Canonical URLs in WordPress with HTTPS [LNIM124]

This week on the Late Night Internet Marketing Podcast, we explore how canonical URLs in WordPress interact with HTTPS. Listener Gil has a question about what happened to his rankings for a particular page, and I believe HTTPS shenanigans are to blame.

We also celebrate six months of consistent podcasting and break down what made the difference after years of starting and stopping. Plus there is an internet marketing fortune cookie about oversleeping that we need to crack open.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• How canonical URLs work in WordPress and why they matter for SEO
• Why Google is proactively preferring HTTPS versions of pages
• SEO priorities for your site: quick wins and larger projects
• Three things that make the difference for consistent content creation
• Why every small action compounds over time

Episode Summary

Listener Feedback: Gil's Surprise HTTPS Migration

Gil noticed his site appeared in Google as HTTPS instead of HTTP despite having done nothing to trigger the change. His web host likely enabled HTTPS across their platform proactively. Google found the HTTPS pages because Google actively tests whether both versions are available and prefers HTTPS when it is. Gil experienced a temporary ranking drop during the switch.

The fix: verify HTTPS is working correctly on all pages, address any mixed content issues (images or scripts still loading over HTTP), and set the canonical URL to HTTPS using the Yoast SEO plugin.

Fortune Cookie: Tomorrow Will Be a Productive Day. Don't Oversleep.

Two lessons. First, carry around your own weather. If you decide tomorrow will be productive, you have already increased your chances of making it happen. Second, do not throw away your shot. Every small action you take adds up over time. Things I built seven years ago still generate income today.

SEO Priorities for the Year

Based on David Freeman's article on Search Engine Land:

• Quick wins: Log into Google Search Console and fix what it tells you. Run a content gap analysis using tools like Ahrefs to build your editorial calendar.
• Big projects: Switch to HTTPS. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly with a responsive theme. Consider page speed improvements.

Six Months of Consistency: What Made the Difference

1. Higher commitment level — More excited about the business than ever before.
2. A production process — A checklist-based workflow with dedicated time blocks for each stage of episode creation.
3. Mastermind accountability — The biggest factor. Having friends who expect you to deliver is more powerful than motivation alone.

Key Takeaways

• Google prefers HTTPS and will find your HTTPS pages even without links to them
• Use Yoast SEO to set your canonical URL structure to HTTPS
• Log into Google Search Console regularly and act on its recommendations
• Build an editorial calendar from content gap analysis
• Accountability and a production process beat motivation for consistency
• Small consistent actions compound into significant results over time

What's Changed Since This Episode

Mark recorded this episode in January 2017. HTTPS is now mandatory. Google Chrome marks HTTP sites as “Not Secure” and most web hosts provide free SSL through Let's Encrypt. HTTPS is no longer an SEO bonus; it is baseline.

Google completed the switch to mobile-first indexing. The mobile version of your site is now what Google primarily crawls. A responsive theme is non-negotiable.

AMP is no longer required. Core Web Vitals replaced AMP as the page experience standard. Focus on fast, well-built pages rather than AMP specifically.

Google Search Console has been redesigned but remains the single best free SEO tool available. The advice to log in and read what Google tells you is timeless.

Resources Mentioned

• Google Search Console
• Ahrefs — SEO tool with content gap analysis
• SEO Priorities for the New Year by David Freeman
• LNIM114 — Switching to HTTPS

Related Episodes

• LNIM124 Transcript — Canonical URLs and HTTPS
• LNIM125 — Voice Search Optimization
• LNIM114 — Switching to HTTPS

Listen and Subscribe

Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.