I frequently discuss SEO with my small business clients, highlighting its importance and the benefits it offers for their websites. Your Squarespace site beautifully represents your business and communicates your services, so it's only natural that you want it to be seen by the world!

However, SEO is a long-term strategy, not a quick fix. SEO best practices should be integrated into the design and development of your website (always confirm this with your web designer), but after initial setup, it's up to you to maintain and enhance your site's momentum.

SEO can seem like a maze of technical jargon and conflicting advice—like the paradox of "using keywords without overusing them" that you might have encountered.

To take some of the guess work out of how to apply SEO to your website, here's a list of actionable steps you can take to improve your site’s SEO.

1. Create and Optimize Your Google My Business Page

Boost your local search visibility by optimizing your Squarespace site for local SEO. Include your location in title tags, meta descriptions, and content. For example, “Day-of Wedding Planner based in Calgary, Alberta”. This helps Google understand your geographical relevance and improve your visibility in local searches. Enhance your presence further by optimizing your Google My Business profile.

2. Link Google Analytics & Google Search Console to Your Squarespace Website

Even if you don’t use Google Analytics, set up an account and add the tracking ID to your site to show Google you’re interested in visitor data. To add the tracking ID, go to Settings -> Developer Tools -> External API in Squarespace. Similarly, connect Google Search Console to track search terms and rankings by going to Settings -> Connected Accounts. These tools help Google favor your site by providing insights into visitor behavior and search performance.

3. Conduct Keyword Research

Develop a list of relevant keywords for your content, titles, and page descriptions. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to find high-volume, low-competition keywords. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your Squarespace site to enhance readability and search engine visibility.

4. Add Titles and Descriptions for Your Website and Individual Pages

Customize the titles and meta descriptions for your Squarespace site and individual pages to appear in Google search results. For the website, go to Settings -> Marketing -> SEO Appearance. Use a format like: Business Name | Service, Location. For descriptions, briefly summarize your services and include a call to action. Repeat this process for each page by clicking the cog icon next to each page name and selecting the SEO tab.

5. Hide Admin Pages from Search Results

Prevent Google from indexing admin or legal pages (like 404 error pages or privacy policies) to ensure your main pages (like services, about, and contact) get more visibility. To hide a page, click the cog icon next to the page name and toggle ‘Hide Page from Search Results’ in the SEO tab.

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6. Improve Page Speed

Faster-loading pages rank higher in Google search results. Optimize your site’s speed by keeping image sizes under 500KB and embedding videos from YouTube or Vimeo instead of hosting them directly. Add alt tags to images to help with search engine crawling and improve accessibility.

7. Add a Blog to Your Website

Blogging provides a valuable opportunity to create informative content that engages your audience. Use your blog to address common questions or provide solutions, incorporating relevant keywords naturally. Repurpose blog content into newsletters and social media posts for additional reach.

8. Ensure Mobile Optimization

With mobile devices contributing to over 61% of website traffic, ensure your Squarespace site is mobile-friendly. Use Fluid Engine to adjust your site’s mobile view without affecting the desktop version. Google prioritizes mobile-optimized sites in search rankings.

9. Keep Your Website Updated

Regularly update your Squarespace site with new services, events, products, and blog posts. This keeps your content fresh and signals to Google that your site is actively maintained. Allow 3-6 months to see improvements in your Google ranking and search engine traffic.

10. Link Your Social Media Profiles

Enhance your content's visibility and drive traffic to your Squarespace site by actively promoting it on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Social signals (likes, shares, comments) impact search rankings, so engaging with your audience can improve your SEO

Wrapping up!

Remember, unlike social media. SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Focus on one task at a time, and remember that changes can take time to reflect in your search engine rankings. The results will show with consistency.

I hope you find these tips helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out any time!