Squarespace for SEO, your questions answered

Why This Matters

If you’ve ever tried to get your website to show up higher in Google, you’ll know it can feel a bit like shouting into a void. Maybe you’ve spent hours fiddling with site settings in Squarespace, reading SEO “best practice” lists, or wrestling with keywords, only to see your site languishing somewhere beyond page two. It’s frustrating, eats into the time you should be using to actually run your business, and for many, it’s the difference between the phone ringing and tumbleweed.

Every week, we help business owners, designers, and side-hustlers with SEO on Squarespace. The same doubts pop up: “Is Squarespace actually any good for SEO? Are keywords still a thing? Do I need to update my blog every single day?” If you get one of these wrong, you’re wasting time or money or both.

The aim here is simple: boil this sprawling topic down to the real questions that people ask us, give you clear, up-to-date answers, and show you exactly what to do to get your Squarespace site ranking without the faff or fuss.

Common Pitfalls

Let’s start with the biggest myths and traps people fall into with Squarespace SEO:

1. Assuming Squarespace can’t do SEO.
Old news, but this idea is glued to Squarespace’s image. People remember the clunky days: headers you couldn’t customise, no real control over meta tags, or the guesswork on images. That’s why some will still tell you “You have to go WordPress if you want to rank.” (Spoiler: you don’t. Not unless you’re playing with the really big fish.)

2. Thinking SEO is a one-off task.
There’s a fantasy that you can “do SEO” once, tick a box, and watch the traffic pour in. In reality, SEO is more like dental hygiene. Let it slide, and you’ll regret it next check-up.

3. Equating frequency with progress.
Some believe Google only cares if you blog every day, or that a dormant site is doomed. This myth leads to rushed, throwaway content and unnecessary stress.

4. Over-complicating things.
Getting lost in 50-point SEO checklists or obsessing over every ranking metric can trigger paralysis rather than progress. It’s the web equivalent of buying a state-of-the-art treadmill, then using it as a clothes rack.

If any of these sound familiar, you’re not alone. Nearly all the struggles we see come down to three things: not knowing what matters, misunderstanding how Google works today, and getting lost between technical “rules” and what real people actually want to read.

Step-by-Step Fix

Here’s how to avoid those ruts and nudge your Squarespace site up the rankings, using methods we’ve seen succeed over and over.

1. Show Google (and visitors) what your site is about

Before you worry about keywords, you need to make sure your site passes the world’s shortest test:
“If a stranger lands on your homepage for five seconds, do they know what you do, who for, and where you’re based?”

How to do it:

• Homepage headline: In plain English, tell visitors what you offer and where. Example: “Eco-Friendly Garden Design in Cardiff.”
• Main navigation: Categories and pages should use real words, not jargon. “About”, “Portfolio”, “Services”, etc.
• Contact info: If you serve a local area, get your town or region in the footer or contact page. Google pays attention.
• Image alt text and filenames: When uploading images, give them names that describe what’s in them: “cardiff-garden-design-after.jpg”, not “IMG_3472.jpg”.

2. Build pages that answer real questions

Google’s goal is simple: match people’s questions to the best answers. Instead of hunting keywords in a vacuum, start with the most common queries your clients, customers, or frankly, your Mum ask about your field.

How to do it:

• Write pages for services, not just menus: If you offer garden design, don’t just list it on one Services page. Create a dedicated page for “Garden Design Process”, “Garden Lighting Tips”, “Maintenance Advice”, etc.
• Make FAQs visible: Dedicate an FAQ section or standalone page. This is helpful and will probably help you pick up some “People Also Ask” search results.
• Use Blogs for depth, not filler: If someone asks, “How much does a garden redesign cost?” write a blog or a guide, break down the process, and show examples.

3. Sprinkle keywords, don’t dump them

Yes, keywords matter. But Google’s smarter than it used to be. It cares about meaning, not just repetition. Cramming every variation onto one page works against you.

How to do it:

• Pick a focus for each page: What’s the main thing you want that page to be found for? Use that in the page title, the first heading, and naturally in the first paragraph.
• Related phrases matter: If you’re targeting “Squarespace SEO UK”, you should also mention “website optimisation”, “ranking on Google”, “digital marketing”, etc.
• Use headings smartly: Break up your page with sub-headings (H2, H3) that include target terms, if it reads naturally.
• Image captions count: Where relevant, add useful image captions that reinforce key points.

4. Use every SEO tool Squarespace gives you

Squarespace has quietly improved its SEO features. You don’t need a degree in code. You just need to know where to find the tricks.

How to do it:

• Update site title and description: Under Site Settings > SEO, make sure your site title and description use your main keyword and tell people exactly what you do.
• Customise page descriptions: Every page and blog post allows you to set a search engine description. Write a short, clear summary with the main keyword near the start. Keep it natural.
• Alt text for images: There’s a field for every image you upload. Add a descriptive sentence. It helps those with screen readers too.
• URL structure: Edit page URLs to match the content. “/garden-design-process” is better than “/page-2”. Simple, short, and descriptive wins.
• Connect Google Search Console: In Settings > Connected Accounts, add your site to Google Search Console. This gives you data on how you’re found and flags issues like mobile usability.

5. Update consistently, but not obsessively

You don’t have to update your website every day, or spend your weekends inventing new blog topics. Google favours sites with regular, relevant updates, but don’t sacrifice your sanity for frequency.

How to do it:

• Set a realistic schedule: One good blog or resource per month is usually plenty for small businesses. If you can manage more, great. If not, focus on making each piece genuinely useful.
• Review your key pages: Every three to six months, reread your main pages. Tweak or expand them if your services, location, or process changes.
• Highlight updates: If you add a new testimonial, service, or photo, mention it in a blog or news section. It keeps your site active and gives you content to share elsewhere.

6. Track, tweak, and repeat

SEO comes down to many small course corrections, not grand launches. Once you’ve built the basics, keep an eye on what works and adjust.

How to do it:

• Check Google Search Console monthly: Look for which queries actually bring people in. Are people arriving for the right reasons?
• Spy on competitors: Search your own main keywords. Who’s already ranking? What are they doing with titles, headings, or FAQs that you’re not?
• Test changes one at a time: Alter a page title or heading and check if it makes a difference over a month or so. Don’t change everything at once.

What Most People Miss

The golden rule of SEO is right in front of us. Pleasing Google is less important than making your site genuinely useful for people. When you answer real questions, show what you do clearly, and keep your content up to date, search engines will usually follow.

Another thing people often overlook is making regular updates to your main pages, not just your blog. Refreshing your service details, updating case studies, or even changing your headline can make a bigger difference than ten new blog posts that nobody reads.

You shouldn’t worry about keeping old content that’s out of date. Review and remove it, or combine several thin posts into one in-depth resource. Often, having fewer but more useful pages works better.

One more commonly missed task: basic technical steps like connecting Google Search Console or writing page descriptions. These little tweaks add up over time and can help you edge ahead of competitors.

The Bigger Picture

Getting good results with Squarespace SEO does not depend on chasing the latest hack or algorithm rumour. Progress instead comes from making your site more helpful, more structured, and more connected to what people actually search for. When you do this right, you notice:

• More relevant enquiries, not just more visitors
• Less time wasted on supposed “urgent” SEO fixes
• Fewer surprises from Google updates
• More confidence that your time spent on content brings results

SEO will never be the only thing that matters—your site still needs to connect, persuade, and serve people well once they land. Improving your findability gives you a steady pipeline, lets you compete above your “brand size” and, little by little, reduces your reliance on paid ads or word of mouth alone.

And once your site is set up properly in Squarespace, maintenance is far less work than most people expect.

Wrap-Up

If you remember only three things, remember this:

1. Be clear about what you do, where, and for whom on every main page.
2. Use keywords naturally and only where it makes sense. Aim to be helpful, not clever for the sake of it.
3. Regular, small updates are more effective than sporadic “SEO sprints”.

Don’t let Squarespace’s reputation from years back put you off. With the latest tools and a bit of steady attention, it works extremely well for small businesses, freelancers, and creatives.

Still feeling stuck? Want practical advice or to see real examples? Pixelhaze Academy is filled with hands-on guides, real case studies, and occasional jokes about web maths.

Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.

Jargon Buster

SEO: Search Engine Optimisation. This means helping your website show up in Google and similar search engines.

SERPs: Search Engine Results Pages. This is the list you see after searching in Google.

Keywords: The specific words or phrases people use to find things online, like “Squarespace SEO tips.”

Meta tags: Bits of information about your page, visible to search engines but not always to visitors. Think of it as a page’s blurb.

Alt text: Description added to an image. Used by screen readers (for the visually impaired), and in judging what the picture relates to in terms of content.

Google Search Console: A free Google tool showing how your site appears in searches and highlights any issues.

Keyword stuffing: Old trick where you’d repeat a keyword far too often to try to trick Google. This no longer works and may get you penalised.

Related reading from Pixelhaze Academy:

• Why It's Still Important to Fact-Check AI Tools Like ChatGPT
• What Does a UX/UI Designer Do in Web Design?
• Image Compression in Web Design: Why It Still Matters in 2024
• Introducing PixelHaze Pioneers: Free Support to Get You Over the Line

If you’ve a specific Squarespace SEO problem, or a real-world scenario you want us to help with, drop us a message. Others likely have the same question.