SEO and Migration Mistakes

Failing to update XML sitemaps after HTTPS migration confuses search engines and delays proper indexing. Sitemaps containing HTTP URLs contradict HTTPS serving, potentially causing crawl errors or duplicate content issues. All sitemaps must contain only HTTPS URLs, including image sitemaps, video sitemaps, and news sitemaps. Submitting updated sitemaps through search console tools accelerates recognition of the migration.

Robots.txt accessibility issues prevent search engines from properly crawling HTTPS sites. The robots.txt file must be accessible via HTTPS and contain updated sitemap references. Some sites accidentally block HTTPS crawling through poorly configured robots.txt rules. Testing robots.txt accessibility and directives ensures search engines can properly discover and index HTTPS content.

Internal linking inconsistencies create crawl inefficiencies and potential ranking problems. While redirects handle external links, internal links should point directly to HTTPS URLs for optimal performance. Hardcoded HTTP links in navigation, footers, and content require systematic updates. Database queries may need modification to return HTTPS URLs. Consistent internal linking reinforces the HTTPS preference to search engines.

Analytics and tracking configuration oversights result in data loss and incorrect attribution. Failing to update analytics platform settings to HTTPS causes referrer data loss and session splitting. Hardcoded tracking pixels using HTTP URLs may fail on HTTPS pages. Goal and event tracking URLs require updates to maintain functionality. Proper configuration ensures continuous data collection through the migration process.