequently became an expected part of operating a modern website.

The reason to use HTTPS today goes beyond avoiding a browser warning. Encryption protects information in transit, helps prevent unauthorized modification of traffic and provides the secure foundation expected by modern browsers and users.

At the same time, an SSL/TLS certificate should never be mistaken for complete website security. Servers, applications, accounts, backups and software still need to be maintained and protected.

Aekpani Networks provides web hosting, server management, website development, cybersecurity and other digital solutions for businesses in Pakistan, the UAE and international markets.

If you need help configuring HTTPS, resolving an SSL certificate problem or reviewing the security of your website infrastructure, contact Aekpani Networks to discuss your requirements.

Published by Aekpani Networks.