Squarespace SEO: 4 Blogging Mistakes to Avoid
Are you blogging on Squarespace like crazy and seeing no results?
There could be quite a few explanations for that, but I see many of the same problems time and time again, whether it’s on Squarespace or Wordpress.
And not surprisingly enough, most problems come down to SEO (or lack thereof).
If you’re spending any time on blogging, you need to be aware of SEO best practices.
Without it, it’s like you’re trying to drive a car without wheels.
I’m so passionate about taking my 2 years of experience in the SEO industry working on billion dollar brand accounts and helping online business owners understand the ins and outs of it.
In this post, I’m walking through the 4 blogging and SEO mistakes you’re most likely making on your Squarespace website that are hindering traffic from Google.
You’ll also find tips on how to improve the SEO on your Squarespace blog.
1. You’re writing blog posts about things people don’t care about
If you’re documenting what you ate throughout the day or your recent trip to Europe (basically things that have nothing to do with your business), you’re putting time and energy towards content that won’t give you an ROI.
Unless you’re a massive personal brand like Jenna Kutcher or Rachel Hollis, site visitors most likely won’t be interested enough to jump in and read it.
And please note, I mean this with tough love.
Because I’m sick and tired of seeing business owners wasting their time and energy on content that is disconnected from their business.
If you’re doing this currently (no shame, it’s okay), you need to ditch the journal entries.
Instead, step into an educational leader role.
What are your offers?
How can you create content that supports those offers?
And how can you write your blog posts in a way that is easy to digest and offers a transformation?
Think of posts that dream clients would be searching for like…
5 things to consider before hiring a wedding photographer
10 ways that working with a mindset coach can change your life
You need to showcase yourself as an authority through your blog content if you want SEO to work in your favor.
And if you’re not paying attention to what your dream clients are literally typing into the Google search bar, then you’re disregarding the ability to actually serve them.
Which of course, is your reason for blogging in the first place.
That’s why I offer keyword research through my 1:1 Squarespace SEO strategy package.
2. Your blog posts aren’t in-depth enough
Quality over quantity is key, my friend.
That is the name of the game when it comes to SEO.
You can’t create a bunch of 500 word blog posts and expect to shoot to page 1.
Why? Think about it this way.
Let’s say you Google search “how to start an online business.”
Blog post A summarizes the key things you need to build a successful online business, but really just generalizes those main points in 500 words.
Blog post B discusses similar key points but goes a step further by adding more steps and diving into deep detail to further expand on those steps in a 3,000 word blog post.
Which one will Google most likely show (taking into account that they’re both optimized correctly)?
Blog post B.
Makes sense, right?
Google wants to provide the searcher with the highest quality information to satisfy the type of response that person is looking for.
But SEO is not an exact science. There are soooo many ranking factors that are taken into account.
There’s no “follow these exact steps and you’ll rank on page 1.”
And there’s no guarantee that a 3,000 word blog post will rank over a 2,000 word blog post.
But if you’re producing content without any real substance, Google isn’t going to favor you - plain and simple.
That’s why you want to think about providing the best quality information to better serve your ideal clients.
3. Your blog posts aren’t optimized to rank in search
This is where the common lack of SEO comes into play on the different Squarespace blogs I come across.
You need to take into account both the content and technical optimization of your blog posts if you want to show up on page 1.
Let’s talk about content SEO
Are you…
using words and phrases that dream clients are actually using?
including keywords in your blog title?
including keywords throughout your post and in headings where it looks natural?
Let’s talk about technical SEO
Are you…
removing fluff words from your URLs and only including keywords?
reducing your image size and using keyword specific file names?
only using one Heading 1 (your title) and using other headings properly?
You need to take into account both the content and technical optimization of your Squarespace blog posts.
It’s like peanut butter and jelly…can’t have one without the other 😉
4. You haven’t given it enough time
With any marketing strategy, you can’t do it for 2 weeks and then give up.
This isn’t a hit it and quit it tactic (couldn’t help myself there haha).
SEO is a long term strategy.
Basically, you’re working to build a lasting relationship between your Squarespace website and Google.
When you’re trying to establish yourself as an authority in a highly competitive space, you need to write quite a few blog posts to show search engines like Google that your content is the sh*t.
It can take months, maybe even a year, to see big results.
Every case is unique. There’s no definite timeline, magic pill, or secret sauce.
With every piece of high quality, unique content you produce, the authority of your website will increase.
And you will reap the benefits of appearing on page 1 for information your dream clients are searching for.
Give it time and have the patience to stick it out.
How to know you’re making progress
Check your Google Analytics on a monthly basis. It might be good to take a screenshot of what your average position in the Google search results is so you can compare it to the new numbers each month.
Not sure how to use Google Analytics inside your Squarespace website? Click the video below.
Here’s a recap for how to improve SEO on your Squarespace website.
If you’re blogging on Squarespace and not seeing an increase in traffic, here’s what you want to do:
Write blog posts that showcase you as an authority and support the type of service you offer
Write long-form, unique content. Aim for 1,000-3,000 words
Optimize both the content and technical pieces of your blog posts
Be patient. Give it time. Review your analytics every month to see changes in ranking
Are you trying to drive traffic to your Squarespace blog but you’re not sure where to start when it comes to keywords?
Do you find SEO super overwhelming and want someone to work alongside you to map out a blogging strategy?
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