SEO for Squarespace in 2025: A Simple Guide for Beginners

23 Jun

If you’ve launched your website using Squarespace or you’re planning to, you’ve made a smart choice. Squarespace is one of the most user-friendly platforms out there—especially for creatives, service-based businesses, and entrepreneurs. But while its beautiful templates and all-in-one features are incredibly appealing, one essential aspect often gets overlooked: SEO.

If you're new to the world of online marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) might sound like techy jargon reserved for web developers and digital strategists. The truth? With the right guidance, you can absolutely optimise your own Squarespace website—even if you’re a complete beginner.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what SEO is, why it matters in 2025, and how you can easily apply it to your Squarespace site to attract more visitors, increase visibility, and grow your business.

What is SEO—and Why Should Squarespace Users Care?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It refers to a series of techniques that help your website appear higher in search results on Google and other search engines.

Why is that important?

Because when people search for services like yours—“branding coach UK”, “Squarespace website designer”, or “best wedding photographer in Manchester”—you want your site to be the one they click.

Higher search rankings mean:

More visibility
More traffic
More enquiries or sales
Less reliance on social media or ads

Squarespace gives you a strong foundation for SEO, but it’s your job to make the most of it.

2025 SEO Trends You Need to Know

Before diving into the how-to, it’s worth knowing what’s changed in SEO over the past year. In 2025, Google (and other search engines) will be smarter than ever. That means they reward websites that are:

Helpful: Written for humans, not robots
Fast-loading and mobile-friendly
Regularly updated
Well-organised and easy to navigate
Optimised for voice search and AI queries

Squarespace templates—like the ones we create at Iris Avenue Studio—are already built with many of these best practices in mind. But you’ll need to take a few extra steps to truly rank.

Squarespace SEO Basics for Beginners

Here are the core elements you need to optimise on your site:

1. Page Titles & Meta Descriptions

Every page on your Squarespace site has a title tag and meta description. These are what show up in Google search results.

Example:

Title: Modern Squarespace Templates for Creatives | Iris Avenue Studio

Meta Description: Browse premium Squarespace templates for coaches, photographers, and small businesses. Easy to use, beautifully designed, and SEO-friendly.

👉 How to update:
Go to Pages > Settings (⚙️) > SEO tab for each page and enter your title and description.

Tips:

Keep titles under 60 characters
Meta descriptions should be 150–160 characters
Include your main keyword (e.g., “Squarespace templates for coaches”)

2. Heading Tags (H1, H2, H3…)

Search engines use headings to understand your content. Each page should have:

One H1 tag (usually your main page title)
Several H2s and H3s to organise sections

Avoid using bold text instead of proper headings. Always use Squarespace’s built-in text styles to format your content.

Example:
H1: Squarespace Templates for Creatives
H2: Why Choose Squarespace?
H2: Our Top Templates for 2025
H3: Veda – Best for Coaches

3. Keyword Research (Yes, You Can Do This!)

Keywords are the words and phrases people type into Google. Including the right keywords in your content helps your site show up in search results.

For example, if you’re targeting UK-based clients, try keywords like:

Squarespace templates UK
Best Squarespace template for coaches
Creative Squarespace website design

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or Answer the Public to find ideas.

Then, naturally, include those keywords in:

Your headings
Page content
Image alt text
Page titles and meta descriptions
URLs

⚠️ Don’t “stuff” keywords—Google can tell. Write naturally and use variations.

4. Image SEO

Images are a big part of every Squarespace site, especially if you use a visual template like Lavanya or Kali. But they can slow your site down—and be missed by Google—if not optimised.

Here’s how to do it right:

✅ Compress images before uploading (try TinyPNG or ImageOptim)
✅ Name files descriptively (e.g., "veda-coach-template.jpg" not "IMG_0483.jpg")
✅ Add alt text to every image (describe what it is using relevant keywords)

Bonus: Alt text also improves accessibility for screen readers.

5. URLs (aka Slugs)

Keep your URLs short and keyword-friendly.

Bad: www.irisavenuestudio.com/page2
Good: www.irisavenuestudio.com/squarespace-templates-for-coaches

Squarespace lets you edit your slug in each page’s settings.

6. Mobile-Friendly Design

In 2025, over 65% of website traffic will come from mobile devices. Google now uses “mobile-first indexing,” which means it looks at your mobile site before your desktop version.

Luckily, all Iris Avenue Studio templates are 100% responsive, but here’s how you can double-check:

Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool
Test your site on your phone and tablet
Ensure buttons, fonts, and menus are easy to use on smaller screens

7. Blog Like a Pro

Regular blog posts are one of the best ways to improve your SEO. Each new post is a chance to:

Rank for new keywords
Show expertise in your niche
Drive long-tail traffic (from specific searches)

Try blogging once or twice a month with helpful content your audience is searching for.

Examples:

"How to Choose a Squarespace Template for Your Coaching Business"
"SEO Checklist for Creative Entrepreneurs"
"Top Website Mistakes to Avoid in 2025"

Each post should:

Be at least 800–1,500 words
Use headings, internal links, and keywords
Include 1–2 optimised images
End with a call to action (e.g., shop templates, contact you)

Bonus SEO Tips for Squarespace Users

🔗 Internal Linking

Link between pages and blog posts on your site. This helps Google understand your site structure and keeps users engaged longer.

Example: On your homepage, link to your “Course” page or your most recent blog post.

🌍 Location-Based SEO

If you serve a specific city or region, include local keywords:

“Squarespace designer in London”
“Squarespace templates UK”
“Bristol photography portfolio site”

Mention your city in headings, text, and metadata—but keep it natural.

⚙️ Squarespace SEO Settings to Check

Enable SSL: In Settings > Security & SSL, ensure your site uses HTTPS
Set up a custom domain: This looks more professional and builds trust
Connect Google Search Console: It’s free and helps track your site’s performance
Submit your sitemap: Squarespace automatically generates one (just add /sitemap.xml to your domain and submit it to Search Console)

What If You’re Using a Pre-Built Template?

Good news! If you're using a professional Squarespace template—like those from Iris Avenue Studio—you’ve already got a major head start.

Our templates are:

✅ Built on Squarespace 7.1
✅ Structured with SEO best practices
✅ Mobile responsive
✅ Easy to customise with keywords and images
✅ Created with clear hierarchy and user flow in mind

This means all you have to do is add your content and optimise it following the steps above.

SEO Is a Long Game—but Worth It

Remember: SEO takes time. You won’t rank on page 1 overnight, and that’s okay.

What matters is consistency:

Keep your content helpful and human
Update your site regularly
Use keywords wisely
Monitor your traffic with Google Analytics or Search Console

Over time, your site will climb the rankings, and your dream clients will find you.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Be an Expert

If you’ve read this far, you’re already ahead of most beginners. SEO doesn’t need to be scary or technical. Squarespace gives you the tools. All you need is a little time, intention, and the right template.

At Iris Avenue Studio, we create SEO-friendly Squarespace templates for creatives, coaches, service providers, and ecommerce brands. If you're ready to build a stunning site that performs just as well as it looks, we've got you covered.

✨ Explore our Squarespace Template Shop
✨Get step-by-step support with every purchase
✨Launch your site with confidence—and get found on Google