Moved http to https - nothing yet in webmaster tools

[leebow]

Hi guys,

I moved my site from http to https yesterday - I followed a guide and am sure I did everything right - permant redirects, all internal links, etc.

I added the new https web property in webmaster tools and resubmitted the sitemap - but no pages are indexed and it looks like the original http site is still getting data.

Analytics looks like it's worked. But not sure about webmaster tools. Bing webmaster tools also is "pending"

Is there anything else you would check to make sure google is ok with the new https site.

Thank for the help!

[keyplyr]

shared hosting company gives us both http & https raw logs

For me that is a prerequisite for my choice of hosting company (and there are many available that offer it). The one I currently use gives separate access and error logs for both http and https (the error logs list server-errors, not http 4xx responses).

As does my host. You don't know how important that is until you upgrade to HTTPS, especially how useful the error logs can be.

[lucy24]

both http & https raw logs

As separate files, you mean? Thanks. That's useful to know.

Personally I don't see https in my immediate future, since there's absolutely no information being transmitted. Except, I guess, cookies. But I can't think who that would be of value to.

Urk. I just realized that when I check piwik or stats--which admittedly I don't do very often, since the same information is there in server logs--then I myself am sending my own password over a non-secure connection. Hmmm.

[keyplyr]

Once you upgrade to HTTPS (if you ever decide to) your SFTP will also list it right under your HTTP account, so you'll have both file hierarchies, including all the log files.

And BTW - you do know that Chrome 56 (desktop) now shows a warning for sites not HTTPS, even if you do not use passwords or forms. The other browsers are following.
IMO this will certainly scare away visitors.

Read some of the more current posts at the end of this thread: [webmasterworld.com...]

[lucy24]

The address bar in Firefox shows one of two things. If it's https, like the present site, you see a green padlock (green = good). If it's http, you see a grey unlocked padlock with a red slash-line through it (red = bad).

Fortunately, the average user has no idea what an address bar is. In fact I'm surprised that browsers still show it by default. (Well, the iPad doesn't--at least not in Safari. The address bar is treated as part of the window, so it's only visible when you're at the top of the page.)

[Wilburforce]

If it's http, you see a grey unlocked padlock with a red slash-line through it (red = bad).

Which version of Firefox/OS are you using? I just get a grey circled lowercase "i" which expands - if I click on it - with the message (in red): Connection is Not Secure. FF version 51.0.1 (32-bit), Windows 10.

[keyplyr]

I think it has been determined in other similar discussions that all the major browsers have made steps toward eventually displaying warnings for non-secure web pages.

Since Google has led this transition, it makes sense Chrome56 is the first desktop browser to be explicit, but they all will have their own versions of warning the user.

[NoobOperator]

It's now clear to me there are different levels of service from google. I am on the slow lane where a typical google dance lasts for around a month. For a few days between dances I get real traffic and sales.

The fact google will take 5 years to index my changes is further proof that I am on the slow lane. The thing I would be interested to know is how to get on the fast lane where changes are reflected in search results in a few days like some have mentioned. Is this because the fast lane involves payment to google or will I only be put on the fast lane when I have more traffic ?

The slowness I have pointed out, which I suspect all the non-paying google users will experience, has nothing to do with http, apache, or htaccess. My configuration is perfectly fine. The problem lies with google.

A separate and unrelated problem I am getting now is switching from a US IP to a french one.. I have lost 50% of my traffic. Google favours US addresses. My options are a cheaper non-US server with lower traffic or more expensive US-server with more traffic. Not sure which is best.

[lucy24]

Which version of Firefox/OS are you using?

Current FF--whatever number it is--for Mac. The circled (i) is next to, not instead of, the padlock.

Edit: No, wait. I puttered around some other sites and it isn't consistent. Sometimes there's also a thing that looks like a Lego block (the ones with two bumps). No idea what it means.

Further edit: Well, n/m. The lego block means that the page would run Flash if I let it, but I haven't let it.

The fact google will take 5 years to index my changes

Do you have a solid reason to believe this? Five years? I would hate to think that my teeny insignificant site got re-indexed within weeks purely because it happens to be listed with (what was then) WMT; other than that I can't think of any other variable besides the obvious one of size. (Few sites are smaller than mine. Trust me on this.) Big sites will always be crawled more often and indexed faster. Having GA or AdThingy can't matter, because I don't have those.

[NoobOperator]

Do you have a solid reason to believe this? Five years?

Yes of course. I deleted some pages over a year ago, and google continue to come for them and flag my site as broken in the search console if I didn't give it something. Those have been on 301 redirects forever.

Google come crawl some of my pages every day. The crawl frequency isn't a problem.

Recently, google claimed the following pages were missing from my site:

template-for-buddypress/
tomb-raider-theme-request/

I never had such pages. Google is broken.

[keyplyr]

NoobOperator - you obviously have issues with your HTTPS implementation, and possibly your overall file hierarchy. I suggest you contact your host admin to get things corrected. Not knowing those sensitive details, it's likely no one here can be of help.

Repeated posting that it will take 5 years for Google to index your pages is simply not true & not helping anyone reading this discussion.

[NoobOperator]

I am the admin for the server. What should I ask myself to correct ? My set up is as simple as can be: 1 directory with 30 static pages and all associated images and style sheets.

[NoobOperator]

Found plenty of info searching on "google ignoring 301". I'll stick to searching from now on. Bye bye.

[Nutterum]

Be mindful that if you removed the "www" from the new https website you need a separate view for that property as well. Also Google needs (depending on how big the website property is on the SERPs) a few days up to a week to reindex and position the site. Expect some SERP fluctuations though not many. More so on mobile, where https has (from my experience) a bigger weight.

[lucy24]

Incidentally...

I just get a grey circled lowercase "i"

I think I have finally figured out why FF (and presumably Chrome) offers three different icons: green padlock, red-slash open padlock, and nothing, where each of the three is displayed in addition to the circled (i).

Green padlock = secure site, https, no worries
Nothing = site such as mine that doesn't need to be secure, because no information is requested or transmitted
Open padlock with red slash = site that the browser thinks ought to be secure, but it isn't. I notice it especially with sites that use one of the third-party message-thread packages like Dis-thingy. I don't know whether this is or is not a valid concern.

[keyplyr]

Lucy - Some of these icons are temporary. As announced, these icons are being used during the transition. Eventually the warnings will become more severe.

Related: [webmasterworld.com...]

[JesterMagic]

I am about to move one of my smaller sites to https and want to make sure the best way to do things in regards to both Google and Bing Webmaster Tools.

From my understanding once I get https setup on my server along with the proper 301 redirection for all pages I then should update Webmaster Tools (for both Bing and Google). To do this in Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console I should:

1) Setup a new web property which points to the same domain but using https:
2) Verify the domain
3) Add the siteindex and disavow file
3) Under the old web domain initiate a site move (for Bing) and a Change of Address (for Google) from the old verified site to the new verified site
4) That is it. For the next few days do some searches on both search engines to make sure your pages are getting listed under https

A few questions about the process

1) Am I missing anything in the steps above?

2) Should I always keep the old http site listed in Webmaster tools or should I delete it after a few months once everything is listed correctly in the search engines under https?

3) I currently only have the one site setup for http for my domain in Bing. In Google I have 2. One for my domain without www and one for the domain with www. I also have a redirection on my site to redirect all requests to www. When setting up https in Google do I need to setup 2 domains again or can I get away with just one for www? I still plan to redirect all requests to www (and https obviously)

Thanks

[lucy24]

Should I always keep the old http site listed

Keep it forever, just so you can check periodically and make sure nobody's linking to it--or at least nobody new. (Assuming there will always be some old links* that it's out of your power to change.) It's closely analogous to the with/without www redirect--or, for that matter, any ordinary redirect. You have to keep the code in place forever, because search engines will keep trying periodically.


* As a further analogy: I periodically get human requests for /directory/index.html--one specific URL--dating back untold years to before I had an index redirect in place. Someone posted to a message board, and that happened to be the form they posted. Nothing to be done about it now. You'll get the same thing anywhere people type in a link.

[keyplyr]

3) Under the old web domain initiate a site move (for Bing) and a Change of Address (for Google) from the old verified site to the new verified site

No, your site is not being moved. Creating the new property & adding the new sitemap.xml is all that's needed at GSC and Bing just needs the sitemap.xml.

If your domain has previously been verified, there is no need to do it again (unless they ask of course) after you start to use HTTPS. The domain has not changed, just the protocol.

There is no need to keep the HTTP property listed.

[JesterMagic]

No, your site is not being moved. Creating the new property & adding the new sitemap.xml is all that's needed at GSC and Bing just needs the sitemap.xml.

Sorry you confused me. According to Google [support.google.com ] they state:

If you migrate your site from HTTP to HTTPS, Google treats this as a site move with a URL change. This can temporarily affect some of your traffic numbers. See the site move overview page to learn more.

Reading further on Google site moves it states that a Change of Address is required.

I am glad I am asking these questions now so I don't run into these questions when I am in the midst of the change :-)

[keyplyr]

Google is obviously using the language "site move" when creating the new property in GSC.

[JesterMagic]

That is what confused me when reading it on Google. So their is no need to do a Change of Address then, just create the new property in Google Search Console? Google will realize which one is suppose to be the default?

How about my question regarding www and non-www domains. Should I be really creating 2 new properties for https, 1 for www and 1 for non-www? My redirection will be pointing all instances to https and www.

[Wilburforce]

Should I be really creating 2 new properties for https, 1 for www and 1 for non-www?

No. Just tell Google that your preferred version is www, and let your own redirection and links do the rest.

FYI (from Google's Help section):

1. On the Search Console Home page, click the site you want.
2. Click the gear icon , and then click Site Settings.
3. In the Preferred domain section, select the option you want.

[keyplyr]

...just create the new property in Google Search Console? Google will realize which one is suppose to be the default?

Yup.

The 301 in your htaccess file tells Google & the other SEs the default.

[JesterMagic]

And for Google the change of address is not needed then correct (because it is just a protocol change and not the domain)? I just need to add the new web property with the sitemap.

[guggi2000]

green padlock, red-slash open padlock

@Lucy24 For accuracy: the indication is per page and not per site. Plus an indication can change after the page is loaded, in example when a password field is prompted. I have seen it, but couldn't reconstruct it.

[JesterMagic]

Okay I have done the switch. SSL certificate has been installed and tested, 301 Redirects are working, and I have setup the new property in Google Search Console and added my sitemap. I also ran a few pages with Google Fetch and Google was able to retrieve them.

A quick question about Bing Web Master Tools. I have just added the new https sitemap and removed the old one. Is there anything else I need to do? As suggested by keyplyr I did not create a new site property with Bing as I just continued to use the old one. The reason I ask is that the site dashboard shows my site name as http://www.example.com and I don't see anyway to change this.

Thanks

[keyplyr]

Bing takes slightly longer... under a week though. Nothing else to do there (if the 301 was done correctly.)

[not2easy]

The GSC "Change of Address" question is sensible. I was checking on a different matter today and looked at their Change of Address form. From the form itself it looks as if they do want you to add the URL change there, but a little "?" link is more explicit:

Note: The tool does not currently support the following kinds of site moves: subdomain name changes, protocol changes (from HTTP to HTTPS), or path-only changes.

The rest is here if anyone is curious: [support.google.com...]

[keyplyr]

Good find not2easy. That really helps to clarify that point.