✦ How to improve seo for squarespace website
Step by step to get you ahead of the game.
1. Set Up Google Analytics
Google Analytics (1) Focuses on how your website performs in Google Search (2) Helps you understand what keywords people use to find you, your average ranking, and how often your site appears in search and (3) Lets you fix indexing issues and submit your sitemap to help Google crawl your site properly.
How to connect:
Sign up at Google Analytics (you need a gmail acct) - Tutorial to help you
Connect your Squarespace site via Settings > Search for External API Keys
Add the Tracking ID from Google Analytics
Monitor traffic sources, user engagement, and conversions
2. Set Up Google Search Console (GSC)
Here is where you can see all the data around how you are showing up organically on google search engine, essentially the home of SEO.
Squarespace makes it easier for you….
Go to Settings > Third Party Tools > Connect accounts > Search for Search Console
Very important: You need a google account to connect your search console!
3. Once YOU ARE CONNECT ON GSC, now you need to Submit Your Sitemap
On top left side select the domain you are going to work on.
Now go to SITEMAPS to index your website efficiently.
Enter yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml and submit (replace yourdomain.com to the name of your domain, example: https://www.karinapalacio.com/sitemap.xml BUT if you have set your domain through Squarespace you will see your site already there (domain) all I have to do is add (on the empty field) : sitemap.xml
This allows Google to see all published pages
Ensure pages you want indexed have SEO enabled (avoid indexing 404 pages, legal pages, etc.)
4. Still on GSC page now Inspect URLs and Request Indexing
This ensures key pages appear in Google search results.
Use GSC > URL Inspection Tool
Enter a URL to check its indexing status
If not indexed, click Request Indexing
Do this for your most important pages (up to 10 initially)
5. Optimize SEO Titles and Descriptions AND IMAGES
SEO titles and descriptions improve visibility and click-through rates.
Got to Website > SEO/AIO > Tools to manage your optimization
SEO Title: 50–60 characters (include a primary keyword)
SEO Description: 150 characters (summarize the page with keywords)
Example:
SEO Title: "Luxury Chalets in Whistler | Your Dream Home Awaits"
SEO Description: "Stunning and affordable chalets in Whistler near the mountain, family friendly and centrally located"
*** What’s new:
Squarespace is now offering AI to help you improve your SEO, use this option to see what AI is suggesting and EDIT it with your own keywords.
Search Engines prioritize speed. Large, unoptimized images slow down your website. Use Squoosh website to reduce your images size before you load on your site. Name the images and add alt text (this last one helps screen readers describe your images to visually impaired users).
Keep images under 500KB.
6. On Squarespace Edit URL Slugs & Set 301 Redirects
URL slugs should be short, relevant, and keyword-rich.
Go to Page Settings > URL Slug
Keep it concise and descriptive (e.g., yourdomain.com/whistler-chalets)
If you change a URL, set up a 301 Redirect in Settings > Advanced > URL Mappings
7. Blogging for SEO
Regular blogging boosts your site’s authority and rankings.
Publish blog posts with keyword-rich content
Share new blog posts with Google:
Go to Blog Post > Settings > Share
Click on Google and enable the toggle to notify Google instantly
Structure posts with headings, lists, and internal links
Include high-quality images with alt text
Add image, you can create it on Canva. Ideal size 1500 pixels wide by 1000 pixels tall
8. Improve Click-Through Rate (CTR)
If impressions are high but clicks are low, optimize meta titles and descriptions.
Go to GSC > Performance > Queries
Find high-impression but low-click keywords
Update page content and metadata with those keywords
Ensure content is engaging and relevant
Definitions:
Impressions: Each time your website appears in the search results
Click: A click is counted when someone clicks on your website link.
9. Monitor and Maintain SEO Performance
Regularly track and update your site for the best SEO results.
Use Google Analytics to review traffic and conversions
Check Google Search Console for indexing errors, mobile usability issues, and broken links
Update content with fresh keywords and insights
A few more things to know and to prioritize:
1. Not Enough Content on Pages
If a page has too little text (e.g., only 50 words), Google won’t know what to rank it for.
Every page should have at least 300 words to provide context and value.
More content helps Google understand the topic of your page.
2. Low-Value Content
Content must not only be long but also high-quality and useful to visitors.
Google ranks pages that keep users engaged and satisfied.
To improve your content….
Search for your target keyword on Google.
Analyze top-ranking pages (word count, images, external links).
Match or exceed their quality and depth of content.
3. Lack of High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) show Google that your site is an authority.
More quality backlinks = higher chances of ranking.
Without backlinks, Google may not trust your site as a reliable source.
Research how to build backlinks (e.g., guest blogging, partnerships).
4. Technical SEO Errors
Poor site structure, slow loading speed, broken links, and uncompressed images hurt rankings.
Google struggles to crawl and index your site if it has errors.
Fix issues using SEO tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or SEMrush.
Consider using a Squarespace SEO plugin to simplify technical fixes.
TRUSTFUL RESOURCES/YOUTUBE VIDEOS:
People that I follow and trust!
Henry Purchase
Cristy Price
Becca - Inside The Square
Watch: YouTube Video
Watch: YouTube Video
Christy Price YouTube
Inside The Square YouTube
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