Google Ranking: http > https

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simonmlewis
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Google Ranking: http > https

Post by simonmlewis »

Hi

About 5 months ago we switch a site from being HTTP to HTTPS. We were told it would strengthen the ranking of the site as Google prefer HTTPS.

The site was ranked top for a certain keyword.

After we moved to HTTPS, the site began to drop and now it hovers in 4th place. Affecting various parts of the business.

So a few questions:
1) should we have just left it alone?
2) now it's in 4th, if we decided to switch it back to http, and adjusted all the relevant http areas of the structure, are we likely to pop back up to the top, or will it affect it even more now?
3) does it take much longer than anticipated to get back to the top after the change; should it have moved at all???
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requinix
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Re: Google Ranking: http > https

Post by requinix »

Some people say HTTPS matters, some don't. I thought that Google themselves said it doesn't matter but don't take my word for it.

You moved the URLs for your content, right? You had to in order to start serving everything over HTTPS. The unavoidable fact that you moved stuff is what's hurting you.

1. No.
2. Worse.
3. See above.
simonmlewis
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Re: Google Ranking: http > https

Post by simonmlewis »

When we updated it, we changed the sitemap URLs, Analytics, HTACCESS to force to HTTPS those that weren't pointing to that, and updated any internal http... to https.

So it wasn't a new server, it was just updating after setting up the new certificate.
But I think google perhaps sees it as a new site, or maybe a "major change" to an existing one, and that's caused the drop.
From what you are saying, the WORST thing we could do is switch it back.
Love PHP. Love CSS. Love learning new tricks too.
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requinix
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Re: Google Ranking: http > https

Post by requinix »

Yes. Keep what you have. Don't change it again because it's the changing itself that causes the drop.

Sitemaps merely give Google a list of URLs that it should (and will eventually) index - pages that it may or may not have been able to eventually discover during regular crawling. But sitemaps are not a definitive list of what should show up for a website, so URLs not in that list will not be excluded. If you update the sitemap then it will accept those new URLs, but the old ones in the index are still there. When Google tries to crawl them, it will receive 3xx redirections; redirections aren't bad per se, but it will cause a bit of a drop in ranking. When the new URLs take over and the old ones start dropping out, your rank will improve.
simonmlewis
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Re: Google Ranking: http > https

Post by simonmlewis »

So we did this back in June or July I think - ought the site to have got back to number one by now.. or at least number 2?
We all really strongly agree that had we left it well alone, and ignored our SEO experts it would have stayed put.

The site has over 5,000 pages, so could this be another contributing factor to the drop? It has so many pages to reindex, and accept as HTTPS instead, that it just takes a lot lot longer?
Love PHP. Love CSS. Love learning new tricks too.
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requinix
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Re: Google Ranking: http > https

Post by requinix »

Check Webmaster tools to see what it says about your sitemap indexing. And what it (and your own access logs) says about your pages in general.

Okay, it's been a while and you still haven't recovered your old rank. Take a step back and see what else may be impacting your site. Also see if your competitors have done anything in recent months. Or see what the results above you have done. Moving could have had an impact, but so could changes made by other sites within the last few months. And, of course, see what your SEO people have to say.

Fact is, moving to HTTPS is a good thing and you should have done it. Even if it meant a slight drop in ranking. Because despite management's well-intentioned obsession with getting higher in the list, all that matters is being in the top few results.
simonmlewis
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Re: Google Ranking: http > https

Post by simonmlewis »

We are now looking at building our own 'SEO yoast' kind of tool.

So set a focus keyword, then ask if that is in the title, etc... But got a hitch.

Code: Select all

   if (strpos($row->title,$row->focuskeywords) !== false) {
    echo 'yep';
}
This doesn't work.
I know both those variables are correct, but it's producing nothing. And I know it should show "yep".
Love PHP. Love CSS. Love learning new tricks too.
All the best from the United Kingdom.
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requinix
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Re: Google Ranking: http > https

Post by requinix »

So you think the focuskeywords should be showing up exactly as is in the title? Apparently it isn't.

Use var_dump() to see what the real values of the two variables are.
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