Major Changes for Squarespace SEO 2023

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Hey, are you looking to launch a brand new Squarespace website? Now’s the perfect time to put your plans into action. 

Here’s why: 

1. It’s still early enough to work on those New Year’s resolutions 

2. Squarespace recently improved their already awesome platform 

3. And implementing the latest in Squarespace SEO will help your website take off 

Squarespace and SEO already go hand-in-hand. And the fresh update to version 7.1 made things even better. 

Are you an avid DIYer? You’ll love taking control of your SEO in the built-in dashboards. It’s pretty easy to set things up and this guide will get you up and running in no time. 

We’re going to cover setting up your: 

• SEO panel 

• On-page SEO 

• Google Search Console 

• Google Search Analytics 

• and cover some general settings 

These are only the basics. If you want more in-depth Squarespace SEO tips, check out our pro-level course. 

Table of Contents in Detail Hide

SEO Panel 

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Let’s start with your Squarespace SEO panel. This is where you set up your website’s general SEO. 

Here’s how to get there: 

1. Open your Squarespace side panel 

2. Go to Marketing 

3. Click on SEO 

Found it? In this section, you can type in your SEO title format and SEO site description. The “Search Appearance” buttons above this show you if you’re changing it for the home page, blog pages, or shop items. 

Sidenote:  You should already have your site title saved before you do this. If it isn’t, go into the site editor by clicking “Edit” on the top left of any page. When it opens, click “Edit Site Header” then click “Site Title & Logo.” Now enter your business name or whatever you want your site title to be. 

Your SEO Title Format is what your page titles look like in search engine results, browser tabs, and social media links. You can format this with variables and custom text. 

Variables include: 

• %s: Site title 

• %p: A page’s SEO title – defaulting back to the page title if there is no SEO title 

• %i: An individual collection item’s SEO title – defaulting to the item title, in lieu of an SEO title. 

Use the custom text to add a few targeted keywords or keyphrases. Check this Keyword Research Guide to discover the best ones for you. 

Your SEO Title Formats should look something like this: 

• Home: %s | keyphrase description 

• Pages: %p – %s | keyphrase description 

• Items: %i – %s | keyphrase description 

For a gardening supply shop, this might translate into: 

• Home: %s | Indoor Plants & Pots for Your Home 

• Pages: %p – %s | Indoor Plants & Pots for Your Home 

• Items: %i – %s | Indoor Plants & Pots for Your Home 

Don’t make this too long. 

Your SEO Description is the description snippet that comes up when someone sees your website in their search engine results. 

Keep the length from 50 to 300 characters. Use this to explain what you do in clear, descriptive terms. Google will penalize you if your description isn’t clear. And browsers won’t be sure if you are relevant to their interests. 

If you sell bonsai trees, don’t write a description that says, “refine your ambiance and lift your spirits with ancient techniques”. Instead, write “we sell bonsai trees, small pots, and potting soil.” 

On-page SEO 

On-page SEO consists of two parts: 

• the page content  

• the page’s metadata 

You can access the metadata through the SEO section in the settings panel: 

For pages: 

• Click the gearwheel by the page 

• Click “SEO” 

• Click “Edit Website SEO Settings” 

For blog posts: 

• Click “Journal” in the side panel 

• Click the ellipses next to a post 

• Click “SEO” in the settings panel 

For shop items: 

• Click “Shop” in the side panel 

• Click the ellipses next to an item 

• Click “Edit” to pull up the editor 

• Scroll down to “SEO and URL” 

• Click “Edit” 

You can now add in a page-specific SEO title and SEO description. Both of these are optional. If you choose not to fill it out, Google will automatically populate it based on your main SEO descriptions and its site crawling. 

It’s usually okay to skip the SEO title. But you definitely want to craft a custom SEO description for each page. 

And make sure to change any alphanumeric or random URLs, like those generated for shop items.  

Make sure your SEO descriptions are: 

• clear 

• brief 

• descriptive 

• readable 

• keyword or keyphrase based 

Finally, always remember to save your new Squarespace SEO descriptions! 

Connect Google Search Console 

There are two ways to get this done. And you should do both methods to ensure that information is flowing both ways. 

Start by connecting Google’s Search Console inside your Squarespace website: 

• Go to Analytics in the side panel 

• Click “Search Keywords”  

• Click “Connect” 

Then, go to Google’s Search Console website and add your website in there. This two-way connection will make sure that all your data is on both platforms. It’s just a great way to safeguard your data. 

Connect Google Analytics 

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Repeat this process for Google Analytics. It’s important to set this up, even if you aren’t into Google or don’t plan on using it. 

The main reason why this is important is that it helps Google understand your website better. And this, in turn, helps you rank. 

Start by connecting Squarespace’s integration: 

• Click “Settings” in the menu panel 

• Click “External API Keys” 

• Enter your Google Analytics tracking ID into the Google Analytics account number area 

• Click “Save” 

Remember that Google Analytics is completely free. So, there’s no harm in establishing a historical record of all your analytics with them. 

Mini SEO Settings Checklist 

Alright, the final step is to go to the settings section of your main menu and fill out that information. Most of this information translates into code that won’t be seen by users, but it’s helpful for rich search engine results and placements. 

Make sure to fill out: 

• Language and Region: your region will translate into search results, making this a critical step for locally oriented businesses 

• Business information: fill this out if customers need to know your phone number, email address, and physical location 

• Social Links: add your social media profile links here 

• Domains: customize your built-in domain here and be sure to get this done in the beginning before you try to start ranking 

Then, head down to “Advanced” to turn on your custom domain’s SSL. 

• Click “SSL” 

• Select “Secure (Preferred)” 

• Click HSTS Secure to switch your site to HTTPS 

Completing these last few steps gives you a secure website with the basic SEO settings you need to start ranking. 

Let’s Get You Started With Squarespace SEO 

Are you ready to get to work? This guide laid out the basic steps you need to complete. For a complete take on Squarespace and SEO, grab our SEO Starter Kit. 

The kit provides a complete framework for understanding and implementing Squarespace search engine optimization. It’s detailed, actionable, and you get hours of private training to back you up. 

Not into DIY? Then check out our range of SEO packages.