Switched to HTTPS... should I fetch, render and request indexing?

[lee_sufc]

I have just switched over to HTTPS. I have updated Google Search Console and Analytics to include the https version (both www and non-www). I've updated all social media and have posted updated on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc to try and get Google to notice quicker. However, I was wondering; is it worth me using the fetch, render and request indexing feature to get Google to do it straight away or should I just sit back, be patient and let Google do it in their own time?

[lucy24]

Hiya Lee ;)

You posted at 2:52 am (Pacific time). By now, Google knows about your site and has probably crawled the whole thing. Check yesterday’s raw logs. Once they learn of the https version, they will shortly do a full top-to-bottom crawl, exactly the way they do with a brand-new site.

:: detour to raw logs to refresh memory ::

For "shortly", read "almost immediately". I find a full Google crawl on the day of the https, followed by a crawl of all scripts (this site has many) on the next calendar day but still within 24 hours. That's on a site where they'd normally only request 2 or 3 URLs a day, so it’s pretty noticeable.

As time passes, they will continue requesting the root pretty frequently to confirm that it's still redirecting. Requests for other URLs will drop off quickly, but just like any 301 (or 404), requests will never disappear entirely.

[lee_sufc]

Thanks as always! I'm just being impatient. The day I see https in Google's SERPS without too much of a hit to my rankings, I can hopefully relax...been a massive worry getting the switch to https right (as you already know!)

[lee_sufc]

lucy24 - the pattern you referred to seemed identical to what I see in my logs. I'll just sit back, wait and stop being so impatient. :-)

[lee_sufc]

One week on from this post...I've noticed around 70% of the results in Google showing HTTPS pages, however, there are still a few lingering on HTTP. At present, those results that have changed have held their position (I know this can change at any time!)

GSC shows a steady downturn in searches for the HTTP and opposite for HTTPS (which I'm assuming is correct). However, GSC also says there are no URLs indexed yet for the HTTPS version (although it does say the data is around a week old so again, to be expected I suppose).

One question for everyone here who has been through this already: how long was it until 100% of all SERPs showed HTTPS?

[keyplyr]

The time it takes for all your site's pages to be reindexed as HTTPS depends on many factors, most of which are the number of backlinks and how much traffic your site gets.

It helps a lot to submit your updated sitemap.xml to get all pages updated.