5 SEO Basics For Your Squarespace Site
Embarking on the vast digital landscape, one thing is certain: snagging the coveted top spot on Google isn't a promise anyone can make. SEO is an ongoing journey of refinement and adaptation. However, here’s five steps you can follow within Squarespace to help give your website the best possible start.
1- Optimise Page Titles & Descriptions
Within the Squarespace editor we have the ability to add a SEO Page Title & SEO Description for each page. If you don’t manually fill these out their content will be auto generated by search engines. However, for best results you should use your target keywords naturally within these elements. Crafting compelling and concise page titles and unique descriptions for each page which accurately reflects the content it contains.
Search Engine Visibility & Click-Through Rate
Well-optimized page titles and meta descriptions improve your website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) & increase the click-through rate of your pages. Appealing titles and descriptions can make your pages stand out among similar results, enticing users to choose your link over others.
Keyword Signal for Search Engines
Including target keywords in page titles and meta descriptions sends a strong signal to search engines about the content of your page. This helps search engines understand the context and relevance of your content, contributing to improved rankings for specific keywords.
2- Create SEO Friendly URL’s
Squarespace automatically generates URLs based on your page titles, however, it's advisable to customize them for better SEO. You may notice that when creating or duplicating Blogs & Products the URL’s end up containing a random string of characters and numbers, this obviously isn’t best practise.
When creating URL’s, keep them short, descriptive, and include relevant keywords when possible.
Improved Readability and User Experience
SEO-friendly URLs are typically concise, descriptive, and easy to understand. This improves the overall readability for users, making it clear what a page is about before they even click on it. A user-friendly experience contributes to lower bounce rates and increased engagement, both of which are positive signals for search engines.
Keyword Relevance
Including relevant keywords in your URL provides search engines with additional information about the content of the page. When users see keywords in the URL, it reinforces the relevance of the page to their search query. This can positively impact click-through rates and SEO rankings.
Credibility and Trust
Clean and well-structured URLs instill a sense of professionalism and credibility. Users are more likely to trust and click on a link that appears clean and relevant. This trust factor can contribute to a positive user experience and, ultimately, better SEO performance.
Easier Sharing and Linking
SEO-friendly URLs are easier to share and remember. When users share links across social media or other platforms, having a concise and meaningful URL makes it more likely that others will click on and share the link.
3- Descriptive Image Alt Tags
The alt tags you add to your images not only make your site more accessible to people with visual impairments but also tell search engines what's going on in the picture.
Alt tags provide an opportunity to include relevant keywords associated with the content of the image. While it's important to keep alt text descriptive and natural, incorporating targeted keywords can enhance the overall SEO of your webpage and improve its visibility for specific search queries.
Search Engine Indexing
Search engines, such as Google, use alt tags to understand the content of images. Since search engine crawlers can't visually interpret images, alt tags serve as textual indicators of what the images represent. This aids in better indexing and ranking of your content in search engine results.
Compliance with Web Standards
Following best practices in web development and adhering to accessibility standards is important for SEO. Including alt tags is in line with these standards, demonstrating a commitment to creating a user-friendly and inclusive online environment.
4- Sprinkle keywords throughout content
Sprinkling keywords naturally ensures that your content maintains a natural flow and remains readable. Keyword stuffing, or the excessive use of keywords, can be detrimental to user experience and may result in search engine penalties. Striking a balance ensures both search engine optimization and a positive user experience.
Semantic SEO
Modern search engines are increasingly focused on understanding the context and intent behind user queries. Naturally incorporating keywords allows search engines to grasp the semantic meaning of your content, contributing to more accurate and personalized search results.
Long-Tail Keywords
In addition to primary keywords, including variations and long-tail keywords (more specific, longer phrases) in your content can capture niche audiences and address specific queries. This broadens the scope of your content and attracts diverse traffic.
5- Internal Links
Internal links create a web of interconnected pages, making it easier for visitors to navigate through different sections of your website. Users can seamlessly move between related topics, find relevant information, and explore more content. This not only keeps visitors engaged but also helps in promoting specific products, services, or key messages you want to highlight.
Page Authority
When you link from a well-established page to a newer or less-visited one, you pass along some of the SEO value and authority of the former to the latter. This can positively impact the ranking of your pages in search engine results.
Encouraging Crawling and Indexing
Search engine crawlers use links to navigate and index the content of a website. By incorporating internal links, you guide these crawlers through your site's structure, ensuring that all relevant pages are discovered and indexed. This is particularly important for optimizing your site's visibility in search engine results.
Squarespace SEO Audits
If you’d like to take your SEO to the next stage check out our SEO Audit Service. Our comprehensive audit goes beyond surface analysis, providing you with actionable insights and tailored strategies to optimise your Squarespace website and elevate its performance.