If you have a SiteGround-hosted website and are seeing warnings or a little explanation point by your website URL, you’re likely in need of an SSL certificate.

Installing a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate lets other people know that your website is safe, and it’s easy to install an SSL certificate with SiteGround.

This article will only apply to you if you WordPress.org website is hosted using SiteGround. SiteGround is the WordPress hosting services that I use and recommend to all of my clients. You can learn more about why here.

In this post, I’ll define what an SSL certificate does and why it’s beneficial for any type of website before exploring how to obtain one from SiteGround and finally installing it on your domain. If you want the quick version including what to do if your SSL certificate is not immediately showing once installed, check out this YouTube tutorial 👇

What is an SSL certificate?

An SSL certificate helps to ensure that information is transmitted securely. They provide a means of authentication, verifying the identity of the website owner and encrypting data in transit. This is why you will often see a warning that a website is not secure if a website lacks an SSL certificate – there is no way to verify who the owner of the website is without one.

SSL certificates can also improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) by signaling to Google that your site is safe for users. This not only boosts your rankings in search results but also helps establish your credibility as a site owner.

Step-by-Step Guide to Installing an SSL Certificate with SiteGround

Luckily, installing an SSL certificate while it seems super-techy, is very easy to do, especially with SiteGround as your hosting provider.

Step One: Log in to SiteGround and go to the Websites tab at the top.

Step Two: Click the Site Tools button for the website that you want to add an SSL certificate to.

Step Three: Click on Security in the righthand menu – this will open up more options and you’ll now see SSL Manager.

SSL certificate with siteground

Step Four: When you click on SSL manager, you’ll see a screen like the above 👆 In the dropdown menu under Select SSL, choose Let’s Encrypt and the hit the “Get” button.

Step Five: Once that has processed (it may take a few minutes), it’s time to login to your WordPress dashboard. On your WordPress dashboard, find Settings in the lefthand menu.

Step Six: Select General in the Settings menu. When this opens up, you will see two fields with your website URL: “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)”. Make sure that both of these read https://www.yourdomain.com. You may need to add the “s” after “http”. Then, save the changes. Your SSL certificate should now be active.

Troubleshooting

This is a fairly straightforward process. If you find that your SSL certificate is not registering after you’ve installed it, double check that you’ve completed and saved the last step above.

If the SSL certificate is still not registering, then that would be something I have never experienced before! Please get in touch with SiteGround’s support and they’ll get it sorted for you.

Best of luck! Xx, Kara

Ready for more?

Be sure to check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel. You can also view SkillShare courses (and a free two-week trial) here.

As always, I’m available to help troubleshoot or implement the tech pieces of your business

Send an email ➡️ hello@kcocreative.com

Request a quote ➡️ https://www.kcocreative.com/quote-your-project/

Book a free exploratory call ➡️ https://www.kcocreative.com/exploration-call/

All the FREEBIES ➡️ https://www.kcocreative.com/freebies/

Biz help for freelancers ➡️ https://www.kcocreative.com/for-freelancers/

Skillshare courses ➡️ https://www.kcocreative.com/skillshare-course/

Get started with SiteGround➡️ https://www.kcocreative.com/siteground*

*Affiliate links! I only promote services that I have used myself, regardless of whether I have an affiliate account with them, and using affiliate links when available helps me to continue to provide useful information at no cost to my viewers/readers/peeps. Thank you 🥰