Squarespace SEO blog post cover showing how to optimize your website for Google with simple strategies.

If you’ve ever heard someone say, “Squarespace isn’t good for SEO,” you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions I hear from women building their businesses online, and honestly, it can be confusing to know what’s true.

The reality? Squarespace has made huge strides in SEO over the years, and it already comes with many of the tools you need to get visible on Google. The part that makes the biggest difference isn’t whether you’re on Squarespace or another platform; it’s how you use it.

Busting the Biggest Squarespace SEO Myths

Myth #1: Squarespace sites can’t rank on Google.

The tech side: Google doesn’t “rank” a platform, it ranks content. Squarespace gives you clean code and all the basic SEO tools you need, so there’s nothing stopping your site from ranking.
What this means for you: If you’re sharing content your dream clients are searching for, Google doesn’t care what platform you’re on. I’ve seen plenty of Squarespace sites land on page one results. It’s about your strategy, not the platform itself.

Myth #2: Squarespace doesn’t have SEO tools.

The tech side: Squarespace has built-in fields for page titles, descriptions, image alt text, and custom URLs. It also generates automatic sitemaps and SSL certificates.
How this works for you: You can tell Google exactly what your pages are about, your site is already secure, and Google automatically gets a “map” of your site. You don’t have to mess with a dozen plugins. The essentials are ready for you.

Squarespace SEO settings panel with fields for page title and meta description. — Every page in Squarespace has a spot for a title and description. These are the words people will see on Google, so it’s worth making them clear and client-focused.

Myth #3: You need WordPress or a “fancier” platform to get found online.

The tech side: SEO success comes from strategy like keywords, content, and backlinks, not from choosing one platform over another.
What this means for you: Squarespace actually makes SEO simpler for small business owners because you’re not bogged down with tech overload. The tools are already there, you just need the right strategy to put them to work.

What Squarespace Does Really Well for SEO

One of the reasons I love Squarespace is that so much of the technical SEO foundation is already taken care of. The templates are clean and mobile-friendly, which means your site automatically looks good and loads quickly on any device. Google pays attention to this, so if your visitors are having a smooth experience, your rankings benefit too.

Squarespace also includes built-in security. Every site comes with SSL, which you’ll recognize as the little lock symbol in your browser bar. To Google, this is a signal that your site is safe and trustworthy, and to your visitors, it’s peace of mind when they’re browsing or filling out a form.

Another feature I appreciate is the automatic sitemap. You don’t have to touch it, but behind the scenes, Squarespace is creating a roadmap of your entire site so Google can find and index your pages more easily. It’s one of those small but powerful things that happens without you even noticing.

And of course, Squarespace gives you editable SEO fields on every page, blog post, and image. This means you can add titles, descriptions, and alt text that tell Google exactly what your content is about. Instead of leaving it up to chance, you get to shape how your site shows up in search results.

How I Bring SEO Strategy Into My Client Work

While Squarespace provides the tools, it’s strategy that turns them into real results. When I design websites for my clients, I go beyond making things look beautiful. I make sure the structure of the site is easy for both Google and real people to understand.

For example, headings aren’t just about text size, they’re signals to search engines about what’s most important on the page. I organize headings in a way that creates a clear hierarchy, so Google knows what matters most and your visitors can skim and find answers quickly.

Images are another big piece. Instead of uploading them straight from your camera roll, I resize them so the site loads quickly, rename the files with keywords, and add descriptive alt text. This not only helps with SEO, it also makes your site more accessible and even allows your images to show up in Google image searches.

Finally, I think about flow. A site that’s well-structured guides visitors naturally, helping them find what they came for without frustration. That flow also keeps people on your site longer, which is another factor Google pays attention to. The end result is a website that isn’t just pretty, it’s functional, strategic, and built to grow with your business.

Behind the Scenes: Optimizing a Page

One of my favourite parts of working with Tricia McIntosh Mortgages was diving into her resource pages. These pages are designed to answer common questions and guide clients through important topics like understanding credit. They’re packed with valuable information — and with a few simple tweaks, we made them even more powerful for SEO.

Here’s what that looked like behind the scenes.

I started with the heading structure. I gave the page one clear heading (H1) that told both visitors and Google exactly what the page was about.

Squarespace editor showing H1 and H2 headings used to organize page content.

Then I organized the supporting details into headings 2 +3, so the information flowed naturally. This not only helps with SEO, it also makes the page easier to skim and digest for visitors to the website.

Next, I optimized the images. On this page, there were a few helpful graphics and charts. I resized them so the page would load quickly, renamed the files with descriptive keywords, and added alt text that explained what the chart was showing. That way, the images became part of the SEO strategy instead of just decoration.

Screenshot of Squarespace alt text field showing a description of a chart. — This is the alt text field in Squarespace. By writing a short, descriptive sentence here, you’re helping Google understand the image and making your site more accessible

Finally, I polished the page description in Squarespace. This is the little snippet that shows up on Google search results.

By writing a clear and client-focused description, we gave the page a better chance of standing out and encouraging people to click.

What I love about this process is how small changes add up. None of these tweaks takes weeks to do or requires fancy tools, but together, they create a page that’s easier for Google to understand and more helpful for visitors to use.

Optimizing Your Photos for SEO

Photos are one of the most overlooked areas of SEO, but they can make a big difference in how your site performs. The good news is that Squarespace makes it really simple, and you don’t need to use any fancy tools to get it right.

Here’s the exact formula I use with my clients: resize, rename, and describe.

First, resize your images before uploading them. Large files can slow down your site, and Google doesn’t like a slow website. If you’re uploading a photo straight from your phone or camera, it’s usually much bigger than it needs to be. A quick resize keeps your site running smoothly without affecting quality.
Second, rename the file before you add it to Squarespace. Instead of uploading something like IMG_3940.jpg, change it to something descriptive with a keyword, like modern-kitchen-edmonton.jpg. The difference is huge: the first tells Google nothing, while the second instantly tells both Google and your clients what the photo is showing.
Finally, add alt text once the photo is in Squarespace. Alt text is a short sentence that describes what’s in the image. It was originally created for accessibility, so screen readers can describe photos to visually impaired users, but it also helps with SEO.

For example, instead of just saying kitchen, you could write Modern kitchen design in Edmonton with white cabinets and gold fixtures. This is natural language that includes a keyword but also actually describes what’s happening in the photo.

Screenshot comparing an image file named minh-pham-OtXADkUh3-I-unsplash.jpg with a renamed file called mortgage-tips-blog-mcintosh-mortgages.jpg — Before and after of why renaming your photos is important because it tells Google what your content is all about.

The combination of these three steps — resize, rename, and describe — makes your site faster, more accessible, and easier for Google to understand. And the best part? It’s something you can start doing today, even if you’re not touching any other SEO settings yet.

Finding Keywords with Pinterest

When most people think about keyword research, they picture complicated tools or spreadsheets. But one of my favorite ways to gather ideas is with something you might already use every day: Pinterest.

Here’s how it works. Start by typing a word or phrase into the Pinterest search bar that your clients might use. Let’s say you’re a home stager, and you type in home staging tips. As soon as you do, Pinterest will suggest other related searches like home staging tips on a budget, home staging tips before and after, and home staging tips for selling your home.

Those suggestions are gold. They show you the exact phrases people are searching for — which means they’re also the kinds of phrases you can use on your website. Each suggestion can become a blog post title, a page heading, or even a section of copy on your services page.

Here’s what that might look like in action:

A blog post titled 10 Home Staging Tips on a Budget That Make a Big Impact
A gallery page showcasing Before and After Home Staging Tips
A service page with a heading that says Home Staging Tips for Selling Your Home Faster

Pinterest search bar showing keyword suggestions for home staging tips. — When I typed ‘home staging tips’ into Pinterest, these were the suggestions that popped up. They’re real searches people are making, and each one could spark a blog post, heading, or service idea.

By using Pinterest this way, you’re not guessing what your clients are looking for, you’re seeing it in real time. And because Pinterest is a visual search engine (much like Google, but more creative), it often gives you fresh, creative keyword ideas that you might not find anywhere else.

The key is to take those keyword phrases and weave them naturally into your Squarespace site — in your page titles, descriptions, headings, and even in the names and alt text of your images. When you do, you’re aligning your content with what your ideal clients are already searching for.

Bringing It All Together

Here’s what I want you to know: Squarespace is more than capable of supporting your SEO. The tools are already built in, and when you layer them with the right strategy, your website becomes a powerful way to grow your visibility and connect with the people you’re here to serve.

SEO isn’t about chasing algorithms or obsessing over every little technical detail. It’s about clarity. It’s about showing up consistently with content that speaks to your dream clients, using the words they’re already searching for, and creating a website that feels effortless to navigate.

For so many women in business, SEO can feel like this mysterious, intimidating thing. But the truth is, you don’t have to do everything at once to start seeing results. Every time you rename a photo, write a thoughtful page title, or publish a blog post that answers a client’s question, you’re moving the needle forward.

My hope is that this post takes some of the weight off and reminds you that you don’t need a “fancier” platform or complicated tools to be seen online. Squarespace already gives you the foundation, and with the right strategy, your website can be a place that works for you — growing your visibility, building trust, and creating space for more of what matters most in your business and life.

If you’re ready for a website that not only looks beautiful but is also designed to attract clients and grow your visibility, this is exactly the work I do with my clients. I’d love to help you create a site that feels aligned, strategic, and ready to support your next level.

CEO Woman’s Website Blueprint free guide designed to help women in business build a professional Squarespace website that grows their visibility with ease.

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