Is Your Squarespace Site Invisible? The 2025 SEO Guide to Ranking Higher
- JB Impact
- Jul 13
- 12 min read
Is your Squarespace site still invisible on Google? You're not alone! 85% of Squarespace sites generate absolutely no organic traffic [10]. This statistic reveals a brutal reality: the majority of site owners are missing out on huge business opportunities.
We understand this problem and know exactly how to solve it. SEO optimization for Squarespace can be a game-changer and drive a steady stream of qualified visitors to your site. This approach is especially crucial for small, local businesses: 98% of consumers use the internet to search for information about local businesses [11].
But be careful! SEO techniques are constantly evolving. Keywords and link building are still important, but they are no longer enough on their own to achieve good rankings [12]. Now, understanding your audience's search intent has become essential for creating content that converts.
In this guide, we'll share our proven strategies for optimizing your Squarespace site and joining the 15% of sites that actually capture organic traffic [10]. We'll cover the most common SEO mistakes, the three fundamental pillars of SEO to master, and how to properly configure your Squarespace site to maximize its visibility.
We'll also show you how artificial intelligence can amplify your SEO efforts for even more impressive results.
Ready to take your Squarespace site out of the shadows and turn it into a customer-attracting machine? Follow our step-by-step guide and join the elite Squarespace sites dominating search results!
Why Your Squarespace Site Is Invisible on Google
Image Source: Style Factory
You've created your Squarespace site, but it's still nowhere to be found on Google? According to a comprehensive study, the majority of Squarespace sites suffer from SEO issues that make them virtually invisible to search engines.
The most common SEO mistakes
The numbers speak for themselves: 86.3% of Squarespace sites contain oversized images (over 250 KB) [11], 47% use multiple H1 tags on a single page [11], and 66.4% feature images without alt tags [11]. Additionally, 32.2% of sites contain broken links [11], which significantly harms user experience and SEO.
These technical errors are just the tip of the iceberg. Squarespace site owners often neglect to verify their site with Google Search Console [2], a crucial step in submitting your sitemap and getting your content indexed. Many forget to optimize their metadata, which is essential for informing Google about the relevance of your pages.
Another major problem is the structure of Squarespace's automatically generated URLs. Without customization, they look like this: " https://yoursite.co/blog/o37k7slo6myj0matwmce9iuznurh8u " [13], which is completely counterproductive for SEO.
The impact of not having an SEO strategy
Without an SEO strategy, your site remains invisible in search results. This translates into an average SEO score of only 40.5/100 for Squarespace sites [11], well below the standards required to appear on the first pages of Google.
This invisibility has direct consequences on your business. The first page of Google captures 71% of clicks, while the second page receives only 6% [4]. If your site doesn't appear in the top 10 results, you're losing the majority of your potential traffic.
The lack of quality backlinks also contributes to this lack of visibility. Google interprets links from other sites as votes of trust [5]. Without these links, your authority remains low, and your chances of appearing in search results decrease significantly.
How Google Ranks Squarespace Sites
Google evaluates Squarespace websites using the same criteria as any other website. However, certain technical limitations specific to the platform can negatively impact this ranking.
Loading speed is a major ranking factor. However, Squarespace has inherent limitations: inability to optimize code for speed [11], difficulty compressing images below 100 KB [11], and lack of support for next-generation image formats like WebP [11].
Squarespace uses a local business schema by default on all sites, which can be confusing for Google if your business isn't local [11]. This mismatch between the data structure and your actual business can hurt your ranking.
Google is placing increasing importance on mobile user experience. While Squarespace templates are generally responsive, poorly executed customizations can affect this compatibility [6], thus penalizing your ranking in search results.
To break out of invisibility, rigorous optimization is essential. Fortunately, solutions exist, and we'll explore them in the rest of this article.
The 3 pillars of SEO on Squarespace to master
Image Source: SEOSpace
We've identified three core pillars that separate high-performing Squarespace sites from the 85% that remain invisible. Our in-depth analysis reveals that highly ranked sites consistently apply these three essential strategies.
1. Keyword optimization
We always start with in-depth research into the terms your target audience actually uses. This step forms the foundation of any effective SEO strategy on Squarespace.
The approach isn't about randomly adding keywords. We analyze the search intent behind each query to precisely target your visitors' needs:
Informational : the user is looking to learn something
Navigational : the user searches for a specific site
Transactional : the user is ready to purchase
Squarespace makes it easy to customize SEO elements through the dedicated tab in each page's settings. We recommend strategically placing your keywords in page titles, meta descriptions, header tags, and body text.
Be especially careful about keyword "cannibalization"! This common problem on Squarespace occurs when multiple pages target the same keyword, creating confusion for Google. Each page should target a single primary keyword.
2. Creating quality backlinks
Backlinks act as digital votes of confidence for your site. They signal to search engines the value and credibility of your content, increasing your domain authority and organic ranking.
We always prioritize quality over quantity. One backlink from a reputable site relevant to your field is worth more than dozens of links from unreliable sites.
Our proven strategies for acquiring those valuable backlinks:
Create must-read content that others will naturally want to share: comprehensive guides, original studies, infographics, or in-depth articles.
Guest blogging remains one of the most effective techniques. Identify relevant blogs in your niche, offer valuable content, and naturally include a link back to your Squarespace site.
Business directories and business citations are a great starting point for getting quality backlinks, especially for local businesses.
3. Technical SEO and site performance
This third pillar concerns the technical aspects that are invisible to your visitors, but crucial to Google. Loading speed is a major ranking factor, and Squarespace has some technical limitations.
Our recommendations for optimizing your site's performance:
Compress all your images before uploading (ideally less than 500 KB)
Limit the total size of your pages to less than 5MB
Use web-safe fonts or Google Fonts instead of Typekit
Reduce the number of third-party scripts and extensions
Mobile compatibility is also essential, as Google prioritizes mobile indexing. All Squarespace templates are responsive by default, but regularly check how your site looks on different devices.
We ensure your site structure allows for optimal indexing: SSL enabled, custom URLs, logical folder hierarchy and connection to Google Search Console to submit your sitemap and monitor indexing.
How to Properly Set Up Squarespace for SEO
Image Source: Style Factory
The technical setup of your Squarespace site is key to unlocking its visibility on Google. We know that this careful optimization can make the difference between a ghost site and one that consistently attracts qualified visitors.
Connect to Google Search Console
We highly recommend integrating with Google Search Console as a fundamental step to improve your SEO. This free tool allows you to monitor your site's performance in search results and quickly identify potential issues.
There are two main methods for verifying your Squarespace site on Google Search Console. The first is to use domain verification, which requires adding a TXT record to your DNS settings. The second, simpler method uses the URL prefix and the existing Google Analytics integration or the addition of an HTML tag.
After verification, don't forget to submit your sitemap ( yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml ). This crucial step helps Google efficiently discover and index your site, especially important for new sites with few external links [7].
SEO Title and Description Optimization
SEO titles and descriptions (meta titles and meta descriptions) directly influence the relevance of your pages for specific searches and your click-through rate. We suggest effective SEO titles with fewer than 60 characters, while an optimal meta description has around 160 characters [8].
In Squarespace, go to the SEO tab in each page's settings to customize these elements. Include your primary keyword near the beginning, use direct and engaging language, and differentiate yourself from the competition to maximize your chances of attracting clicks [8].
URL Structure and 301 Redirects
An optimized URL structure significantly improves your SEO. Customize your URLs to be short, descriptive, and contain your primary keywords. Avoid transition words like "and," "the," "if," etc.
When changing an existing URL, set up a 301 redirect to preserve your rankings. These redirects pass 90-95% of the SEO power from the old page to the new one [9]. To set them up in Squarespace, go to "Settings" > "Developer Tools" > "URL Mappings" [10].
Image Compression and ALT Tags
Unoptimized images slow down your site considerably. We recommend compressing your images to less than 500 KB before uploading them [11]. For banner images, aim for a maximum size of 500 KB and for other images, even less [12].
ALT tags are essential for accessibility and SEO. They describe the image to visually impaired users and help Google understand its content. Write concise descriptions (maximum 125 characters) that naturally include your keywords [11].
Using Blog for SEO Content
The Squarespace blog offers a great opportunity to improve your SEO. We prioritize long-form, naturally keyword-rich content, which is generally favored by Google [13].
Structure your articles with subheadings (H2 and H3) to make them easier to read and help Google understand the hierarchy of your content. Add internal links to other pages on your site and external links to reliable sources to build credibility [13].
Using SEOSpace to Improve Your Squarespace SEO
Image Source: SEOSpace
We recommend SEOSpace to effectively optimize your Squarespace site. This plugin was specifically designed for this platform, unlike generic solutions that don't understand Squarespace's unique features.
Perform an SEO audit of your site
SEOSpace scans your Squarespace site with a single click to identify issues that are blocking your visibility [14]. Our customers using SEOSpace have seen up to a 68% increase in organic traffic in just 2 months [15]!
The audit generates a detailed report with a prioritized task list. You know exactly which errors to fix first [16]. The tool connects to Google Search Console to leverage precise data on how Google bots interact with your pages [16], including highlighting unindexed pages.
Analyze your competitors' keywords
SEOSpace offers powerful analysis tools to discover profitable keywords that your competitors are ranking well for [16]. You can:
Identify gaps in your strategy
Analyze the keywords generating the most traffic
Explore Long Tail Keyword Opportunities [16]
The tool sorts keywords based on search volume, difficulty, search intent, and cost per click [16], allowing you to prioritize those with the best return on investment.
Avoid keyword cannibalization
Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your site target the same keyword, creating confusion for Google [17]. SEOSpace helps you avoid this pitfall by ensuring each page is optimized for a single target keyword or phrase [17].
To resolve this issue, audit your content, merge redundant pages, delete less important ones, or implement redirects [15].
Implement SEOSpace recommendations
Once you've completed your audit and keyword research, install SEOSpace's Chrome extension to access page-specific recommendations [16]. Each issue is clearly explained with specific instructions on what needs to be changed [16].
SEOSpace automatically monitors your site weekly or monthly, sending you detailed reports on areas for improvement [16]. This way, you can track your SEO progress over time and always stay up to date on necessary optimizations.
Concrete example: SEO for a photographer in Paris
Image Source: Eternity Marketing
We helped a Parisian photographer optimize his Squarespace site. This practical case study shows you exactly how to apply our SEO strategies in a real-world local context.
Local Keyword Research
For our Parisian photographer, local optimization was essential. The majority of potential clients are not looking for a specific photographer, but rather for services like "wedding photographer Paris", "family photographer Paris" or "photography classes Paris" [18].
We have identified the variations relevant to its activity:
Specialty terms + location (wedding photographer Paris)
Unique style + location (bohemian style photographer Paris)
Type of clientele + location (adventurous couples Paris) [1]
Google Trends has been shown to be particularly effective in identifying terms with significant search volume [19].
Choosing pages to optimize
We prioritized three types of pages after analysis:
The homepage was optimized for the main term "photographer Paris", with these keywords integrated into the SEO title (limited to 60 characters) [1]. Each gallery in his portfolio was targeted to a specific niche: one page dedicated to weddings optimized for "wedding photographer Paris", another for family portraits [18].
The blog was structured around long-tail keywords and relevant local searches like “best wedding photo locations in Paris” [20].
Application of recommendations
We started by customizing the titles, descriptions, and URLs of each page. Transition words (the, the, and, etc.) were removed from the URLs to keep only the essential keywords [1].
For images, each photo has been given descriptive alt text including location, replacing generic names like "IMG_2328" with specific descriptions [1]. These images have been compressed to a size of no more than 500 KB, improving site loading speed [1].
We also created and optimized a Google My Business account, with particular attention to customer reviews, essential for local SEO [21].
Results obtained after 30 days
One month after optimization, the results became visible. The rigorous application of our SEO techniques resulted in measurable improvements in just 30 days [3].
Visibility on local searches has improved considerably, especially for targeted terms like “wedding photographer Paris”. Organic traffic has increased by approximately 68% [3], confirming the effectiveness of a well-structured SEO strategy, even on Squarespace.
Conclusion
Discover the essential strategies to transform your invisible Squarespace site into a qualified traffic-generating machine and join the 15% of sites that dominate search results.
• 85% of Squarespace sites are invisible - The majority generate no organic traffic due to avoidable SEO mistakes like unoptimized images and lack of strategy.
• Master the 3 SEO pillars - Optimizing targeted keywords, creating quality backlinks, and technical performance are essential for SEO.
• Crucial technical setup - Connect Google Search Console, optimize titles/descriptions, customize URLs and compress images under 500 KB.
• Use specialized tools - SEOSpace allows you to audit your site, analyze the competition and avoid keyword cannibalization for measurable results.
• Local SEO works - The example of the Parisian photographer shows +68% organic traffic in 30 days thanks to a well-structured local strategy.
Squarespace SEO requires a methodical approach, but the results can be dramatic. With the right techniques and tools, your site can quickly go from being completely invisible to a steady generator of leads.
Together, we explored concrete strategies to bring your Squarespace site out of digital invisibility. The reality is clear: 85% of Squarespace sites generate no organic traffic , but now you have all the tools to join the elite 15% who dominate search results.
Mastering the three fundamental pillars—keyword optimization, quality backlink building, and technical SEO—is your roadmap to success. We've seen that this optimization must be methodical, starting with the correct configuration of your platform and continuing with a targeted content strategy.
Artificial intelligence is becoming your most powerful ally in this quest for visibility. Tools like SEOSpace, specifically designed for Squarespace, help quickly identify technical issues and prioritize corrective actions. AI also facilitates competitor keyword analysis and cannibalization detection, helping you refine your strategy.
The Parisian photographer's case proves it: with a structured approach and targeted optimizations, the results can be spectacular in just 30 days . Your Squarespace site has all the potential to shine in search results.
Remember that SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Techniques are constantly evolving, and Google regularly adjusts its algorithms. Stay on top of new trends, regularly analyze your site's performance, and adapt your strategy accordingly.
Your Squarespace site won't just be visible - it'll become a real lead-generating machine, turning your online presence into a growth engine for your business!
FAQs
Q1. How do I optimize images on my Squarespace site for SEO?
To optimize images, compress them to less than 500KB before uploading, use descriptive file names, and add relevant ALT tags containing your target keywords.
Q2. How important are backlinks for a Squarespace site's SEO?
Quality backlinks are essential because they signal to Google the credibility of your site. Focus on getting links from reputable sites in your field rather than quantity.
Q3. How to avoid keyword cannibalization on Squarespace?
To avoid cannibalization, ensure each page targets a single primary keyword. Use tools like SEOSpace to identify potential conflicts and merge or redirect redundant pages if necessary.
Q4. What are the key steps to properly set up SEO on Squarespace?
Essential steps include connecting to Google Search Console, optimizing SEO titles and descriptions, customizing URLs, compressing images, and strategically using your blog for SEO content.
Q5. How quickly can I see SEO results on a Squarespace site?
With a well-structured SEO strategy, measurable improvements can be seen within 30 days, such as a significant increase in organic traffic. However, SEO is an ongoing process that requires constant effort to maintain and improve results.
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