Google: “Always Try” To Replace HTTP Links With HTTPS - Search Engine Journal

Google says it's worth replacing internal HTTP links with the HTTP versions instead of relying on redirects. Here's why.

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Google’s Search Advocate John Mueller says you should always try to replace internal links pointing to HTTP URLs with the newer HTTP versions.

This is stated in a Reddit thread asking if it’s worth the effort to replace internal HTTP links with HTTPS versions, even when there are already redirects.

Several years ago, Google’s Gary Illyes said replacing links isn’t worth it when proper redirects are in place:

@pip_net if your redirects are properly implemented, the benefit from doing that is so minimal that IMO it's not worth it.

— Gary 鯨理／경리 Illyes (@methode) July 7, 2015

Now, Mueller says it’s “always” worth doing. Thankfully, as other commenters in the thread state, mass replacing HTTP internal links isn’t hard to do.

Here’s what Mueller says about replacing HTTP with HTTPS links and how to do it.

Replacing Internal HTTP Links With HTTP Versions

Mueller gives two reasons for replacing old HTTP internal links.

First, it’s cleaner than having a bunch of redirects. And, unlike external links, you have complete control over the URL visitors are sent to.

Mueller states:

“I’d always try to fix internal links, it just makes things cleaner, and is under your own control. I doubt it...

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