Solving 7 common squarespace seo dilemmas | where to start, content, backlinks, on-site and more

Ahhhh Squarespace SEO.

It’s both a rose and a thorn, because once you begin and start seeing results, you won’t be able to stop! I love how it combines creative AND technical work because it means that anyone (and everyone!) can do it successfully.

I’ve been at this a long time now and I get so hyped anytime someone tells me they took my advice, followed my instructions and are growing their websites and businesses by leaps and bounds! Truly, it’s music to my ears.

But the thing is, people usually decide to work with me AFTER they’ve already tried to get started on their own - usually unsuccessfully. They’re totally confused by all the info out there on Squarespace SEO - whether it’s from random blog posts, out of date Youtube videos, sales-y webinars that delivered zero value, whatever.

My consulting clients and Top Squarespace SEO students come to me with the same questions, over and over again. But instead of feeling like a broken record stuck on repeat, I love answering these questions each time because it means that more and more people are receiving the message! I’ve rounded up the 7 most common Squarespace SEO dilemmas or pain points, and I’m solving them here today!

I would never keep this kind of Squarespace SEO knowledge to myself because if everyone figures it out and applies it to their own websites, the internet would be a MUCH better place and people wouldn’t hate their websites anymore haha!

So if you’ve ever be interested in Squarespace SEO but ever felt totally stumped on any of these common questions - don’t panic! You’ve come to the right place and I’m happy to point you in the right direction.

I’ve also linked to a few related blog posts that you might enjoy below, so be sure to check those out too!

Ready to get started? Let’s go!

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.

1. Don’t know where or how to start

Hands down, this is THE MOST common problem that people have when it comes to Squarespace SEO!

Squarespace SEO is a massive topic that requires so many website owners to step outside of their comfort zone and do something they’ve never done before. However this is where the inaction usually comes in: you don’t know where to start so you end up NOT starting at all!

My friend, this is the biggest mistake people make and I want to make sure you aren’t doing it wrong!

When it comes to Squarespace SEO, I recommend that you start from the beginning, cover your basics and then take small steps forward, chipping away at it little by little.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the video tutorial/blog post that I’ve linked to below - consider it Squarespace SEO 101!

BLOG POST: Squarespace SEO 101: Beginner's guide to the 3 most important website settings

If you’re looking for direction to follow, these are the first 3 steps I recommend that you take:

Verify & connect your Squarespace website with Google Search Console
Fill out the Squarespace Site Description
Fill out the SEO descriptions for each page & post on your Squarespace website

At the very least, these 3 steps will ensure that you build a solid SEO foundation by tackling your Squarespace website’s basic SEO settings. Focus on getting all the Squarespace SEO settings up and running first. This is #1, don’t skip over the basics.

From here, you can then audit your website’s pages/posts and update the content as needed. Then, you'd move on to strategic content creation which is mostly done through blogging. More advanced SEO strategies like developing backlinks will come with time, only after you’ve got the basics covered.

2. Overwhelmed by how much work there is to do for Squarespace SEO

Wouldn’t it be glorious if you could just log into the back end of your website, click a few buttons and WHAM, all of a sudden SEO was popping off and you skyrocketed to the first page of Google? OMG LOL I WISH!!!

Sadly, SEO doesn’t work that way. There are many moving parts and it’s not something that “fixes itself” over night. Squarespace SEO requires a strategic plan, execution and ongoing work if you want to actually see results and start reaping the benefits.

This is definitely a huge dilemma that my clients come to me with…. they ask, if it’s going to be so much work should I even bother starting?

The answer is YES! 100% yes!

My best advice to anyone who feels overwhelmed by Squarespace SEO is to remember that you can’t do it all at once… you MUST prioritize your projects! Begin with the quick wins - all the fixes and tweaks that you can do today that get the ball rolling and give you a sense of accomplishment. From here, move on to the intermediate tasks and long-term strategies that have a lot more moving parts.

Really break it down and figure out a step-by-step action plan. A project management tool like Asana or Trello is going to be your BFF and will keep you organized and on track.

Remember that you don’t have to do it alone! If you need a helping hand or want a guided plan to follow, hit me up for Squarespace SEO consulting. Another option is to enroll in my online course, Top Squarespace SEO where you follow along with the curriculum and lesson plans step by step.

Momentum and motivation comes once you get started. I love the saying “mood follows action” - start somewhere (even if it’s imperfect or messy!), and the sense of accomplishment will grow from there. You’ve got this, my friend!

3. Don’t have a content plan for your website

One of the biggest factors in Squarespace SEO is CONTENT. Content for your web pages, blog posts, products, events, etc.

My clients and students understand the importance of website content at a theoretical level, but beyond that they are totally confused. They know they have to create content, and they get that blogging is a huge part of it, but again, they don’t know where or how to begin. There’s no plan!

When it comes to an SEO-focused content plan for your website, the #1 thing I recommend is that you create the kind of content your ideal audience or target clients/customers are looking for online. If you can anticipate the kind of online searches they might make, then you can work backwards and create content FOR those online searches. This is how you are going to rank in search results and reach a wider audience online!

Think about:

what interests them
what’s going to serve them in some way
what questions they have that you can answer
what problems you can solve
what they’ll find entertaining
how you can become a trusted source or figure in your niche/industry

With this in mind, it’s time to come up with a content plan.

Step 1: blog about the basics

Brainstorm a list of at least 10 FAQs or things that come up when you speak to clients/customers. If these questions/concerns/inquiries/topics are already coming up for your existing clients/customers, then odds are it will also come up for the wider ideal audience you’re hoping to connect with online!

I know it sounds basic but grab a pen & paper or open up a fresh Google doc and actually do this exercise. Write out a list of 10 ideas and use that as your foundation for SEO-friendly blog posts that you’re going to write. This is step 1 of your content plan!

From here, ask yourself HOW you can include natural references and links to your products/services/offerings in these blog posts? Shameless example, I’ve used this strategy in this blog post that you’re currently reading - I mention and link to my Squarespace SEO consulting services as well as my online course, Top Squarespace SEO several times.

Remember that your goal is to create blog posts that are SEO-friendly and help you reach more people online, all while supporting your business and growth $$$$$$.

Your content plan begins with these 10+ blog posts, but that’s not where it ends. Once those posts have been created & published, you’ll then be able to move forward with more keyword-rich blog posts that will help you rank for target online searches - but that’s a whole other topic for another day!

Be sure to check out these posts for more information on blogging & Squarespace SEO:

Aka no follow through :(

It’s one thing to have a list of amazing blog post ideas and create a killer content plan… the struggle is actually getting it done!

Full disclosure: this is something I’ve had trouble with in the past. I have a massive Google Doc of blog posts ideas that I regularly add to (often inspired by topics that come up when I work with clients or talk with my students), but I haven’t always been great at actually writing the damn blog posts hahah.

BUT, I know that when I’m on top of blogging and consistently create SEO-friendly content for my website, I only see benefits. We’re talking higher website traffic, more inquiries about my services, higher product sales, lots of opt-ins to my email newsletter…. which are all factors that help move my business forward.

So yeah, I’m including this point to remind both YOU and ME that there’s enormous value in executing a content plan!

An effective content plan requires consistency. It’s very important to post frequently and regularly.

If you decide to publish a new blog post twice per week and you actually DO THAT, then your website audience AND search engines like Google will take note. They will anticipate the fresh content and come back to your site to check it out. The real value is when they see that it’s actually there, as expected.

If 2 new blog posts/week seems like too much, that’s ok! 1 blog post/week is totally fine and if you can’t stick to that, decide on 1 blog post every other week.

Whatever frequency you can commit to, decide on the day of the week that you are going to publish the blog post on and mark it as non-negotiable in your calendar. Decide in your mind that it MUST happen, it’s a marketing deliverable that you are not going to skip out on.

Content batching and writing several blog posts at once might be a tactic that works really well for you - I know I’ve found it super helpful in the past! Basically what you do here is set aside a few hours or even a whole day where you’re going to write several blog posts and then schedule them in advance so that they’re ready to go. I love this method because it gives you the opportunity to create high quality content that doesn’t rely on fluff or filler. You have time to review the posts, go through the blog post checklist to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything, and stay on track and strategic!

5. Forget the on-site SEO factors

For those without a tech background, this point is often the most challenging part of SEO - especially if you don’t have a plan to follow! The on-site SEO factors listed below applies to web pages, blog posts, product pages, event pages, etc.

There are a lot of on-site SEO factors but the main things to keep in mind are:

Title
Headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
Unique content about a given subject
Images / video content
Bullet points or numbered lists
Paragraphs to break up the text
URL structure
Links (internal/external)
Etc.

I cover all of these on-site SEO factors in much greater detail in my course Top Squarespace SEO, so be sure to check that out if you want a really solid handle on this.

On-site SEO is a make-or-break factor in SEO that is criminally undervalued, but even by keeping this basic bullet point list in mind, you will be leagues ahead of others! The reason why on-site SEO is SO important is because it’s all about factors you can control and influence. We take away the guesswork and focus on structure, components and striking off factors from our checklist.

6. Drawing blanks for backlinks

This is for my intermediate Squarespace SEO hunnis - you’ve got the basics covered but when it comes to developing a backlink strategy, you have no clue where to start!

If you haven’t already, check out these two posts on backlinks:

Backlinks are a common roadblock for anyone who is advancing on their Squarespace SEO plan but it’s definitely something that you can figure out :)

Getting backlinks to your website requires creativity, self-promotion, and opportunities that you create for yourself. They rarely happen on their own, unless it’s an organic referral link to your website, for example if you created a killer piece of content that goes viral.

To begin with backlinks, you have to identify other websites, online publications, media outlets, etc. that your ideal audience already hangs out on. Make a list, add them to a spreadsheet, whatever. There should be natural overlap, other websites that are adjacent or complimentary to you but ideally aren’t direct competitors.

From here, you then pitch your website/business and clearly communicate why this is a win/win for both sides.

Backlinks aren’t rocket science but it’s also not as simple as just tinkering around on your own website, ya dig?

Final Thoughts

There you have it, the 7 most common Squarespace SEO dilemmas - as inspired by my clients and students.

You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed by Squarespace SEO since it’s a crazy topic that’s evolving every day and has so many moving parts! If any of these points have stumped you in the past, I hope this list points you in the right direction and gives you the confidence to push through and keep working on and improving your website. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Now it's your turn to tell me, have you ever been confused by any of these Squarespace SEO factors? Which one sticks out as your biggest pain point? Have you crushed this whole list already?

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! I want to do everything I can to help you do it right from the start.

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.