What Is HTTPS?
HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It is the standard protocol for secure communication over the internet. When a website uses HTTPS, all data sent between the user's browser and the web server is encrypted using either SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or its modern successor TLS (Transport Layer Security). This prevents third parties from intercepting or tampering with the data in transit.
You can identify an HTTPS website by the padlock icon in the browser's address bar and by the "https://" prefix in the URL. Websites that still use plain HTTP show a "Not Secure" warning in Google Chrome and other modern browsers, which significantly erodes visitor trust.
Google confirmed HTTPS as a ranking signal in August 2014. While Google has described it as a lightweight signal (less influential than quality content or backlinks), it remains relevant because non-HTTPS sites actively display security warnings that deter visitors and reduce conversions. For South African businesses running e-commerce or collecting contact details through forms, running without HTTPS is not merely an SEO concern but a potential legal issue under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), which requires appropriate security safeguards for personal data.
Migrating from HTTP to HTTPS requires installing an SSL or TLS certificate on your web hosting server and setting up 301 redirects from all HTTP URLs to their HTTPS equivalents. A correct migration ensures that SEO link equity is preserved. Incorrect migrations, such as setting up 302 redirects or allowing HTTP versions of pages to remain accessible, can fragment authority and cause ranking drops.
HTTPS In Practice
A Cape Town-based accounting firm launches a new website. Their developer installs a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate on the hosting server and configures the site to redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS using 301 redirects. The firm's website address changes from http://www.example.co.za to https://www.example.co.za, and the padlock icon appears in visitors' browsers.
Google Search Console is updated with the new HTTPS property. Over the following weeks, Google re-crawls and re-indexes the HTTPS versions of all pages. Because 301 redirects were correctly set up, the firm's existing search rankings transfer to the HTTPS URLs without significant disruption.
The firm also notices a practical benefit beyond SEO: their Google Ads campaigns, which send traffic to their contact form, now work correctly because Chrome no longer displays "Not Secure" warnings on the landing page. Their form submission rate improves after the HTTPS migration, as visitors feel more confident entering their contact details. This illustrates that HTTPS is as much a conversion optimisation tool as it is an SEO requirement for South African businesses building trust online.
FAQ
Does HTTPS improve Google rankings for South African websites?
Yes, HTTPS has been a confirmed Google ranking signal since 2014. While it is a relatively lightweight signal compared to content quality or backlinks, any South African website still running on HTTP is at a ranking disadvantage and will display a 'Not Secure' warning in Chrome, which damages user trust and conversion rates.
Is an SSL certificate the same as HTTPS?
Not exactly. An SSL (or TLS) certificate is the digital file installed on your server that enables HTTPS. HTTPS is the protocol itself. You need a valid SSL certificate installed on your hosting server before your site can serve pages over HTTPS.