How to Optimize SEO on Squarespace and Maximize Your Website’s Visibility

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Why Squarespace SEO Matters More Than Ever

Squarespace offers stunning design templates and easy setup, but if your site isn’t optimized for search, it can get buried beneath competitors.

A fully optimized Squarespace website helps:

• Rank higher in search results
• Attract targeted organic traffic
• Increase leads and conversions
• Improve local and mobile visibility

With Google prioritizing site performance, user experience, and semantic structure, Squarespace users need a dedicated SEO strategy to stay competitive.

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Essential Settings to Configure in Squarespace for SEO

Enable SSL for Security and Trust

Squarespace offers free SSL certificates. Make sure yours is enabled:

• Go to Settings > Advanced > SSL
• Select “Secure” and check both force HTTPS boxes

Secure sites are favored by Google and reassure visitors.

Set Site Title and Tagline

Go to Marketing > SEO to set your:

• Site Title: Appears on every page title by default
• Tagline: Used as a fallback meta description for some templates

Include core keywords naturally.

Customize URL Slugs

Short, clean slugs help SEO. Edit page URLs under:

Pages > Select Page > Settings > URL Slug

Use hyphens between words and include target keywords. Example:

/services/search-engine-optimization

Turn On Clean URLs

By default, Squarespace removes file extensions. Confirm clean URLs under Settings to ensure proper canonical paths.

Create a Custom 404 Page

Build a branded 404 page that includes:

• A brief apology
• Navigation to popular pages
• A search bar or contact link

Custom 404s improve UX and reduce bounce rates.

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On-Page SEO for Squarespace

Craft Unique Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

Edit under Marketing > SEO > Search Appearance for each page.

Best practices:

• Page titles under 60 characters
• Meta descriptions under 160 characters
• Use primary and secondary keywords
• Add a CTA for click-throughs

Example:

Title: Award-Winning Denver Wedding Photographer | Smith & Co
Meta: Discover timeless wedding photography in Denver. Book your date with Smith & Co today.

Use Heading Tags Effectively

Squarespace offers Heading 1 to 4:

• Use one H1 per page (usually the title block)
• Use H2-H4 to organize sections
• Avoid styling paragraphs as headings just for appearance

Optimize Image Alt Text

Click an image > Design > Image Alt Text. Write descriptive, keyword-relevant phrases.

Example:

Alt: Bride and groom at sunset wedding in Boulder, Colorado

Use compressed images from TinyPNG or ShortPixel.

Add Internal and External Links

• Link to service pages, blogs, and contact forms
• Reference authoritative sources like Moz’s SEO Learning Center
• Use contextual anchor text

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Content Strategy That Supports Squarespace SEO

Target Long-Tail Keywords

Use tools like Ubersuggest or Ahrefs to find:

• High-conversion long-tail keywords
• Competitor keywords
• Low-competition opportunities

Create Cornerstone Content Pages

These are in-depth, evergreen resources targeting major topics. Examples:

• “The Ultimate Guide to Local SEO for Small Businesses”
• “How to Choose the Right Yoga Studio in Los Angeles”

Link to them often and update regularly.

Blog Consistently With SEO in Mind

Tips:

• Target one primary keyword per post
• Use numbered lists and bullet points
• Add high-quality visuals
• Link internally to relevant content
• Add FAQs to capture voice search queries

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Optimize for Local Search on Squarespace

Add Local Business Info to the Footer

Include:

• Business name
• Address
• Phone number
• Business hours

Keep consistent with your Google Business Profile.

Create Location Pages for Multi-City Coverage

If you serve multiple areas:

• Build a dedicated page for each city or region
• Include testimonials, local photos, and community mentions
• Optimize for city + service keywords (e.g., “NYC brand photography”)

Embed a Google Map

Use Code Block:

<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?..." width="100%" height="450" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen loading="lazy"></iframe>

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Schema and Technical SEO in Squarespace

Add Structured Data Markup

Squarespace doesn’t support custom schema by default, but you can add it manually using a Code Block in the page header or footer.

Example: Local Business schema:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Optimize Up",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main St",
    "addressLocality": "Austin",
    "addressRegion": "TX",
    "postalCode": "78701"
  },
  "telephone": "+15125551234"
}

Validate with Rich Results Test.

Enable AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)

AMP isn’t native to Squarespace, but you can:

• Use mobile-friendly templates
• Minimize CSS/JS
• Defer unnecessary scripts

Test mobile UX with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Tool.

Minimize Page Speed Issues

Use:

• Lazy loading
• Web-optimized images
• Minimal third-party scripts
• Cloudflare CDN (enabled automatically with Squarespace)

Check speed at PageSpeed Insights.

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Build Authority Through Backlinks and Mentions

Guest Post and Collaborate

Reach out to:

• Local blogs
• Industry publications
• Partners or vendors

Offer valuable content in exchange for a backlink to your Squarespace site.

Use HARO for Media Mentions

Sign up at Help a Reporter Out. Respond to relevant journalist queries and earn high-authority links.

Create Link-Worthy Content

Ideas:

• Original research and stats
• Infographics
• Viral quizzes
• Video tutorials

Promote on LinkedIn, Reddit, and relevant Facebook Groups.

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Monitor SEO Performance and Improve

Connect to Google Search Console

Track:

• Top keywords
• Page impressions and clicks
• Crawling issues
• Mobile usability

Use Squarespace Analytics + Google Analytics

Go to Settings > Analytics for:

• Traffic sources
• Bounce rate
• Time on site

Integrate GA4 for detailed insights and funnel tracking.

Regularly Audit and Refresh Content

Check for:

• Outdated info or links
• Thin or duplicate pages
• New internal linking opportunities
• Title/meta improvements based on CTR

Use Screaming Frog or Sitebulb for site audits.

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How Optimize Up Can Help

At Optimize Up, we empower businesses to take full advantage of SEO on Squarespace. Our specialists can help you:

• Structure SEO-friendly content and layouts
• Integrate schema and technical elements
• Build powerful backlinks
• Track and improve performance metrics

Contact us today for a custom Squarespace SEO audit and implementation plan.

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FAQ: Squarespace SEO Optimization

MLA Citations:

Squarespace. “SEO Best Practices.” Squarespace Help Center, https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/206541167.

Google. “Mobile-Friendly Test.” Google Search Central, https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly.

Moz. “The Beginner’s Guide to SEO.” Moz, https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo.

TinyPNG. “Compress Web Images.” TinyPNG, https://tinypng.com/.

Ubersuggest. “Keyword Discovery Tool.” Neil Patel, https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/.