Building an SEO-Friendly Squarespace Website: Our Step-by-Step Process

Creating a stunning website is only half the battle. The other half is making sure people can actually find it. At Doukas Media, we believe design and SEO go hand-in-hand. That’s why every Squarespace website we launch is built with SEO in mind, from the very first brainstorm to the final publish.

Whether you're a small business owner, a startup founder, or just someone ready to level up your online presence, this guide will walk you through our proven, step-by-step process for building an SEO-friendly Squarespace website.

You don’t need to be a tech wizard to build a site that ranks well on Google, especially with Squarespace. Here’s the exact checklist we use to make sure every site we build is optimized to be discovered, loved, and trusted online.

1. Start with Keyword Research

Before a single design element is placed, we begin with strategy, specifically, understanding what your ideal customers are searching for on Google.

Here’s how we approach it:

• We identify relevant keywords: These are the terms and phrases your audience is actively Googling. We focus on the sweet spot, keywords with high intent, decent search volume, and achievable competition.

• We prioritize local search terms: For businesses with a physical presence or service area, we look for city-specific searches like “wedding planner on Long Island” or “plumber near Phoenix.”

• We map keywords to specific pages: Every main keyword is assigned to a specific page. This avoids keyword cannibalization and makes sure each page has a clear SEO goal.

This research sets the foundation for your entire site, influencing page layout, copy, navigation, and even image names.

2. Plan a Smart Site Structure

An organized website doesn’t just look better, it helps search engines crawl, index, and rank your pages more efficiently. Plus, it gives visitors a better experience, which is something Google rewards.

What we do:

• Keep the navigation clean and intuitive: No overwhelming menus or confusing dropdowns.

• Give each page a clear purpose: Your homepage welcomes, your services page converts, your blog educates.

• Use SEO-friendly URLs: Instead of random numbers or long strings, we keep URLs short, clear, and keyword-based (e.g., /wedding-planning instead of /page1?id=392). 

A smart structure tells both people and Google what’s important.

3. Write for Humans With Keywords in Mind

Too many websites stuff keywords into robotic sentences, hoping to game the algorithm. At Doukas Media, we write for people first, while strategically incorporating your keywords in ways that feel natural.

Our copywriting checklist:

• Use keywords in headlines and opening lines: That’s where Google, and users, look first.

• Break up text with headers and short paragraphs: This improves readability and lets search engines better understand content hierarchy.

• Include strong calls-to-action (CTAs): SEO helps you get found. CTAs help you get results. We make sure every page guides users toward a goal, whether that’s filling out a form or scheduling a call.

Great copy connects. Great SEO copy converts.

4. Optimize Your Images

Beautiful images enhance the visual appeal of your Squarespace site, but without optimization, they can slow things down and hurt your rankings.

Here’s our image process:

• Rename images before uploading: Instead of “IMG_5321.jpg,” we name files descriptively like “bride-holding-flowers.jpg.”

• Write descriptive alt text: This helps with accessibility (a must!) and gives Google more context.

• Compress files for speed: We make sure each image looks great without slowing down your site, especially on mobile.

Image SEO might be behind the scenes, but it has a big impact.

5. Set Up Each Page’s SEO Settings

Squarespace makes it easy to customize each page’s SEO title and description, two elements that show up directly in search results.

How we handle this:

• SEO titles include primary keywords: For example, “Custom Wedding Planning Services | Forever Events,” not just “Home.”

• Meta descriptions are engaging and informative: We treat them like mini ads, they should make people want to click.

• Avoid duplication: Every page has unique meta content to avoid confusing Google and missing ranking opportunities.

This step ensures every page has its own place and purpose in search results.

6. Connect Google Tools

To truly succeed in SEO, you need data. We make sure your Squarespace site is properly connected to Google’s essential tools.

Our setup includes:

• Google Search Console: Helps us track indexing, identify crawl issues, and see which keywords are driving traffic.

• Google Analytics: Gives insights into who’s visiting your site, how they’re behaving, and where improvements are needed.

• Submit your sitemap: Squarespace automatically generates a sitemap, we just verify it’s submitted correctly to Google.

With the right tools in place, you can monitor performance and adjust your strategy over time.

7. Add Internal Links

Strategic internal linking not only helps search engines understand your site’s structure, it also guides users to related content, increasing time on site and engagement.

Some of our go-to internal link strategies:

• Link “About” pages to “Services” pages

• Connect blog posts to contact or booking forms

• Cross-reference related services or FAQs

The goal is to make navigating your site intuitive and interconnected.

8. Double-Check Mobile and Speed

Squarespace templates are mobile-responsive out of the box, but we don’t assume, we test everything.

Our mobile checklist:

• Test every page on phones and tablets: We ensure the layout stays clean and functional.

• Make sure buttons are easy to tap: No tiny links or frustrating popups.

• Ensure text is readable: Fonts are legible and content doesn’t get cut off.

• Reduce unnecessary files: From third-party scripts to oversized images, we remove anything that slows you down.

Fast, mobile-friendly websites rank better and create happier visitors.

9. Post Useful Content (Optional, But Powerful)

If you’re serious about long-term SEO growth, content is your best friend. A blog, resource hub, or FAQ section gives your site more opportunities to rank.

When we manage content for clients, we:

• Answer real questions your customers ask

• Focus on content that supports your core services

• Use consistent formatting, keywords, and internal links

Think of blog posts as mini landing pages for Google. Each one is a new doorway into your site.

10. Don’t Forget Local SEO (If You Serve a Local Area)

If your business serves a specific city, neighborhood, or region, local SEO should be a major focus.

Our local SEO checklist:

• Display your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) clearly and consistently across your site.

• Link to your Google Business Profile so users can easily see reviews, hours, and location.

• Create city-specific service pages: If you serve multiple towns, we can build SEO-friendly pages for each.

Local visibility is often the difference between being booked out and being overlooked.

An SEO-friendly website isn’t built overnight, but it also doesn’t have to be complicated. At Doukas Media, we specialize in launching Squarespace sites that look beautiful, function flawlessly, and perform well in search.

We believe SEO shouldn’t be an afterthought. It should be baked in from the beginning, guiding your design, your copy, and your content strategy.

Want help building a Squarespace site that actually gets found online?

That’s exactly what we do. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refreshing an existing site, we’ll handle the SEO while you focus on growing your business.

Contact us today to get started on a website that works as hard as you do.