Boost Your Squarespace SEO: Tips to Drive Traffic
Turn your Squarespace site into a traffic magnet, with Search Engine Optimisation.
Creating a website with Squarespace is an excellent choice for displaying your brand or business because of its stylish designs and easy-to-use setup. However, having a good-looking site is just part of the job—it's also important for your site to rank high on search engines. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) helps your content reach the right people. Here are some useful tips to improve your Squarespace site’s SEO:
1. Choose the right keywords
Keywords are the foundation of SEO. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or SEMrush to identify the search terms your audience uses. Once you have a list of relevant keywords:
Incorporate them naturally into your site’s content, titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text.
Focus on long-tail keywords (e.g., "bearded dad self-expression tips") for better targeting and less competition.
2. Optimise page titles & meta descriptions
Squarespace makes it easy to edit page titles and meta descriptions, which are crucial for SEO:
Go to Pages > Settings > SEO to customise titles and descriptions.
Include your primary keywords while keeping titles under 60 characters and descriptions under 160 characters.
Ensure each page has a unique title and description to avoid confusion for search engines.
3. Use headers effectively
Proper header structure helps both users and search engines navigate your site:
Use H1 for your main title (only once per page).
Use H2 and H3 for subheadings to break up content into digestible sections.
Include keywords in headers where relevant.
4. Optimise images
Large images can slow down your site, negatively impacting your SEO. Here's how to optimise them:
Compress images using tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh before uploading.
Add descriptive, keyword-rich alt text to images (e.g., “Squarespace SEO tips for small business websites”).
Use the correct image format (JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics).
5. Enable SSL for secure browsing
Google prioritises secure websites, and enabling SSL (Secure Socket Layer) adds the “https” to your URL.
Squarespace offers free SSL certificates. Simply enable it by going to Settings > Advanced > SSL and ensure it’s set to “Secure.”
6. Optimise for mobile
With most web traffic coming from mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly site is non-negotiable:
All Squarespace templates are mobile-optimised, but you can preview and tweak the mobile view in the Site Styles menu.
Test your site’s mobile-friendliness using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
7. Build internal & external links
Links are a major SEO signal:
Internal Links: Link to other pages within your site to guide users and distribute SEO value (e.g., from your blog to your contact page, like this).
External Links: Link to reputable sources to build authority, but avoid linking to competitors.
8. Leverage blogging
Publishing regular, high-quality blog posts is one of the most effective SEO strategies:
Write on topics that answer common questions in your niche.
Target keywords but avoid keyword stuffing.
Promote your blogs on social media to increase traffic and backlinks.
9. Improve your site speed
A slow site negatively impacts user experience and SEO rankings. Improve your site speed by:
Limiting the use of heavy scripts and custom code.
Keeping image and video file sizes small.
Using Squarespace’s built-in caching system to optimise loading times.
10. Submit your sitemap to search engines
Squarespace automatically generates a sitemap for your site. Submit it to search engines to help them index your site:
Your sitemap is located at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.
Submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
11. Monitor your performance
SEO is an ongoing process. Use tools like:
Google Analytics to track traffic and user behavior.
Google Search Console to monitor keywords, impressions, and site health.
Squarespace’s built-in analytics for a quick overview of site performance.
Improving your Squarespace site for SEO is simple. Focus on keywords, enhance your site layout, and ensure quick, mobile-friendly performance to help you rank better in search results. Remember that SEO takes time, so stay consistent and adjust your methods regularly.
