How does SEO work for Squarespace template kits? Interview with Erica at Big Cat Creative
Gather round and make yourself comfortable because I have a TREAT for you!
Today, I’m joined by my good friend and fellow online business owner, Erica, and we’re talking all about how SEO works for Squarespace template kits.
Erica runs Big Cat Creative which is a popular & reputable design studio offering template kits for Squarespace websites. They have the design and styling aspect on lockdown - seriously, all of Big Cat Creative’s designs are gorgeous and they have one of the best install setups in the biz!
I’m thrilled to share this conversation today where we answer all your burning questions about how SEO works if you decide you use a template kit on your Squarespace website.
People come to me allllll the time with these (very good) questions about Squarespace template kits and if/how using these template kits has any effect on SEO. I’m thrilled to share the answers with you and throw in a few bonus tips along the way.
It’s a FUN and informative conversation between two friends/peers and I know you’ll enjoy being a fly on the wall ;)
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 makes you think, yes Charlotte I can handle this!
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 interview below - if you decide to go with a Squarespace template kit, we answer all the SEO questions and concerns you might have!
Some of you reading this 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 straight to it - read the post and watch the video tutorial below to learn how SEO works for Squarespace website template kits!
Related:
SQUARESPACE SEO SERIES
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.
Everything you need to know about SEO and Squarespace template kits
Interview with Erica @ Big Cat Creative
Meet Erica from Big Cat Creative!
Before we start, let me introduce you to my guest, Erica!
In this interview, I’m joined by my friend Erica who is the founder of Big Cat Creative. Big Cat Creative is an online shop where you can purchase Squarespace website & social media templates. They are one of the best in the biz and are well respected for both the quality of their designs as well as the customer experience and all the support/training that comes along with each template kit install.
CONNECT WITH ERICA @ BIG CAT CREATIVE ONLINE:
Fun fact: we’ve both lived in and run our online businesses from Whistler, an amazing little ski town in BC ,Canada!
To clarify, I’m not an affiliate or anything - just a proud friend who recognizes quality work by a fellow creative business owner in a similar field!
What are Squarespace template kits and how are they different from Squarespace’s built in templates?
Let’s make sure we go back to basics so that we’re all on the same page here!
You might already know that all Squarespace websites are built using one of their native basic templates. You can’t build a website from scratch on Squarespace, you must use one of their templates as a base. Whether you’re on version 7.0 or 7.1, Squarespace’s templates are the foundation for every website - it’s how you’re able to build, format and style all the pages, blog posts, products in your online shop, etc.
At the most basic level, you select & install one of Squarespace’s templates on your website and DIY the whole thing yourself.
On the other end of the spectrum, you would hire a web designer to build & design a custom Squarespace website for you. This custom website would still use one of Squarespace’s templates as a foundation, but the designer really makes it unique, personalized and custom. I used to do a lot of Squarespace web design projects but now I focus solely on SEO :)
The midpoint between those two options is to go with a Squarespace template kit, like the ones that Big Cat Creative (and others) sell. We call these “after market Squarespace templates”.
Essentially Squarespace template kits are designs that are built on top of the Squarespace base templates. When you purchase a template, you get the design and all the steps to implement it on your own website. You leverage one of Squarespace’s built-in templates but use the template kit’s design to achieve a particular look & feel.
Squarespace is different from other website building platforms because you can’t just purchase a template/theme and then “install” or plug it in to your website (like, in the world of Wordpress people talk a lot about “plug & play templates” which simply don’t have an equivalent in Squarespace).
Squarespace template kit delivery methods - three options
The delivery method of that template kit design differs depending on who or where you purchase it from but essentially there are
Option 1: DIY
The first option is a DIY build of the Squarespace template kit. In this case, you purchase the template kit and then you get a set of instructions and video tutorials to follow along with so that you can DIY it yourself. It’s basically like a mini-course that walks you through the setup and design installation step by step - how to use Squarespace, how to get your website all setup on the back end, and then follow along step by step to get the design just right. This is how Big Cat Creative’s template kits work. The great thing about this option is that you are not only getting the design, you’re also getting fantastic training so that you actually understand how Squarespace works and can make any changes/updates yourself (self-sufficient and confident, ya dig?)
Option 2: Semi-manual process
The second delivery method is a semi-manual process for the seller of the template, where they duplicate the design on their end and then send you the completed template for the website install. It’s as close to a plug-and-play template install as you can get with Squarespace! Big Cat Creative offers this delivery method as an install upgrade. Many people love this option because it’s hands off on their end and it’s especially great for brand new sites! However the only possible downside of this route is that it isn’t great for existing websites (meaning: it’s great for brand new sites but not great if you want a website redesign). The workaround would be to move everything from your old/existing website over to a brand new website using the template kit’s new install but that isn’t always the best option for everyone. Needless to say there can be SEO issues if you are migrating from one site to another.
Option 3: Full install from the purchaser
The third option, which is less common but still around, is that you purchase a template kit and then the purchaser does a full install of the design on your Squarespace website. Not everyone offers this option and if they do, it would be an upgrade that would cost quite a bit more because it’s much more hands-on for the purchaser.
So to summarize, when you purchase a template kit you’re essentially purchasing access to a particular design that goes on top of a basic Squarespace template. Then there are different options to actually get that design up and running on your Squarespace website via different install/delivery methods.
How do pages work with Squarespace template kits?
Now that you understand that Squarespace template kits are essentially just designs that are built on top of Squarespace’s existing free templates, then you can rest assured that you still have access to all different page types - regular pages, index pages, blog posts, product pages, etc.
Squarespace template kits do not restrict the type of pages that you can use - which is great news because it means that you still have full access to all the content blocks, layouts, features etc.
As you might know, there are two versions of Squarespace, 7.0 and 7.1, and they do have slight different page options. However if you look at the live demo of the template kit you’re interested in purchasing, you’ll see examples of standard website pages (e.g., About, Services, Info/contact, etc.) but you can always add whatever additional pages you’d like on top of the template’s default included pages AND you can remove any pages you don’t need. It’s just a design so you can customize it as needed with regards to the pages you want!
Related: How does SEO work for Squarespace Index Pages?
Are Squarespace template kits set up with SEO in mind or do they only focus on design?
I LOVE this question and it’s one that I get asked all the time!
The answer is that it depends on WHO you purchase your template kit from!
Some template kit shops are solely focused on design in which case you’ll purchase a template kits that looks amazing, but hasn’t focused on or considered SEO in it’s design/build.
However other template kits shops/sellers, like Big Cat Creative, definitely do care about and prioritize SEO so you’re in good hands with one of their template kits.
It’s important to remember that with template kits, you’re essentially just purchasing an add-on design, which means that a lot of the SEO functionality is still included whether you prioritize it or not. The template kit’s design will most affect on-site SEO but it’s still up to you to do the back-end SEO setup.
When it comes to the backend SEO settings, again, it’s up to YOU to fill that all out. Many template kit shops/sellers will guide you through the setup of these Squarespace SEO settings (however briefly or in depth depends on their process), however others will just leave that responsibility fully to you.
On the design side of template kits, there’s enormous value in functionality and customer/user experience which also contribute to SEO! Images and optimizing images is a really big part of template kits & SEO but again, this is ultimately up to the customer to do this correctly. Most template kits show you how to do this properly (compress images, name them correctly, etc.) but it’s on you! So if you’re using a template kit, please don’t skip this very important step!!!!!!
SEO & Images in template kits
This is especially important for website that are image-heavy but it’s something that ALL website should care about!
If you are using images on your Squarespace website, whether it’s using a template kit or not, you MUST pay attention to the images - make sure that the image files are compressed to a small size, correctly named and formatted.
Images can have an enormous impact on page load speed which is a big factor in SEO. For example, if you have a lot of large images on your page then it’s going to slow down the load speed which is something Google hates and will penalize you for.
If you want to learn more about images and Squarespace SEO, I’ve got you covered! Please take a look at my Image Guidelines and Best Practices for Squarespace SEO.
Erica reminds us that some customers don’t care about SEO - they just want a website that looks good and presents their business properly and beautifully online. However if you care about SEO and actually want to show up in Google search results & reach a wider audience online, then you must learn to blend SEO into your template kit design process! Totally do-able :)
Related:
How do on-site SEO factors work with Squarespace template kits?
We touched on this above but the great news is that you still have full access to all the different on-site SEO factors if you opt for a Squarespace template kit!
Please review The most important on-site factors for Squarespace SEO to see what we’re talking about here.
On-site SEO factors to include:
Headers and hierarchy (H1, H2, H3)
Images (correctly named, size, file format, aspect ratio, etc.)
Video and other media
Links (internal & external) with proper anchor text
Body text formatting (readability, bullet points, numbered lists, short paragraphs, bolded text, etc.)
Remember, the template kit that you purchase is just a design that you use on top of Squarespace’s built in templates, you don’t lose any access to the full suite of functionality that affects on-site SEO. Yay!!!!!
You can and SHOULD incorporate on-site SEO factors into your Squarespace website, even if you’re using a template kit! There is no limit here.
Also don’t forget that if you purchase a Squarespace template kit and think that there could be improvements from an SEO point of view, then you can totally go ahead and make those changes! You are not restricted and it’s totally up to you to make any customizations that you see fit.
The most common way we see this play out is with header hierarchy (H1, H2, H3, etc.). There are definitely cases where the template kit’s design uses multiple H1s within a page (as an intentional choice to get the page content to look & feel a certain way) but if you want to tweak that to make the page more SEO friendly, you can 100% switch up the default headers and move some down to H2 or H3.
Again, the more you learn about Squarespace and SEO, the more knowledgeable you will be and can make the decision that works best for you, both from a design and SEO point of view.
If you purchase a template kit from a seller like Big Cat Creative, then there should be a section in the setup tutorial that covers SEO, but it’s your perogative to go through the information and apply it to your site.
Follow along with my free Squarespace SEO checklist to make sure you don’t miss a step!
Does Google know or care that you’re using a template kit on your Squarespace website? Is there any effect on SEO?
Another fun set of related question!
In Google’s eyes, there is NO different between a Squarespace website that was DIY’d vs uses a template kit installation vs is a custom build from a web designer.
It’s not like Google lands on your Squarespace website, starts crawling and indexing your content and all of a sudden is like “ohhhhhh they’ve installed a template kit, let’s penalize them!”. NO! That’s not how it works LOLLLLLL
Remember the basics: with a template kit, you’re really just changing around the website’s design - the look and feel of the front end of your Squarespace website. Any time you make changes to your Squarespace website, Google will take note and there might be some effect on SEO - but you can use that to your advantage by taking charge of the back-end settings and on-site SEO factors to make sure it’s all optimized!
Again, make sure that you follow the steps and recommendations and you will not see any “harm” or “punishment” from using a template kit. Instead, you might even see an improvement with how your site ranks and shows up in online search results if you do it right!
Template kits with heavy custom code
A quick note here: certain template kits are built using developer mode and come with heavy custom code to achieve the desired design and look & feel. This can have an effect on SEO because custom code can slow down page load time because you’re actually changing things up from/overriding Squarespace’s default code. So if you use a template kit that contains a lot of custom code then please keep this in mind! FIY Big Cat Creatives site do not use this.
Short term SEO impact on transferred websites
Remember up above we talked about the fact that certain template kits require you to install the design on a new website? This means that if you have an existing website and want to redesign it using the template kit, you are moving things over to a new site.
This can have an impact on SEO, especially in the short term, and many websites will see their traffic tank for a little while after the move. The traffic almost always recovers so it’s nothing to be terrified about, but it is something to consider especially if SEO is a big focus and you get a lot of visitors from organic traffic.
Google doesn’t care if you change the design of your website but they DO care about moving websites over entirely LOLLLLLL
Do you still have to set up any SEO settings on the back end of your Squarespace website?
Easy answer - YES, you 100% must still set up and fill out the various SEO settings on the back end of your Squarespace website even if you’re using a template kit!
It’s not like you chose to install and go with a Squarespace template kit and suddenly you lose access to all Squarespace’s built-in SEO functionality. NOOOOO that’s not how it works! Again, you’re basically just purchasing a design and you still have full platform functionality which includes all the built-in SEO settings.
If you’ve been around here a while, you might have heard me talk about the Holy Trinity of Squarespace SEO settings:
Connect and verify your Squarespace website with Google Search Console
Fill out the SEO site description
Fill out the SEO description fields on all the pages/posts/products/etc of your Squarespace website
Please go back to Squarespace SEO 101: Beginner's guide to the 3 most important website settings to learn about these settings! Read the post and watch the video tutorial to see exactly what to do, step by step.
But to confirm, YES you CAN and SHOULD still do all these things if you’re using a template kit on your Squarespace website!
A good template kit seller, like Big Cat Creative, will walk you through these settings as part of the installation process (whether you DIY it yourself or they’re assisting you with the install) however not everyone will do this. Some template kit shops won’t include the same level of training or education because they are purely focused on getting the design up and running.
it’s not rocket science, but you must seek out the resources you need with regards to Squarespace’s built in SEO functionality! Obviously Squarespace has loads of info on their website… but so do I (shameless plug lol) and quality template kit sellers like Big Cat Creative will also hold your hand through the process.
It’s ultimately up to you to make sure that you’ve filled out all the SEO settings on the back end of your Squarespace website and that you’ve done it correctly, but don’t worry you are never alone when it comes to Squarespace SEO!
Install the template kit, go wild with the design but don’t skip over all the SEO settings on your Squarespace website either!
Can you still do e-commerce or set up an online shop using template kits?
Yes you can!
Template kits are just designs that you install on top of/in addition to Squarespace’s built in templates so yes, you still have full access to Squarespace’s e-commerce platform. You can totally set up an online shop using a template kit.
The e-commerce functions are exactly the same whether you DIY one of Squarespace’s base templates, or if you use a template kit, or if you hire a design to build you a custom site.
With e-commerce, you must be Squarespace’s business plans or above (which means you can’t set up an online shop if you’re on a personal plan) but that’s the same no matter how your site is designed.
Some template kits will specifically include e-commerce and product pages in their design. But even if the template kit that you purchase does specifically include e-commerce and product pages as part of it’s design or demo pages, you can still add them and use that functionality.
If you purchase a template kit from a seller like Big Cat Creative, your installation training will probably include a section on e-commerce and setting up an online shop.
Erica recommends that if you’re looking to purchase a template kit, it’s less about what pages are included and more so about the function and the design. You can add and remove any pages you’d like to your website that uses a template kit, including a shop page, so you’re all good here!
The template is a guide but nothing is set in stone - it’s ultimately up to you! And the more you know about how Squarespace works and how pages are built etc, the more confident you’ll be to branch out from the set design of the template and venture into e-commerce, even if it wasn’t included as a default page.
Related:
How to hide or disable a product in your Squarespace online shop
How to add related products to your Squarespace website or online shop
6 Q&As about Squarespace SEO for e-commerce websites and product based businesses
Final Thoughts
And there you have it - everything you need to know about Squarespace template kits and SEO! Thank you so much Erica from Big Cat Creative for joining me in today’s interview to discuss this misunderstood topic!
Two of the biggest takeaways we want to leave you with:
you can use template kits on your Squarespace website and still have fantastic SEO
not all template kits are created equal when it comes to Squarespace SEO
Squarespace template kits are a wonderful option for anyone who wants a beautifully designed website that is more than a DIY but less than a custom project from a web designer. Rest assured that you can achieve great SEO results using a template kit on your Squarespace webiste!
But please remember that when you purchase a template kit, the installation process will differ depending on who the seller is and as such, you might get more/less training with regards to Squarespace and SEO.
It’s ultimately up to YOU to make sure that SEO is taken care of your website- whether you’ve done it yourself, used a template kit or hired a designer to do it for you.
Now it's your turn to tell me, have you used or are you interested in using a template kit on your Squarespace website? Have you been curious about how SEO works on websites that have installed a template kit? Do you feel reassured or more confident now? How does your template kit stack up with regards to SEO training and priority?
Leave us 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!
Visit Big Cat Creative to shop their Squarespace website and social media templates. Again, I’m not an affiliate but Erica is a friend/peer with a great product and set of offerings that I’m happy to share with you.
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.
You may also be interested in:
Top Squarespace SEO - online course details and enrollment
Squarespace SEO for Affiliate Marketing - masterclass
