Squarespace SEO Tips
This is a super quick blog post that I'm writing in response to the requests I've received to share my Squarepace SEO tips. To be clear, I am NOT an SEO expert - just sharing what has worked for me in my business!
I’m going to assume that you have a general understanding of SEO & have done your keyword research as that's not something I'll be addressing here. :)
Again, this isn't meant to be a complete SEO roadmap....just some starter steps in the right direction!
Let's get started!
1. Rename your images before uploading. Before you even log into Squarespace, I suggest your re-name all of your images using the keywords you will be using for each page. Example: acting-headshot.jpg and NOT 459202.jpg.
2. Get a Google+ page. If you do not have a Google+ business page – run don’t walk – and create one NOW. This is especially important for local search results. Example: You are a wedding photographer in Boston or a dog walking company in Detroit. You will need to verify a physical address for your business. If you do not have one & don’t want to use your home address, go ahead and rent a PO Box at a UPS store or something similar.
When creating a page in SS:
3. Use custom page titles. Use custom page titles by changing the URL slug to something that contains your keyword. (To do this: Click on the little “gear” to configure page. Enter your unique page name under the description section. )
4. Create a page description. While you’re there, be sure to make good use of the description section by filling it in completely – use an interesting, keyword filled summary of your page. Be sure to write something unique for each page – don’t just copy and paste the same thing throughout your site!
When inserting an image on a page:
5. File name. After uploading your photo, fill in the file name section! This is the Squarespace version of an alt tag. It says "optional" but you should NOT leave it blank. If you do not want this info to show on your image just click on the drop down menu and set it to “do not display caption.”
When creating a blog page:
6. Configure the blog page itself as you would any other page by clicking on the little “gear” and filling in the information.
7. Create a description of your blog.
8. Create a unique URL slug for the blog.
When creating individual blog posts:
Post Title: Create a keyword rich title. In my experience, this title is what will show up alongside your blog image in the google search results.
Options Tab: Create a unique “post url” for your blog.
Location Tab: to enter the location of your business. This should be the SAME location you registered with Google+.
Social Tab: Be sure to have your social media accounts connected and have SS autopost your blogs to your pages.
When creating a gallery:
Configure the gallery page just as you would any other page by giving it a unique url slug.
Create a description for the gallery.
Click thru the content, options, location and social tabs and be sure to fill in as much info as possible.
Title each image. Again, the title of each image is very important here because this is what will show up in Google images! I’ve seen these show up in search in less than one week.
When writing content:
Heading 1 titles should be filled with keywords.
Create unique, helpful content for people that includes links to pages both within your site AND to outside pages.
That should be enough to get you started! I hope this was helpful! I'm putting together a lot more tips so be sure to get on my mailing list and be the first to know when they are ready!