IS SEO AFFECTED BY SQUARESPACE VERSION 7.0 vs 7.1.png

This blog post/video tutorial is inspired by a wonderful question I received recently: “Does the version of Squarespace you build your website on have any impact on SEO? Like, is 7.0 or 7.1 a better option than the other?”

People come to me because they want to learn more about Squarespace SEO - either for their own websites (if they are taking the DIY route), or for someone else’s (e.g., fellow web designers who are looking for more information for the sites they build for clients).

Either way, I’ve got you covered and I’m happy to help you out on your Squarespace SEO journey!

But before we get into the goods of this question about Squarespace SEO and versions 7.0/7.1, please take a moment to review the basics covered in Squarespace 101: Beginner’s guide to the 3 most important website settings. This will ensure that your website is set up for success right from the start, which is what you want whether you have a new website or one that’s been around for a while.

I’m obviously going to give you the “yes” or “no” answer that you’re looking for here with regards to SEO and Squarespace versions 7.0 and 7.1 but before I do, I’m going to make sure that you understand WHY the answer is what it is. We are going to quickly cover certain key factors of Squarespace SEO and examine how/if they are impacted by the version of Squarespace that a website is built on. Once that’s done, you’ll have your answer! So yes, you could just fast forward to the answer but I strongly encourage you to read this whole post or watch the 11 minute video :)

As a Squarespace SEO expert and leader in this super random little niche, it’s my job/pleasure to introduce you to things like this and present it in a way that doesn’t make you want to gouge your eyes out LOL!

This is the kind of insider info that I share with my Squarespace SEO consulting clients and students in my online course, Top Squarespace SEO. But since I’m not one for secrets and truly want the best for anyone with a website, I’m giving you the summarized goods here - totally for free!

Read the blog post or watch the video tutorial below - either way, happy learning!

Some of you might be totally new to Squarespace SEO and are looking for an introduction to this topic, someone to hold your hand and show you it’s not actually that scary. On the flip side, you might already be familiar with a few points on this list already but maybe you are looking for confirmation that you’re on the right track and haven’t missed anything important. No matter where you are in your Squarespace SEO journey, I know you’ll benefit from this info!

Alright, let’s get to it - read the post and watch the video tutorial below to learn all about the most important on-site SEO factors for your Squarespace website!

I have so many tips to share on the subject that it would have been crazy to put it all in one article! There are many misconceptions about Squarespace SEO which is why I've dedicate so many posts to this topic. Enjoy!

Click to view all posts in the Squarespace SEO Series

Visit my Squarespace SEO page for lots more resources.

Squarespace version 7.0 vs 7.1 and the impact on SEO

Squarespace versions 7.0 and 7.1

Squarespace has two versions of their platform, 7.0 and 7.1. You can learn more about Squarespace version 7.0 and 7.1 in this article - Squarespace explains it much better than I can here!

But basically, what you need to know is that it the two versions of Squarespace are “same same but different”. Many older Squarespace websites are built on the 7.0 platform and there are various reasons why someone might build a new website on 7.0 or 7.1 . We aren’t going to go into that in this article but I wanted to make sure that you know that there are options!

Factor 1: Squarespace’s built in SEO fields

Let’s kick things off with a look at/comparison of Squarespace’s built in SEO fields to see what role they play in versions 7.0 or 7.1.

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to review the basics covered in Squarespace 101: Beginner’s guide to the 3 most important website settings. Read the blog post or watch the video tutorial, then come back and join us here to answer the question.

Basically, there are 3 things to consider here:

Verify and connect your domain with Google Search Console
SEO site description
SEO descriptions for pages/posts/products/events/etc.

The key thing to know is that it doesn’t matter if your Squarespace website is built with 7.0 or 7.1 because these 3 features are the same either way!

Factor 2: On-site SEO factors

There are many different on-site SEO factors to consider for your Squarespace website and luckily for you, I’ve covered them all in a blog post! Please read that post to see what I’m talking about and then come back here when you know what I’m talking about haha

When it comes to on-site SEO factors, you will apply them to the following pages types on your website:

Web pages (regular & index pages)

Blog posts
Product pages
Gallery pages
Event pages

Basically, some of the on-site SEO factors to consider for your Squarespace website include:

Titles
URL structure
Headers (H1, H2, H3 - hierarchy of importance)
Images
Links (inbound, outbound and internal)
Unique content
Etc.

As you can see, these on-site SEO factors aren’t affected by the version of Squarespace that your website is built on - so whether you are set up on 7.0 or 7.1, there’s no difference here!

Factor 3: Website content

Websites are built using various types of content, which is just a fancy way of saying it’s more than just simple pages.

Website content includes:

Web pages
Blog posts
Product pages
Gallery pages
Event pages

Each section of content on your website is a chance to show up in online searches, rank for target keywords and reach your ideal audience and dream clients/customers.

So if we bring this back to our question about the impact on SEO if the website uses Squarespace version 7.0 or 7.1, it’s all the same outcome! You can build the same website content on either version of the platform - there’s no difference to either the front end user or the search engines (like Google, Yahoo or Bing) who are going to crawl and index that website content.

Factor 4: Backlinks

Backlinks are basically anytime another website links to your website.

For more information on backlinks, please read either/both of these blog posts:

Backlinks are super important for SEO because it’s a clear factor that indicates domain authority to search engines. If Google sees that other legitimate websites are linking to your content, then they will consider you more favourably because they see that you have an impact in a particular area.

The thing to keep in mind is that anytime there’s a backlink to your website, it’s just a link to your site and there’s no indication/importance placed on the version of Squarespace’s platform that your site is built on. Like, you aren’t going to get more backlinks because your website is built on Squarespace 7.1 and not 7.1 - that’s not something that impacts the front end user or site visitor in any way, it’s just a technical build aspect.

So whether your Squarespace website is built with 7.1 or 7.0, there’s no impact on the backlinks that you can receive!

The answer you’ve been waiting for!

No - there is no impact on SEO if your website is built on Squarespace version 7.0 or 7.1!

Remember, it’s not what you have it’s how you use it!

Final Thoughts

Et voila! Whether your website is built on Squarespace version 7.0 or 7.1, there is no impact on SEO.

You can build and grow a massive, impactful website no matter which version of Squarespace you’re using! I hope this gives you peace of mind moving forward :)

There’s a lot to consider with Squarespace SEO and I totally undestand that it’s a daunting subject when you’re first starting out, which is why I’m thrilled to help you out with this tutorial!

Whether you’re just starting out with a brand new website and want to make sure that you’re setting it up correctly, or if you’ve had a site live for a while and now want to grow it to make more of an impact, SEO will get you where you want to go! From web pages to blog posts to product descriptions, these factors should be considered across your Squarespace website if you want best results.

Now it's your turn to tell me, what version of Squarespace is your website set up on? Have you ever asked yourself this question? Is this helpful information for your current or new website?

Leave me your questions down in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them. As people are spending more time online than ever before, it’s SO important that your website shows up properly in search results so that you can reach your ideal audience online - but you can’t do this without SEO!

If you want more SEO goodness, be sure to check out my Squarespace SEO page for all resources on the topic.

My signature online course, Top Squarespace SEO, will be opening for enrollment again soon - sign up for the TSS waiting list here!

You can also sign up for my newsletter (right here or below), where I often share Squarespace SEO tips, tricks and high-quality exclusive content. I send out emails to my list every Wednesday, mostly focused on Squarespace websites and SEO, and I can guarantee that you’ll find the newsletter topics interesting, entertaining and worth your time. #humblebrag

Finally, shameless plug: hit me up with any specific questions you have about Squarespace SEO and your website because I’m your girl. You can reach out to me directly if you’re interested in working together on your website and we can talk about whether or not you would be a good fit for my consulting and ongoing services. I can’t take on every request to do Squarespace SEO consulting but I do pick a few websites and businesses to work with every month and I’d love for you to be one of them.