How to optimize your Squarespace blog posts for SEO
For those already engaged in Squarespace blogging, you understand its immense value for your business. Consistent blog posts not only boost your search engine ranking (Google appreciates fresh content), but they also serve as a platform to showcase your expertise. However, writing blogs is time-consuming, so it's vital to ensure they reach your audience. That's where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) steps in – the key to optimizing your blog's visibility and ensuring your hard work doesn't go unnoticed.
Given that Squarespace is an all-in-one platform, you might wonder if there are plugins available to handle SEO tasks for you. You may have come across myths suggesting that Squarespace SEO isn't as powerful or versatile as other platforms. But here's the good news: implementing SEO in Squarespace blog posts is both straightforward and highly effective. By the time you finish reading this post, you'll have the knowledge to do it with ease. In fact, it's as simple as adding a plugin!
SEO Secrets for Squarespace Blog Post Perfection
Keywords:
Search engines analyze your blog posts to understand their content and provide accurate search results to users. They rely on complex algorithms to scan and interpret the words and phrases within your post.
To help search engines like Google determine the topic of your post, it's beneficial to include "keywords." The more precisely Google grasps your post's subject, the higher the likelihood it will appear in search results.
Keywords are the primary words that best represent the topic of your blog post. For instance, the keywords for this post could be "SEO, Squarespace, Blog, Optimize."
Including these keywords in your post increases your chances of ranking well on search engines. Search engines search for and match these keywords to user queries, making your post more relevant to those searching for information.
Keyword phrases, on the other hand, are combinations of keywords that form sentences or phrases that naturally fit into your post. These phrases tend to be used in blog posts and are more specific than individual keywords.
For example, a keyword phrase for this post could be "Optimize your Squarespace Blog Posts for SEO" and similar phrases.
It's important to incorporate these keywords and keyword phrases throughout your post, but avoid overusing them in every sentence, as excessive "keyword stuffing" can negatively affect your search engine rankings.
Remember that the primary goal is to provide valuable information to your readers and keep them engaged. While incorporating keywords is essential, reader satisfaction is a higher priority.
To enhance the SEO of your blog post, ensure that your keywords and phrases are included in the post title, subtitles, URL slug, and excerpt if you're using one. Take this blog post as an example of how to effectively incorporate keywords and phrases throughout your content.
URL structure
Squarespace provides a convenient feature that allows you to customize your automatic Blog URL slug. I highly recommend taking advantage of this option.
To make this adjustment, navigate to the "Settings" and then select "Blogging."
By default, the Blog slug often includes the Year/Month/Day/Post Title, resulting in longer URLs.
Since search engines tend to favor shorter URLs, I recommend changing the slug format to a simpler one, like "/Post Title," as I've done.
The great thing about this step is that it's a one-time task. Once you configure the URL structure, all your future blog posts will follow the same format.
URL slug
Another vital aspect to address is the URL slug for your blog posts. You can customize this by following these steps:
Navigate to "Pages," then select your "Blog."
Choose the specific Blog Post you want to edit.
Click on "Edit" (or it might appear as "Settings," depending on your Squarespace version).
Access "Options." (This may be located across the top for older sites or down the left side for newer ones.)
Ensure that your Blog Post slug includes relevant keywords or phrases and is clear, free from any unrelated numbers, words, or symbols. In most cases, it should match or be a variation of the Blog post title.
You can omit filler words such as "and," "if," "the," etc., and focus on using primary keywords. Shorter and more concise slugs are generally more effective.
For instance, if the title of your post is: "How to Optimize Your Squarespace Blog Posts for SEO," your Blog Post slug can be a concise version of this title.
Add Images Titles
Search engines rely on text, not visuals, to understand the content of images. They look for image names in the hope that these names accurately describe what the image represents. It's essential to name all your images appropriately, even if you can't see these names in your post – search engines can. It's a good practice to incorporate your keyword phrases in image titles.
I recommend a two-step approach for this:
First, name the image file on your computer before uploading it.
Once you upload the image (using an image block), you can also rename it in the image block settings under "Filename." This approach ensures that all naming aspects are covered effectively.
Optimize Your Images for Faster Loading
Image size plays a crucial role in your website's speed. If your images are too large, your site will load slowly. Slow-loading pages are frowned upon by search engines, and this can harm your Google ranking.
While Squarespace includes automatic image optimization for different screen sizes, your active involvement is still necessary.
My rule of thumb is to reduce image size as much as possible without sacrificing quality.
For banner images that span the entire site width, or very large images, I aim for sizes under 500KB.
In special portfolio pieces where image quality is a priority, I might exceed 500 KB slightly, but I avoid doing this too much as it can affect the overall site ranking.
Typically, blog post images, such as screenshots and smaller images, fall well below the 500KB threshold, often ranging from 20 KB to 100KB.
If you use larger images, strive to keep them well below 500KB. Photoshop's "Save for Web" feature is excellent for this. If you don't have Photoshop, you can use the Preview app on Mac, adjusting the size under "Tools > Adjust Size."
For banner images, a width of around 2500 pixels is my preference, while other site images range from 500 to 1500 pixels depending on usage. In blog posts, I retain the original size for screenshots and then compress them in Photoshop using "Save for Web" or the method below.
Compressing images can be done with tools like CompressPNG/JPG. Upload your file, and it will compress it significantly without sacrificing quality. This is a valuable tool if you're not using Photoshop.
First, resize images to the appropriate dimensions and then compress them using Photoshop or CompressPNG/JPG if necessary.
It may seem like a lot of work, but it's essential. Slow-loading sites not only affect your search engine ranking but also deter visitors from staying.
Use Keywords in Headings and Meta Descriptions
Incorporating keywords into your headings and meta descriptions can be advantageous for your website's SEO.
When it comes to headings, it's common practice to place the primary keyword of the page within the <h1> tag. You can then structure your content logically by using subheadings with <h2> and <h3> tags. If your page is divided into sections, Google acknowledges that having multiple H1 elements on different parts of the page is acceptable when done appropriately.
Meta descriptions, which are brief summaries of your pages displayed in search engine results, also provide an opportunity to use keywords. While descriptions don't directly influence rankings, a highly relevant meta description can entice users to click and visit your site. Write these descriptions in a natural, engaging way to encourage click-throughs from the search engine results pages (SERPs). Keep in mind that, whether you create descriptions or not, Google might sometimes pull other text from your page to better address a searcher's query.
To add meta descriptions to various pages, follow these steps:
For the home page: Go to "Settings" > "SEO" > "Appearance" > "SEO Site Description."
For individual pages: Navigate to "Pages" > Select the specific page > Click "Page Settings" > "SEO" > "SEO Description."
For blogs, products, or events: Choose the respective post or item > Click "Edit" > Go to "SEO" > "SEO Description."
Optimizing headings and meta descriptions with keywords enhances your website's visibility and encourages users to engage with your content.
Mobile Optimization
Did you know that more than half of online searches take place on a mobile device? That means if your blog is not optimized for mobile, you’re going to miss out on a huge chunk of traffic.
One of the best things you can do to help your blog be mobile friendly is to enable Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). This will help users load your content faster (which we’ll discuss in more depth below.)
Here are some other quick tips for keeping your blog mobile-friendly:
Keep your pages (including images, etc.) to less than 5 MB
Set your letter spacing to less than 0px, otherwise your text might overlap on mobile
Use padding instead of spacer blocks to reserve white space (some spacer blocks don’t show up on mobile)
Ensure you have mobile styles enabled in Squarespace
In the Home Menu, click Design, then click Template Settings.
Ensure Disable Mobile Styles is unchecked
Keep your design simple and don’t try to include too many elements in your blog posts
Add Internal Links
Adding internal links within your blog content facilitates the task of Google's crawlers in discovering new and relevant content on your website.
This is a straightforward practice, especially since a significant portion of your content is likely interconnected. When you identify a suitable opportunity to link to another blog post or webpage, seize it! However, it's crucial not to overuse internal links. A good rule of thumb is to limit them to 3-4 within a 2000+ word post to maintain a balanced approach.