Fix Hidden HTTP Pages Hurting Your Google Rankings
▼ Summary
– Google’s John Mueller reported a case where an accessible HTTP homepage, different from the HTTPS version, was incorrectly influencing the site name and favicon in Google’s search results.
– This issue is easy to miss because modern browsers like Chrome automatically upgrade HTTP requests to HTTPS, but Googlebot does not follow this same upgrade behavior.
– To diagnose the problem, webmasters should check the raw HTTP response using tools like `curl` or the URL Inspection Live Test in Google Search Console.
– The core problem arises when Googlebot reads structured data from the outdated HTTP page instead of the intended HTTPS homepage, leading to incorrect search result displays.
– The recommended fix is to ensure the HTTP version either redirects to HTTPS or contains the same correct structured data as the primary HTTPS homepage.
A hidden HTTP homepage can unexpectedly undermine your search engine performance, creating issues with how your site name and favicon appear in Google’s results. This problem often goes unnoticed because modern browsers like Chrome automatically redirect users from HTTP to HTTPS, masking the outdated page from view. However, Googlebot does not follow this same upgrade behavior, meaning it can still crawl and index the HTTP version, potentially using its content to determine your site’s identity. This discrepancy can lead to incorrect or missing branding elements in search listings, directly impacting user recognition and click-through rates.
The scenario described by a Google representative involved a fully functional HTTPS website that inadvertently retained a server-default homepage on its HTTP address. While visitors never saw this page due to browser security upgrades, Google’s crawler accessed it and used the minimal or incorrect information found there to influence the site’s displayed name and icon. The site name system pulls data from various signals on the homepage, including structured data, title tags, and Open Graph tags. When the crawler reads a generic HTTP page instead of the rich HTTPS homepage, it works with faulty signals, leading to suboptimal search results.
Identifying this issue requires looking at your site the way Googlebot does, bypassing the browser’s automatic redirects. One straightforward method is to use the curl command on the command line, entering `http://yourdomain.com` to see the raw HTTP response. If this returns a basic server-default page rather than your actual homepage content, you’ve found the problem. Alternatively, webmasters can utilize the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console and run a Live Test to see exactly what Google retrieves and renders for the HTTP address. It’s a critical diagnostic step that many overlook because their daily browsing experience seems perfectly normal.
The display of site names and favicons has been a dynamic area since Google began emphasizing them in search results. The system has evolved, expanding support and working through bugs, but this case highlights a new technical pitfall. The core issue wasn’t with the structured data on the intended HTTPS page; it was a “ghost” HTTP page serving different content. Google’s own guidelines warn about duplicate homepages across HTTP and HTTPS protocols, recommending consistent structured data. This incident shows the tangible consequences when an obsolete HTTP version exists independently.
For website owners troubleshooting mysterious site-name or favicon problems, the lesson is clear: manually inspect the HTTP version of your homepage. Do not assume that because your browser shows the correct HTTPS page, Google sees the same thing. The solution typically involves ensuring that all HTTP requests are properly redirected to HTTPS at the server level, or that the HTTP homepage is removed entirely. This consolidates your site’s signals and ensures Googlebot only indexes and uses the content from your primary, secure homepage, preserving your intended branding in search results.
(Source: Search Engine Journal)
