When I implemented site-wide HTTPS on my Apache server last week, I encountered several technical nuances worth documenting. The standard 302 redirect approach using mod_rewrite works, but there are deeper implications:

# Basic Apache redirect (non-canonical)
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=302,L]

Modern search engines handle HTTPS transitions better than before, but implementation matters:

• Google treats 301 and 302 redirects differently in terms of "link juice" preservation
• Bing sometimes shows certificate warnings in previews (as seen in my screenshot)
• HSTS preloading requires careful implementation

The SSL handshake adds latency, but techniques like OCSP stapling help:

# Apache SSL optimization
SSLStaplingCache shmcb:/tmp/stapling_cache(128000)
SSLUseStapling on

For maximum SEO benefit, use permanent redirects:

# Recommended Apache config

    ServerName example.com
    Redirect permanent / https://example.com/

Even after redirects, watch for:

• Hard-coded HTTP assets (images, scripts)
• Third-party widgets loading over HTTP
• CDN configurations with protocol-relative URLs

For those using Nginx instead of Apache:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;
    return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}

Essential tools for verification:

• SSL Labs Test (https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/)
• Google Search Console HTTPS reports
• Screaming Frog for mixed content detection

When you implement an SSL certificate, redirecting HTTP (Port 80) to HTTPS (Port 443) is a standard security practice. Your Apache configuration using RewriteRule is technically sound:

RewriteEngine on
ReWriteCond %{SERVER_PORT} !^443$
RewriteRule ^/(.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}/$1 [NC,R,L]

Contrary to your concern, Google recommends HTTPS and gives it a slight ranking boost. For proper SEO preservation:

1. Use 301 (permanent) redirects instead of temporary ones
2. Update all internal links to HTTPS
3. Submit the HTTPS version to search consoles

Here's the improved Apache configuration with 301:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Even for non-eCommerce sites, HTTPS provides:

• Data integrity (preventing ISP injection)
• Privacy for user sessions
• Modern browser compatibility

For mixed content issues (like your Bing screenshot problem), add this to your .htaccess:

Header always set Content-Security-Policy "upgrade-insecure-requests"

While HTTPS adds minimal overhead, enable HTTP/2 for better performance:

Protocols h2 http/1.1

Remember to test your configuration with:

curl -I http://yourdomain.com