Why isn’t my Squarespace website ranking on Google?

At Squareguru we specialise in two things:

1. We make highly functional Squarespace website templates that get ranked quickly on the search engines.

2. We provide a specialised SEO service and strategy for owners of Squarespace websites.

   The most common question we get asked is ‘Why can’t our new customers find us” and “Why can’t I find my website on Google”?

   Squarespace websites perform well on search engines but they do need to be optimised first.

   Usually, Squarespace itself isn't the reason a site isn't ranking. Google can rank Squarespace sites just fine. The problem is more often one of these:

1. Google hasn't properly indexed your site — especially if it's new or recently redesigned.

2. Your pages don't target clear search intent — Google isn't sure what each page should rank for.

3. Weak or thin content — the page doesn't provide enough useful information compared with competing results.

4. Poor on-page SEO — titles, headings, URLs, internal links, image alt text, etc. aren't aligned with the target query.

5. Low authority — few reputable sites link to your website, so competitors may have a stronger backlink profile.

6. Technical/indexing problems — noindex, blocked pages, canonical issues, duplicate content, redirects, sitemap problems, or poor mobile performance.

7. You're targeting very competitive keywords — even a well-optimized site may need substantial authority and content to compete.

8. Local SEO isn't established — if you're trying to rank for searches such as “plumber in London,” your Google Business Profile, location signals, reviews, and local citations matter.

9. Recent changes — a redesign, URL changes, domain migration, or deleted pages can temporarily or permanently hurt rankings if redirects and indexing weren't handled correctly.

What specifically can you do to improve the SEO on your Squarespace website?

Squarespace handles a lot of the technical SEO for you, so the biggest gains usually come from content, page targeting, internal linking, and making Google understand exactly what each page is about.

Here’s a practical checklist, roughly in priority order:

1. Give every important page one clear search intent

For each page, decide:

• What exact query/topic should this page rank for?

• What would someone searching that query want to find?

• Is this the best page on your site for that query?

Avoid having several pages competing for the same keyword.

For example, instead of having three pages all targeting “London wedding photographer”, you might have:

• /wedding-photographer-london/ → London wedding photography

• /wedding-photography-prices/ → wedding photography prices

• /wedding-photography-portfolio/ → portfolio/examples

• /wedding-photography-faq/ → questions about hiring a photographer

2. Optimise your page titles

In Squarespace, edit the SEO settings for each page and write a useful SEO title.

A good format is:

Primary topic + location/service | Brand

For example:

Wedding Photographer in London | Jane Smith Photography

Don't stuff multiple keywords into the title. Make it descriptive and compelling enough that someone would actually click it.

3. Write better meta descriptions

Your meta description doesn't directly determine rankings, but it can influence click-through rate.

Aim for roughly 150–160 characters, explaining what the page offers and why someone should click.

Example:

Documentary-style wedding photography in London, with natural, candid images and relaxed coverage. View packages, galleries and availability.

Make each page's description unique.

4. Put the main topic in the H1

Each important page should have a clear, descriptive H1 heading.

Instead of:

Welcome

use something like:

London Wedding Photographer for Relaxed, Natural Weddings

Then structure the page with H2s/H3s around related subtopics.

H1 → H2 → H3

Don't use heading styles merely because they look good visually; headings should represent the content hierarchy.

5. Expand thin pages

One of the most common problems I see is pages that look attractive but give Google very little information.

For important commercial pages, explain:

• What you offer

• Who it's for

• Where you provide it

• What makes you different

• How the process works

• Pricing/package information where appropriate

• Common questions

• Relevant examples/case studies

• How people can contact/book you

Don't add meaningless text simply to hit a word count. Useful information beats arbitrary length.

6. Create genuinely useful location/service pages

If you serve multiple locations, don't simply duplicate the same page and swap the town name.

Instead, make each page genuinely useful.

For example:

Wedding Photographer in Richmond

could discuss actual venues, typical photography locations, logistics, local experience, example weddings, and FAQs specific to Richmond.

That gives the page a reason to exist.

7. Build internal links deliberately

This is particularly easy to improve.

Whenever you write a page, ask:

"What other page on my website would help someone reading this?"

Then link to it using descriptive anchor text.

For example:

❌ Click here to see our services.

✅ Explore our London wedding photography packages.

You want important pages to be linked from multiple relevant pages—not buried several clicks deep.

8. Fix your URLs

Keep URLs:

• Short

• Descriptive

• Lowercase

• Easy to understand

• Relatively permanent

Good:

/london-wedding-photographer/

Less useful:

/page-123/

Avoid changing established URLs unnecessarily. If you do change one, set up a 301 redirect.

9. Optimise your images

This matters particularly on Squarespace sites because visually heavy websites can become slow.

For important images:

• Compress them before uploading.

• Use appropriately sized images rather than enormous originals.

• Give files descriptive names where practical.

• Add useful alt text when the image conveys information.

• Don't stuff keywords into alt text.

For example:

london-wedding-photographer-richmond.jpg

is more useful than:

IMG_8392.jpg

Alt text should describe the actual image, e.g.:

Bride and groom walking through Richmond Park after their ceremony.

Not:

best London wedding photographer wedding photography London.

10. Improve page speed/Core Web Vitals

Look at Google's PageSpeed Insights and Search Console.

Common Squarespace problems include:

• Huge images

• Too many images

• Video backgrounds

• Excessive third-party scripts

• Tracking/marketing tools

• Too many fonts/font weights

• Heavy animations

You don't need to obsess over getting a perfect score. Prioritise anything that creates a genuinely poor mobile experience.

11. Set up Google Search Console

This is one of the most valuable things you can do.

Connect your site to Google Search Console and use it to see:

• Which searches generate impressions

• Which pages Google is showing

• Your average positions

• Click-through rates

• Indexing problems

• Search queries you hadn't considered

The really useful part is finding pages where you're already getting impressions but sitting around positions 5–20.

Those pages are often much easier to improve than starting from scratch.

12. Use Search Console to find "easy wins"

Suppose Search Console tells you:

"wedding photographer richmond"
1,800 impressions
4.2% CTR
Average position: 11.3

That's a strong optimisation candidate.

You might improve:

• Page title

• H1

• Introduction

• Supporting headings

• Relevant content

• Internal links

• Images

• FAQs

• Links from other relevant pages

Then monitor the result over the following weeks.

13. Create content around actual customer questions

Don't start a blog simply because someone told you "you need a blog for SEO."

Instead, find questions your potential customers actually ask.

For example:

• How much does a wedding photographer cost in London?

• How many hours of wedding photography do I need?

• What happens if it rains on my wedding day?

• Do I need a second photographer?

• How far in advance should I book?

Then create genuinely useful answers.

These pages can attract informational searches and then internally link people toward your commercial/service pages.

14. Add structured data where appropriate

Structured data can help Google understand things such as:

• Organisation/business information

• Local business information

• Products/services

• Reviews

• Events

• FAQs

Squarespace provides some structured data automatically, but you should check that your business information is consistent and accurate.

Don't add schema simply because you can; it should accurately represent what's on the page.

15. Strengthen your local SEO

If you operate from a physical location or serve a specific geographic area, this can be extremely important.

Make sure your:

• Business name

• Address

• Phone number

• Website

• Opening/service information

are consistent across your online presence.

Also create/optimise your Google Business Profile, collect legitimate customer reviews, and earn mentions/links from relevant local organisations and businesses.

16. Get quality backlinks

Backlinks still matter.

But don't buy hundreds of cheap links.

For a local business, useful links might come from:

• Industry organisations

• Local publications

• Relevant suppliers

• Venues

• Professional associations

• Local businesses

• Genuine guest contributions

• PR/news coverage

• Useful resources that naturally attract citations

One relevant, authoritative link can be considerably more valuable than dozens of irrelevant ones.

17. Don't neglect your homepage

Your homepage should immediately tell both users and search engines:

Who are you + what do you offer + where do you offer it?

For example:

London Wedding Photographer
Natural, documentary-style wedding photography for couples across London and the South East.

Then support that with relevant services, locations, proof/portfolio, testimonials and clear calls to action.

18. Check for technical problems

In Google Search Console, check:

• Indexed pages

• Excluded pages

• 404 errors

• Redirects

• Mobile usability

• Sitemap

• Core Web Vitals

• Manual actions/security issues

Also make sure important pages aren't accidentally set to noindex.

First things to do to get started:

I'd do it in this order:

Week 1 — Foundation

1. Connect Google Search Console.

2. Check indexing.

3. Create a keyword/topic map for your important pages.

4. Rewrite page titles and meta descriptions.

5. Fix H1s and heading structure.

6. Check URLs and redirects.

7. Compress oversized images.

Week 2 — Content
8. Improve your 5–10 most commercially important pages.
9. Add genuinely useful supporting information.
10. Build internal links between related pages.
11. Create 2–4 high-value articles answering real customer questions.

Week 3 — Authority/local
12. Optimise Google Business Profile if relevant.
13. Get legitimate reviews.
14. Look for relevant local/industry backlink opportunities.
15. Ensure business details are consistent across important directories.

Ongoing
16. Check Search Console monthly.
17. Find pages ranking positions 5–20.
18. Improve those pages.
19. Publish content based on actual search demand.
20. Monitor traffic, rankings and conversions—not just rankings.

The biggest mistake to avoid

Don't treat SEO as "put keywords on every page."

The stronger approach is:

One search intent → one excellent page → clear topic → useful information → strong internal links → relevant authority.

You can find out more about our specialist SEO packages here: https://www.squareguru.space/squarespace-seo-expert

You can buy a design from us. We’ll help you optimise your nrew design so you’ll get found by your customers. You can find out more about our ready-made Squarespace websites here: https://www.squareguru.space