Squarespace SEO Checklist
Optimize your Squarespace website for search with steps covering setup, on-page SEO, structured data, and site performance.
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Site Setup & Foundation
Turn the Site Public Before Starting SEO Work
Make sure your Squarespace site is set to Public under Settings → Site Availability. If it’s set to “Private” or “Password Protected,” search engines can’t crawl or index your pages, no matter how optimized they are.
Choose a Clear, Keyword-Relevant Site Title
Set your site title in Settings → Site Title so it describes your brand + main offering. This helps in branding and is often shown in search results.
Enable SSL / HTTPS
Ensure your site runs securely on https://. Squarespace provides SSL automatically for domains; double-check custom domains are verified and SSL active to avoid security warnings and ranking penalties. (from Squarespace documentation)
Verify in Google Search Console & Submit Sitemap
Connect your site to Search Console so you can track indexing, errors, and performance. Squarespace generates sitemap.xml automatically—submit it via Search Console.
Install Google Analytics / GA4
Add analytics tracking to your site to see how much traffic comes from organic search and how users behave. Use this data to spot weak pages and opportunities.
Verify Site with Bing Webmaster Tools
Create or sign in to a Bing Webmaster Tools account and add your Squarespace site as a property. Verify it (using DNS, HTML tag, or other supported methods) so you can monitor indexing, submit sitemaps, and see performance data for Bing and Yahoo search.
Use Squarespace’s Built-In SEO Tools Overview
In Marketing → SEO, explore Squarespace’s SEO panel for quick access to key features like title formats, search appearance previews, and built-in analytics. This central area helps you manage core SEO settings without plugins or code edits.
Use Squarespace’s SEO Report
On Squarespace 7.1 sites, open Marketing → SEO → SEO Report and run a scan of your site. Use this report to quickly spot missing alt text, empty SEO descriptions, and weak page titles, then fix them directly from the suggestions view.
Add a Favicon / Browser Icon
Upload a favicon (browser icon) under Design → Browser Icon so your brand shows up in browser tabs, bookmarks, and sometimes search results. A simple, recognizable icon makes your site easier to spot when users have many tabs open.
Technical SEO & Indexing Control
Use Self-Referencing Canonical Tags
For pages with multiple variants (e.g. filtered collections), ensure canonical tags point to the preferred version. This prevents duplicate content and splits of ranking signals.
Manage Duplicate Content from Collections & Tags
If a product or page appears in multiple places (collections, tags), use canonical tags or internal linking strategy so Google knows which version is primary.
Use 301 Redirects for Changed or Deleted Pages
When you rename or remove pages, set up 301 redirects to the new or best alternative page so users and search engines aren’t stuck at broken URLs.
Review robots.txt / Page Hiding Settings
Check Settings → SEO for options to hide pages from search or block indexing. Make sure you’re not unintentionally hiding pages you want indexed.
Avoid Duplicated Navigation in Header and Footer
Some templates duplicate menus automatically across header and footer, creating multiple links to the same page. While not a penalty, it can dilute crawl efficiency—simplify menus to highlight only core pages.
Use Folder Pages to Group Supporting Content
When you create multiple related service or blog pages, organize them under a Folder Page. This helps you control URL structure (e.g., /services/web-design/) and reinforces topical relevance.
On-Page SEO (Per Page / Blog / Product)
Do Keyword Research for Your Niche
Find relevant search terms people use (via tools like Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, or autocomplete). Assign one main keyword per page to avoid keyword cannibalization.
Use Keywords in SEO Titles & Page Slugs
In each page’s SEO Settings, write a unique SEO title (≈50–60 characters) with the target keyword. Also set a clean URL slug (in page settings) that reflects the content (e.g. /organic-skincare).
Write Compelling Meta Descriptions
In page settings, add a meta description (~150–160 characters) that includes the keyword but also encourages users to click. It doesn’t directly affect rankings, but it helps with click-through rate.
Structure Headings (H1, H2, H3) Properly
Each page should have one H1 (main heading) and subheadings (H2, H3) to break content. Include keywords in headings, but make content readable and user-friendly.
Use Clean Navigation Labels (Affecting Auto-Generated Titles)
Squarespace often uses navigation labels as the basis for page titles. Keep menu names concise and keyword-friendly—avoid generic ones like “Home” or “Our Work” if you can clarify (“Interior Design Projects,” for instance).
Internal Linking Strategy
Link between related content (e.g., blog → service pages). Use descriptive anchor text. Internal links help spread ranking power across your site.
Use a Custom 404 Page
Create a friendly, helpful 404 page (e.g., with links to home, blog, or search) to reduce bounce rates when users hit broken links. Squarespace allows custom 404 pages.
Check Page Title Format Patterns
Set up how your page titles appear in search results and browser tabs in Marketing → SEO → Page Title Formats. Use a clear pattern like “Page Title Title | Site Title” so users instantly understand what the page is about while still reinforcing your brand on every result.
Review Content Against Squarespace Best Practices
Periodically review key pages to ensure content follows best practices: clear headings, short paragraphs, and scannable sections. Check that each page answers its main query, uses headings logically (H1, H2, H3), and is easy to read on both desktop and mobile.
Choose Blog Post URL Format
In your Blog settings, configure the URL format so each post includes the post title in the slug (for example, /blog/post-title/). This keeps URLs readable, keyword-rich, and more likely to be clicked when they appear in search results
Mobile & Accessibility
Ensure Mobile Responsiveness & Layouts
Squarespace templates are mobile-friendly by default, but test pages on mobile devices. Avoid elements that break layouts or push content off screen.
Understand Alt Text Limitations by Block Type
In Marketing → SEO, explore Squarespace’s SEO panel for quick access to key features like title formats, search appearance previews, and built-in analytics. This central area helps you manage core SEO settings without plugins or code edits.
Image Optimization
Monitor Image File Names Before Upload
Squarespace strips special characters and spaces from file names automatically, but keeps base words. Rename files (e.g., modern-office-design.jpg) before upload so image SEO signals remain clean.
Optimize Images (Alt Text, Size, Formats)
Before upload, compress images. In Squarespace image settings, add alt text (short descriptions) so search engines understand the image. Use modern formats when possible (e.g. WebP).
Use Lazy Loading Where Supported
Delay loading images that are off-screen until they’re needed to speed up page load. This helps with performance, especially on mobile.
Keep Image Sizes Lightweight
Aim to keep individual images under 500 KB and total page size under about 5 MB to maintain fast load times. Compress large images before upload and prefer modern formats like WebP where possible so pages stay quick on both desktop and mobile.
Use Descriptive Image Filenames Before Upload
Rename image files before uploading them to Squarespace using descriptive, keyword-relevant names like modern-office-design.jpg instead of IMG_1234.jpg. These cleaner filenames can be used by search engines as an extra hint about what the image and page are about.
Site Performance & Core Web Vitals
Minimize Third-Party Scripts & Plugins
External scripts, tracking codes, or plugin-style embeds can slow page loads. Remove or defer those that aren’t essential. Focus on a lean build.
Test Site Speed & Core Web Vitals
Use tools like PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or GTmetrix to measure LCP, CLS, INP. Optimize images, CSS/JS, and layout shifts to improve user experience and ranking signals.
Monitor Performance & Errors
Regularly check Search Console for indexing issues, mobile usability errors, or crawl errors. Also use performance tools (Lighthouse, PageSpeed) to find bottlenecks.
Structured Data & Schema
Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Add JSON-LD schema (like Article, Product, FAQ) via Code Injection or built-in fields. This helps search engines better understand your content and can lead to rich snippets.
Use Squarespace’s Built-in JSON-LD for Products & Articles
Squarespace automatically adds schema for Products, Blog Posts, and Events. Validate it using Google’s Rich Results Test. Avoid duplicating schema manually—double markup can confuse search engines.
Content Strategy
Add Blog / Fresh Content Regularly
Use Squarespace’s blogging features to publish new articles or updates. Fresh content signals activity, helps you target long-tail keywords, and provides linkable pages.
Use Folder Pages to Group Supporting Content
When you create multiple related service or blog pages, organize them under a Folder Page. This helps you control URL structure (e.g., /services/web-design/) and reinforces topical relevance.
Local SEO
Claim & Optimize Google Business / Local Listings
If your business has a physical location, claim your Google Business Profile and ensure address, hours, and contact details match your site. This supports local SEO.
Off-Page SEO
Build Quality Backlinks
Even with all technical optimizations, your site needs external links from relevant, reputable sites. Outreach, guest contributions, mention reclamation all matter. (Generic but essential)
Social & Sharing Optimization
Connect Social Accounts & Enable Auto‑Sharing
In Settings → Connected Accounts, connect your social profiles (Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn) and enable auto-sharing where it makes sense. This lets you automatically push new blog posts or pages to social channels, helping you get more clicks and signals back to your site.
Customize Social Sharing Images & Metadata
Under Marketing → Social Sharing, set custom images, titles, and descriptions so shared links look good on Facebook, Twitter, etc. This helps click-through and brand perception
Customize Social Share Settings per Page
Under Marketing → SEO → Social Image (or each page’s Social tab), upload unique preview images and share titles. This metadata improves click-through when your Squarespace pages appear on social or messaging platforms.
Additional Tips
Don’t Try to Manually Edit robots.txt
Squarespace automatically manages your robots.txt file. Manual editing isn’t allowed, so control crawling instead through the page’s SEO settings (toggle “Hide Page from Search Results”) and canonical URLs.
More Squarespace SEO resources
Explore Squarespace’s official SEO checklist and SEO guides for additional, platform-specific tips on optimizing your Squarespace website beyond this checklist.