Purchasing an SSL certificate alone is usually not enough – you also need to pay attention to various important details that ensure a proper installation. The verification of the SSL certificate’s correct implementation is typically carried out during the transition to the HTTPS protocol. However, some steps are worth taking already at this stage of the migration. So, what should you keep in mind?

SSL Certificate – Verifying Correctness

First and foremost, you should check whether the connection is truly secure. This can only be confirmed if all domain resources are being loaded via an encrypted connection. This applies not only to the homepage but also to individual subpages. You can assess this by using the developer tools available in every browser. Simply launch these tools, navigate to the security tab, and refresh the page. The report will list all loaded resources along with information indicating whether they were fetched over an encrypted connection. Alternatively, you can use one of the paid or free SEO tools capable of scanning the entire site at once. This helps detect any references to unsecured resources. Some of these resources might be loaded via HTTP, which would trigger an appropriate warning in the browser’s address bar.

Using 301 Redirects

301 redirects are extremely important. They prevent the site from being accessible under different addresses – whether HTTPS or HTTP. In the case of duplicate content, Google may treat the site as two separate entities with identical content. Therefore, all outdated address versions should be redirected to the target addresses that have SSL certificates. Implementing 301 redirects also serves to indicate the target URL to both users and search engines, which is particularly important for SEO. When it is not possible to edit a specific link, search engine bots will be redirected to the correct address. This way, you can transfer the link equity from the redirected addresses to the target pages.

Verifying HTTP Redirects

When setting up redirects, it is essential to verify the addresses for every scenario. For this, you can use the developer console – tools like these are available both directly within your browser and on various external websites. It’s especially important to check redirects from the most frequently used addresses. This applies not only to the homepage but also to representative subpages – such as categories and subcategories, product pages, locations where posts and ads are published, static pages, and addresses available as subdomains. Each case should be evaluated in all possible combinations – both HTTPS and HTTP, as well as with and without the “www” prefix.

Updating the Sitemap

After confirming that the redirects have been correctly implemented, it is advisable to generate an updated sitemap. This will help Google bots more effectively access the most important subpages of your site. However, in the Search Console panel, you should keep the old sitemap – that is, the one associated with the HTTP domain. The new sitemap should be submitted for the domain under the HTTPS protocol, which will significantly ease future indexing analysis. The sitemap can include links not only to standard content but also to other types of resources – such as videos or images. All references should point to the actual location via the encrypted connection.