Redirect https domain to another https website

[georgebizpro]

I have a legal client, one partner split off and kept the old website (https) and I retained this partner and his new firm as a client.

The new firm has a new domain (https) and we setup the old website to 301 redirect to the new website.

However, we are having issues with redirecting the https version of the old domain to the new https version of the new website.

Domain is managed through Godaddy, who has been less than helpful, they just keep saying it's an issue on Google's end.

The old website URL with https still shows up in Google results for a number of search terms.

Can anyone tell me the best way to redirect the https version of the old domain to the https version of the new domain, so that visitors no longer see the privacy error message when clicking on search results and, instead, are redirected to the new firm website? Thanks in advance! Wordpress website.

 

[djbaxter]

It sounds like you're talking about two different things here.

Even if your redirects are done properly, it takes some time (weeks or months) for Google to update all the URLs in its index. And if I'm understanding you correctly, the old site is still active too? If so, I'm not sure what exactly you're redirecting.

If you click on the old listings in Google search results, do they redirect through to the new site?

As for the privacy error message, that sounds like either mixed content or improper SSL redirection on the old site.

How are you doing the redirection now? And do you have access to the old site if changes are needed there?

 

[georgebizpro]

It sounds like you're talking about two different things here.

Even if your redirects are done properly, it takes some time (weeks or months) for Google to update all the URLs in its index.

If you click on the old listings in Google search results, do they redirect through to the new site?

As for the privacy error message, that sounds like either mixed content or improper SSL redirection on the old site.

How are you doing the redirection now?

It redirects to the new site, but the privacy error pops up. So basically, if someone does a google search, client's old site comes up in results, and someone clicks on the result, they are taken to the new URL but the privacy error comes up, that's what I'm trying to fix. Redirect is setup as a 301 in Godaddy.

 

[djbaxter]

And if you go directly to the new site, no security error message?

 

[georgebizpro]

And if you go directly to the new site, no security error message?

Correct!

Only if you click in Google results. I understand it takes time for Google to adjust, which means new site will take time to replicate rankings, but in transition period I don't want client missing out on organic search traffic because of this error message popping up...

 

[djbaxter]

Can you post the old and new URLs?

Or PM them to me if you prefer.

 

[djbaxter]

Actually, I get the security warning even if I go directly to the URL for the old site so it's not as Google problem.

The problem seems to be a bad SSL certificate on the old site:

Unfortunately, unless you have access to the old site - and specifically to the server or tech support on the host, there's not much you can do on your end other than contact the former partner and alert him to the problem to get it fixed.

 

[georgebizpro]

Actually, I get the security warning even if I go directly to the URL for the old site so it's not as Google problem.

The problem seems to be a bad SSL certificate on the old site:

Unfortunately, unless you have access to the old site - and specifically to the server or tech support on the host, there's not much you can do on your end other than contact the former partner and alert him to the problem to get it fixed.

I have access to the old site server (we managed hosting), and Godaddy accounts for both old and new domain...

 

[djbaxter]

See PM.

 

[georgebizpro]

For anyone who runs into similar issues, here's how I resolved:

1) Added old domain to hosting account by pointing DNS
2) Installed a new LetsEncrypt SSL certificate for old domain in hosting account

Redirect now works properly, without the error message. Thanks to @djbaxter for his help!

 

[Tiggerito]

FYI, Googlebot does not worry about valid SSL. So over time it would re-crawl and update the URLs it indexes to the ones you redirect to.

It was a good move to set up a free SSL in the meantime.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

For anyone in the future, the issue here is if you move from an old domain to a new domain and you move the SSL as well, it will throw the error because the old website no longer has an SSL, it has been transferred to the new site. Both sites will need their own SSL. Yes, annoying, but true.

Now, if your old site didn't have an SSL and just worked off of http, you'll be fine. But make sure Google doesn't see the site as an https. Just do a site: check and you'll see how Google saw the website, whether http or https. Might also be smart to double check using Google Analytics and GSC.