Search Result Uses HTTPS reports whether the observed search-result URL is served over HTTPS: it returns 1 when the parsed protocol begins with https and 0 when it does not. It is a URL-level observation only — it does not validate certificate quality or audit page security.
| Factor ID | RG-SRP-039 |
|---|---|
| Family | Search result (SERP) |
| Measurement | Boolean (0 / 1) |
| Measured zone | Observed search-result URL |
What it measures
This factor reports whether the protocol parsed for the observed search-result URL begins with https. A value of 1 means HTTPS was detected; a value of 0 means it was not. It is a URL-level observation from the analyzed result — it does not perform a complete security, certificate, redirect, or mixed-content audit.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear reads the protocol component associated with the result URL, lowercases it, and checks whether it begins with the characters https. A qualifying protocol returns 1; otherwise the factor returns 0. The observed protocol depends on the provider URL data and RankGear’s URL parsing.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | The parsed result URL protocol begins with https — HTTPS was detected. |
| 0 | The protocol does not begin with https — HTTPS was not detected on the observed URL. |
How to optimize it
Serve the site over HTTPS with a valid certificate, redirect HTTP requests consistently to the preferred HTTPS URLs, update internal resources and canonical signals, and prevent mixed-content requests. Monitor certificate renewal, protocol configuration, redirect chains, and security headers so HTTPS stays the stable default for both users and search engines. Treat this as an observation of what appears in the result, not a target to chase in isolation.
Important considerations
- A value of 1 does not validate certificate quality or page security.
- Mixed content and insecure third-party resources require separate testing.
- Redirect configuration can create duplicate or inefficient URL paths.
- Provider or parsing issues can affect the observed protocol.
- Use dedicated security and crawling tools for a full HTTPS audit.
- Correlation is not causation: this factor relates to how a URL appears within a measured result set. A value of 1 does not by itself make a page rank or guarantee a position.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.