Squarespace SEO and Tag Management
TL;DR:
- Squarespace auto-generates archive pages for tags and categories that often lack useful content
- These thin pages can hurt your SEO by creating duplicate or low-value content
- You can hide tag and category pages from search engines in your SEO settings
- Create custom category pages with rich content instead of relying on auto-generated ones
- Focus on fewer, more meaningful categories that align with your business goals
Tags and categories help organize your Squarespace site, but they come with a hidden SEO problem. Every tag and category automatically creates an archive page that lists your posts. These pages rarely offer much value to visitors and can actually hurt your search rankings.
The Problem with Auto-Generated Archive Pages
When you add tags and categories to your blog posts, Squarespace creates archive pages that display a list of related posts. These pages typically contain minimal content beyond post titles and excerpts. Search engines often view these as thin or duplicate content, which can negatively impact your site's SEO performance.
The issue becomes worse when you use too many tags or very specific categories. You end up with dozens of archive pages, each containing just one or two posts with little unique content.
How to Hide Tag and Category Pages
You can prevent these pages from appearing in search results by adjusting your SEO settings:
- Go to your Squarespace dashboard
- Click Settings, then SEO
- Look for the Blog section
- Find the toggles for "Include tag pages in search results" and "Include category pages in search results"
- Turn both of these off
This tells search engines to ignore these auto-generated pages while keeping the organizational benefits of tags and categories for your site navigation.
Building Better Category Pages
Instead of relying on basic archive pages, create dedicated category pages with substantial content. This approach gives you more control over what visitors see and provides better SEO value.
Start by choosing categories that match your main business areas. A wedding photographer might use "Wedding Photography" and "Portrait Sessions" rather than dozens of specific tags like "outdoor-wedding" or "beach-portraits."
For each category, build a proper page that includes:
- A clear description of what the category covers
- Your expertise or approach in that area
- Links to your best related blog posts
- Relevant images or examples
- Contact information for that service
These pages become valuable landing pages that can rank well in search results while providing genuine value to visitors.
Managing Your Tag Strategy
Keep your tagging simple and consistent. Tags work best for internal organization rather than public-facing navigation. Consider using them to help you find related content when writing new posts, but avoid creating public tag clouds or tag-based navigation menus.
If you do use tags publicly, stick to broad topics that you write about regularly. This prevents the creation of tag pages with only one or two posts.
Version Considerations
These SEO settings are available in both Squarespace 7.0 and 7.1. The interface looks slightly different between versions, but the functionality remains the same. In 7.0, you'll find these options under Settings > SEO > Blog. In 7.1, they're located in the same place but with a more streamlined interface.
FAQs
Can I use tags and categories for site navigation even if I hide them from search engines?
Yes, hiding them from search engines only affects what appears in search results. You can still use them for internal navigation and organization.
What happens to existing archive pages when I turn off the SEO settings?
The pages still exist but won't appear in new search results. Search engines will eventually stop indexing them, though this takes time.
Should I delete all my existing tags and categories?
No need to delete them. Just be more selective going forward and consider consolidating similar tags into broader categories.
How many categories should I use?
Stick to 5-10 main categories that represent your core topics or services. This keeps your site organized without creating too many thin archive pages.
Jargon Buster
Archive pages – Auto-generated pages that list posts from specific tags or categories
Thin content – Pages with minimal unique content that provide little value to visitors
SEO penalty – When search engines lower your site's rankings due to poor content quality or technical issues
Duplicate content – Similar or identical content that appears on multiple pages, which can confuse search engines
Wrap-up
Managing tags and categories properly helps keep your Squarespace site clean and SEO-friendly. By hiding low-value archive pages and creating substantial category pages instead, you give visitors better content while avoiding potential search engine penalties. Focus on quality over quantity when organizing your content, and your site will perform better in search results.
Ready to improve your Squarespace SEO? Join our community at Pixelhaze Academy for more detailed guidance and support.