The 2023 Guide for Blogging on Squarespace: Tips and Tricks
Why This Matters
You’re brimming with big ideas, but your blog feels more like a ghost town than a bustling studio. If you’re running a creative business (or you want your writing to stand out online), a well-oiled blog is your engine for new clients, repeat work, and proper recognition. Yet, all too often, creative entrepreneurs are left fiddling with confusing settings, wondering why their gorgeous Squarespace site isn’t bringing in the right readers, or any readers at all.
A neglected blog quietly drains your resources. It saps your time, wastes energy, and slowly eats into your income. Out-of-date posts, clumsy layouts, and poor SEO stop brilliant work from reaching an audience. Your best projects don’t get seen, and you’re stuck trudging through technical rabbit holes rather than focusing on what you do best. Working hard on its own won’t sort your traffic or client pipeline. If your blog isn’t pulling its weight, you lose both money and confidence.
Common Pitfalls
Squarespace promises beautiful templates and no-nonsense editing, but many users hit the same stumbling blocks:
- Blog Setup Confusion: People add a blog, but rarely adjust the settings that make it actually useful.
- Neglecting Design Basics: Attractive templates are left unmodified, leading to blogs that look like everyone else’s.
- SEO Blind Spots: Images get uploaded with unhelpful file names, posts lack structure, and Google traffic disappears into the ether.
- No Mobile Testing: The desktop version looks lovely, but on your phone you find your headline has vanished.
- Sporadic Posting: Good intentions lead to three rushed posts in a week, followed by radio silence for a month.
- Content Isolations: Each post sits in its own bubble, with no links or paths for readers to get hooked on another piece.
Small oversights in these areas can create huge headaches later.
Step-by-Step Fix
Let’s get your blog working for you, not against you. Do each step in order. Each one solves a pain point, saves you hours, and, with luck, cuts out most of the faffing about.
Step 1: Set Up Your Squarespace Blog Properly
1.1 Add Your Blog the Right Way
- In your main Squarespace dashboard, head to Pages.
- Hit '+ Add Page', then choose 'Blog'. This creates a dedicated blog page (not a glorified gallery or summary block).
- Name it for your brand or topic—something people recognise.
1.2 Configure Blog Settings
- Click the little cog next to your blog in the Pages list.
- Review everything: enable comments (or not), check your URL slug (short, clean, no nonsense), and toggle on post moderation if you run an open comments policy.
Set your blog’s URLs to use post titles rather than the default number string. A readable address (like /blog/painting-workshop-ideas) is better for humans and robots.
Step 2: Customise Blog Layout and Navigation
2.1 Choose a Template that Gives You Control
- Don’t just pick the first template you fancy. Choose one that lets your blog shine, with sidebars, visible categories, and a readable post list.
- If you’re not sure, test several during your trial. Stubborn layouts waste hours later.
2.2 Layout Tweaks for Readability
- Open your blog page. Use Spacer Blocks to shape your content: pull focus onto your articles, break up big chunks, and create visual breathing room.
- Avoid stacking everything in one vertical column. Add images, pull quotes, or lists to keep things lively.
2.3 Make Navigation Obvious
- Add a Recent Posts widget or menu.
- Tag posts intelligently (not just ‘Uncategorized’ and ‘Thoughts’).
- Review your category structure. Choose something more specific than ‘Blog’ to help readers.
Pretend you’re a new visitor. How quickly can you spot the latest post? How many clicks to find posts on a specific topic? If you struggle, so will everyone else.
Step 3: Craft Content That Attracts and Keeps Readers
3.1 Structure Each Post for Maximum Impact
- Start with a punchy headline and a one-sentence summary, which works well for Google and busy humans.
- Use subheadings (H2s, H3s) to break content into logical chunks.
3.2 Make It Accessible
- Always add descriptive alt text to every image. Use real-life phrases like “Oil painting workshop in action” instead of something like “IMG450.jpg”.
- Use clear fonts, sensible colours, and bullet points where needed.
3.3 Internal Linking Made Easy
- Within each post, link to other relevant pieces: “You might also like: How to Price Your Artwork”.
- This keeps people on your site longer, and Google ranks you higher for it.
When writing a how-to, photograph or screenshot each main step as you do it. Real images and practical advice help readers more than generic stock shots.
Step 4: Tidy Your SEO Without the Headache
4.1 Use Squarespace’s Built-in SEO Tools
- For every post, set a clear, specific title and meta description, which is what displays on Google.
- Add alt text to every image, describing what’s there and including relevant keywords naturally.
4.2 Make URLs Short and Memorable
- Remove auto-generated gibberish. Change
/blog/12-06-2023-12345to/blog/watercolour-course-review.
4.3 Tag and Categorise Posts Properly
- Use simple, descriptive tags and categories. Think like your audience: “Digital Painting Tips” is more helpful than “General”.
Don’t try every ‘quick fix’ you hear about. Write in a way you’d explain your work to a clever friend, and you’ll naturally include the right terms.
Step 5: Optimise for Mobile (Don’t Assume It’s Automatic)
5.1 Test On Multiple Devices
- Use your own phone and borrow a friend’s if you can. Open several posts. Click every button. Is anything overlapping, tiny, or broken?
- Use Chrome’s Device Mode for a fake phone or tablet preview. Even then, be sure to check on a real device.
5.2 Adjust for Touchscreens
- Make buttons finger-sized rather than mouse-sized.
- Check text sizes. Make sure nothing is smaller than 16px.
If your experience navigating your blog on a phone is frustrating, potential clients will likely give up and never return.
Step 6: Keep a Consistent Publishing Schedule (Without Burning Out)
6.1 Use Squarespace’s Scheduling Tool
- Draft your posts and schedule them to go live on future dates. This keeps your blog active even on busy weeks.
- Aim for quality over quantity. A couple of useful posts a month is better than a rush followed by silence.
6.2 Prepare Content in Batches
- Pick one day a month to draft, photograph, and plan three posts. Schedule these in advance.
- Block a regular slot in your calendar for a check-in: update links, fix typos, and swap in fresh images as needed.
Never promise that you’ll post every Thursday indefinitely. Instead, give yourself space and focus on delivering value so you don’t end up resenting your own blog.
Step 7: Plug in Social Media, Carefully
7.1 Connect Your Social Accounts in Settings
- Use Squarespace’s ‘Connected Accounts’ feature to share posts automatically on your chosen platforms.
- Limit your focus to one or two relevant platforms.
7.2 Add Sharing Buttons Where They Count
- Add sharing widgets at the end of each blog post, rather than in the middle or floating across the screen.
- Make sure sharing buttons visually fit your design style so they don’t overpower your work.
Encourage genuine interaction. Instead of generic calls to action, ask meaningful questions or share resources your audience will value and want to share.
What Most People Miss
Many people fixate on appearance, but sustained success comes from a strong structure. Every part of your blog—titles, images, navigation, even tags—acts as a guidepost for both readers and search engines.
Here is a strategy almost no one uses: treat your blog like a series of conversations, not a stack of bland announcements. Reference past posts. Respond to comments or acknowledge questions. Share behind-the-scenes photos alongside polished pieces. When you do this, your blog can serve as a working studio, behind-the-scenes guide, and a magnet for your ideal audience.
Review your old blog posts once a year. Update links, correct outdated info, and remove anything that no longer reflects your standards. Freshening up your archive ensures it remains valuable and effective.
The Bigger Picture
A consistent, thoughtfully structured Squarespace blog helps you reach a much bigger audience, saves time on repetitive admin, and boosts your site’s search rankings without ads.
With a well-managed blog, you’ll start getting inquiries from clients who already see you as an expert. Your existing posts serve as portfolio pieces, organic traffic drivers, and onboarding tools. You also free up time for real creative work instead of troubleshooting site settings.
Over time, these small efforts add up: more subscribers, more sales, and less stress when it comes to site management. Your brand builds a reputation for expertise and professionalism, not last-minute panics.
Wrap-Up
Blogging on Squarespace in 2023 means building a living extension of your studio, portfolio, or service. Fix your blog setup, design, navigation, and SEO habits now to avoid weeks of confusion later and attract work you enjoy.
Focus on getting your blog into shape so your online presence supports your work and goals.
Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.
FAQs
How do I add a blog to my Squarespace site?
Go to Pages, click '+ Add Page', and select 'Blog'. Rename it so visitors understand what they’ll find there.
Can I customise how my blog looks without code?
Yes. Use Spacer Blocks, image blocks, and change the layout through your template settings. If something is locked down, try a different template early; you don’t want to battle a restrictive layout later.
What’s the best way to stay consistent with blog posts?
Write and schedule in batches using Squarespace’s built-in scheduling. Don’t overcommit; it’s more manageable to build momentum than to recover from burnout.
Do I need to worry about SEO if I’m not a tech expert?
Yes, but Squarespace makes most of it simple: clear titles, meaningful image alt text, short URLs, and regular internal links do almost all the work.
Jargon Buster
SEO:
How you help Google and other search engines send more visitors to your blog. It’s a matter of making things easy for both people and search bots.
Alt Text:
Words that describe your image for screen readers and for when images don’t load. Also helps with SEO. “Blue ceramic mug on studio table” is much clearer than “photo1final.jpg”.
Spacer Block:
Simple Squarespace tool to add breathing room to pages. These are not visible on mobile, but help keep desktop layouts neat.
Internal Linking:
Adding links from one post to another in your blog. This keeps readers on your site and helps search engines understand your content.
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