Do These Ten Things To Boost Your Squarespace SEO Organic Ranking in 2024
A stunning website is just the beginning; if you want to be found online, you must also optimize your site for search engines and get your site soaring in organic rankings.
There used to be a myth that Squarespace was terrible for SEO - which wasn’t true then - and most definitely isn’t true now.
In this blog post, we'll explore the top 10 things you need to do to give your Squarespace website a turbocharged boost in search engine results.
Start With Content
Great content is the foundation of successful SEO. Craft engaging, informative, and unique content that captivates your audience. Create a blog, share valuable insights, and sprinkle relevant keywords throughout your site. Remember, content is king! ‘Business card’ type websites do not work anymore. Use keywords, but make your content personable and easy to understand. Explain things clearly, like you’re speaking to a 5th grader. The content must be updated consistently with keyword-optimized content not only for your website visitors to read, but also for the search engines. That means having a blog can be your ticket to updating regularly and making friends with Google search!
Keyword Magic
Keywords are the secret sauce of SEO. Identify relevant keywords and strategically place them in your website's titles, headings, meta descriptions, and body text. Be smart about it! Don't overstuff keywords; instead, use them naturally and organically. Ensure your main keyword is on your homepage, in the header, as Header 1. Then use Headers 2, 3 and 4, in other page areas.
Speed Matters
Don't keep your visitors waiting! We’ve all tried to visit websites that don’t load quick enough, and I don’t know about you, but I just leave and go somewhere else. Patience is not my virtue!
Check your speed and do what you can to make it faster. Google loves speedy websites, so optimize your Squarespace site for fast loading times. Compress images, use caching, and enable lazy loading to ensure a seamless and lightning-fast user experience. Read this blog to find tools for how to do this.
Mobile-Friendly ALWAYS
Mobile devices rule the digital realm, so make sure your Squarespace website is mobile-friendly. Squarespace is mobile-responsive - but you must go and design the mobile view separately to make sure it looks good and is laid out the way you intended.
SEO-friendly URLs
Wave goodbye to generic URLs like "www.yoursite.com/page123." Customize your URLs to be SEO-friendly by incorporating relevant keywords and making them concise and descriptive. A clear URL structure helps search engines understand your content better.
Instead of saying ‘About Us’ - say ‘About (biz name) in (your location).’
www.domain.com/about-name-in-location.
Instead of saying ‘Web Design’ - say ‘Squarespace Web Design in Asheville, NC.’
www.domain.com/squarespace-web-design-in-asheville-nc.
Meta Tags
Meta tags are like virtual introductions for your web pages. Optimize your Squarespace site by writing compelling meta titles and descriptions that entice users to click on your links in search results. Be concise, relevant, and persuasive! This is what shows up when someone Googles and your site comes up - the meta tags are the content underneath the site that urge you to click. Start paying attention to the Google search results you click on.
Link Building
Build a strong network of high-quality backlinks to boost your organic ranking. What makes them high-quality? They are relevant to your industry. Collaborate with influencers, industry experts, and complementary businesses to earn valuable links to your Squarespace website. Remember, quality over quantity!
Don’t forget internal linking! If you can link your website to another page on your website (especially good to do in blogs), you’ll be rewarded by Google.
Image Optimization
Visual appeal is crucial, but search engines need a little help understanding your images. Optimize every image on your site by adding descriptive alt tags (this makes it accessible to those who are visually impaired) and optimizing file names (aka using keywords). This way, search engines can "see" your images and rank them accordingly. This is one of the most missed opportunities for organic ranking.
Social Media
Share your Squarespace website on social media platforms to increase visibility and drive traffic. Engage with your audience, create shareable content, and encourage social sharing. The more buzz you generate, the higher your organic ranking can climb!
SEO Space
SEO is ongoing, so monitor your Squarespace website's performance monthly. Utilize tools like SEO Space, a free Google Chrome extension that will run a scan on your site and tell you what you need to fix. For instance, maybe your header doesn’t have your keyword, a photo isn’t optimized, or you’ve used header 1 twice on a page. This extension can point you right to the issues on your website, so that you can fix them ASAP.
Congratulations! You've just learned the most crucial steps to ranking better on Google!
By following these ten practical and effective tips, you're well on your way to boosting your Squarespace website's organic ranking.
SEO takes time and effort, but the rewards are worth it.