MODULE 8: SEO & PRE-LAUNCH POLISH
Your website is built, your products are live, and it looks absolutely stunning. But how do you actually get people to find it on Google?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can sound highly technical and intimidating, but it really boils down to one simple concept: making it as easy as possible for Google's robots to read and understand your website. Squarespace has fantastic SEO tools built right in. You don't need to know how to code; you just need to fill in the blanks! Here is your basic SEO checklist before launching.
Step 1: Set Your Site-Wide SEO Description
This is the main text that will show up on Google when someone searches for your brand name.
Go to your main Squarespace dashboard.
Click on Settings, then scroll down and click on SEO Appearance.
Under the Site SEO Description box, write a 1-2 sentence summary of who you are, what you do, and who you help.
Example: "Jane Doe is a professional brand designer based in New York, specializing in minimalist website design and brand strategy for creative entrepreneurs."
Step 2: Page-Level SEO Descriptions
Google doesn't just rank your homepage; it ranks individual pages! You need to tell Google what every single page is about.
Go to your Website (Pages) menu.
Hover over any page (like your "Services" or "About" page) and click the Gear Icon to open the Page Settings.
Click the SEO tab.
Add a specific SEO description for that exact page. (Example for a Services page: "Explore our premium brand design packages, including custom logo creation, Squarespace website design, and SEO strategy.")
Step 3: Clean Up Your URL Slugs
A "URL slug" is the part of the link that comes after your domain name (e.g., yourwebsite.com/about).
In the same Page Settings menu (Gear Icon), click on the General tab.
Look at the URL Slug box.
Make sure it is clean, short, and uses dashes instead of spaces.
Good: /brand-design-services
Bad: /page-12-copy-new
Step 4: Adding "Alt Text" to Images
Google's robots are blind—they cannot "see" your beautiful photographs. You have to tell them what the picture is! This is called Alt Text, and it is crucial for getting your images to show up in Google Image Search.
In the page editor, click on an Image block and hit the Pencil Icon.
Go to the Content tab, scroll to the bottom, and find the Alt Text box.
Describe the image simply and include keywords if relevant. (Example: "A modern, minimalist living room designed by [Your Brand Name]").
💡 DESIGNER SECRETS FOR SEO:
The H1 Rule (A Quick Reminder): We mentioned this in the text lesson, but it is the #1 SEO mistake people make! Every single page on your website should only have ONE "Heading 1" (H1). This tells Google the main topic of the page. Use Heading 2 and Heading 3 for all other titles!
Connect Google Search Console: Once your site is live, go to Settings > Connected Accounts and connect your Google account. This gives Google a direct map of your website and tells them to start tracking your pages immediately.
Write a Blog! The absolute best way to boost your SEO is to write blog posts (like we covered in Module 5). Every time you publish a new article, you are creating a brand new doorway for Google to find your website. Answer questions your ideal clients are actively typing into Google!
I typically reply to all student questions within 24-48 business hours.
Congratulations again on your stunning new website. I cannot wait to see how this elevates your brand, attracts your absolute dream clients, and grows your business. Now go share that new link with the world!
30. Basic Squarespace SEO
We are so close to the finish line! Your SEO settings are dialed in, but there is one more crucial visual detail we need to set up before you launch.
Have you ever pasted a link into an iMessage, a Facebook post, or a Slack channel, and a beautiful little preview image automatically popped up? That is called a Social Sharing Image.
If you do not upload one of these, platforms like Facebook will usually just grab the first random photo they can find on your page (which might be a tiny, stretched-out icon or a blank square). Here is how to ensure your website always looks professional when people share your link!
Step 1: Access the Social Sharing Menu
Go to your main Squarespace dashboard.
Click on Settings.
Scroll down the menu and click on Social Sharing.
Step 2: Uploading the Site-Wide Image
You will see an empty box that says Add a Social Sharing Image.
Click the upload button and select your chosen image.
This single image will now act as the default preview photo anytime someone shares your main .com link!
Step 3: What Image Should You Use?
Because this image represents your entire brand, you want to choose something eye-catching and clear.
The "Billboard" Approach: The most professional option is to create a custom graphic (using a free tool like Canva). It should include a beautiful photo, your logo, and maybe a 1-sentence tagline about what you do.
The "Portfolio" Approach: If you don't want to design a graphic, simply upload your absolute best, highest-quality portfolio photograph or a stunning mockup of your digital product.
The Sizing Rule: Social sharing images look best when they are formatted as a landscape rectangle. The perfect size to upload is 1200 pixels wide by 630 pixels tall.
Step 4: Setting Page-Specific Images (Optional)
The image we just uploaded is the global fallback. But what if you want a specific page (like a high-ticket Sales Page or an important Blog Post) to show a completely different image when shared? You can!
Go to your Website (Pages) menu.
Hover over the specific page you want to update and click the Gear Icon (Page Settings).
Click the Social Image tab.
Upload an image that is highly specific to that exact page or product! (Note: If you followed the steps in Lesson 24, your Blog Posts will automatically use their "Featured Image" as their social sharing image, so you don't need to do this manually for articles!)
💡 DESIGNER SECRETS FOR SOCIAL SHARING:
Always Test Your Link: Before you officially announce your launch, copy your URL and paste it into a private Facebook message or an iMessage to yourself. Make sure the image loads properly and looks crisp!
The "Clear Cache" Trick: If you upload an image, test it on Facebook, and the old image is still showing up, don't panic! Facebook "caches" (remembers) old links to save data. You can force Facebook to update the preview by using their free tool called the Facebook Sharing Debugger. Just paste your link there and hit "Scrape Again."
Keep Text Centered: When different platforms (like LinkedIn vs. iMessage) crop your sharing image, they usually trim the edges. If you have text or a logo on your graphic, make sure it is perfectly centered so it never gets cut off!
Image uploaded and looking sharp? Click SAVE!
Have you ever pasted a link into an iMessage, a Facebook post, or a Slack channel, and a beautiful little preview image automatically popped up? That is called a Social Sharing Image.
If you do not upload one of these, platforms like Facebook will usually just grab the first random photo they can find on your page (which might be a tiny, stretched-out icon or a blank square). Here is how to ensure your website always looks professional when people share your link!
Step 1: Access the Social Sharing Menu
Go to your main Squarespace dashboard.
Click on Settings.
Scroll down the menu and click on Social Sharing.
Step 2: Uploading the Site-Wide Image
You will see an empty box that says Add a Social Sharing Image.
Click the upload button and select your chosen image.
This single image will now act as the default preview photo anytime someone shares your main .com link!
Step 3: What Image Should You Use?
Because this image represents your entire brand, you want to choose something eye-catching and clear.
The "Billboard" Approach: The most professional option is to create a custom graphic (using a free tool like Canva). It should include a beautiful photo, your logo, and maybe a 1-sentence tagline about what you do.
The "Portfolio" Approach: If you don't want to design a graphic, simply upload your absolute best, highest-quality portfolio photograph or a stunning mockup of your digital product.
The Sizing Rule: Social sharing images look best when they are formatted as a landscape rectangle. The perfect size to upload is 1200 pixels wide by 630 pixels tall.
Step 4: Setting Page-Specific Images (Optional)
The image we just uploaded is the global fallback. But what if you want a specific page (like a high-ticket Sales Page or an important Blog Post) to show a completely different image when shared? You can!
Go to your Website (Pages) menu.
Hover over the specific page you want to update and click the Gear Icon (Page Settings).
Click the Social Image tab.
Upload an image that is highly specific to that exact page or product! (Note: If you followed the steps in Lesson 24, your Blog Posts will automatically use their "Featured Image" as their social sharing image, so you don't need to do this manually for articles!)
💡 DESIGNER SECRETS FOR SOCIAL SHARING:
Always Test Your Link: Before you officially announce your launch, copy your URL and paste it into a private Facebook message or an iMessage to yourself. Make sure the image loads properly and looks crisp!
The "Clear Cache" Trick: If you upload an image, test it on Facebook, and the old image is still showing up, don't panic! Facebook "caches" (remembers) old links to save data. You can force Facebook to update the preview by using their free tool called the Facebook Sharing Debugger. Just paste your link there and hit "Scrape Again."
Keep Text Centered: When different platforms (like LinkedIn vs. iMessage) crop your sharing image, they usually trim the edges. If you have text or a logo on your graphic, make sure it is perfectly centered so it never gets cut off!
Image uploaded and looking sharp? Click SAVE!
31. Adding a Social Sharing Image
You are in the home stretch! Before we officially connect your domain name and announce your website to the world, we need to do a little bit of quality control.
Nothing frustrates a potential client more than clicking a "Buy Now" button that goes nowhere. In this lesson, we will make sure your website is perfectly wired together and learn how to create a beautiful "safety net" just in case a visitor gets lost!
Step 1: The Manual "Click Test"
It sounds tedious, but this is a mandatory step before any successful launch.
Open your website in Full-Screen Preview mode (click the little diagonal arrow in the top right corner of your Squarespace editor).
Pretend you are a brand new customer.
Click every single link in your top navigation menu.
Scroll down every page and click every single button.
Do they all go exactly where they are supposed to? If a button does nothing, exit preview mode, click the Pencil Icon on that button, and make sure the correct page is linked!
Step 2: What is a 404 Page?
If a visitor accidentally types the wrong URL (like yourwebsite.com/abouuuut), or if they click an old link from Pinterest that doesn't exist anymore, Squarespace will show them a 404 Error Page (which means "Page Not Found").
By default, the Squarespace 404 page is just a blank white screen with tiny, boring text. We can do much better! Let's build a custom one to keep visitors on your site.
Step 3: Designing Your Custom 404 Page
Go to your Website (Pages) menu.
In the Not Linked section, click the "+" to create a new Blank Page.
Name it "404 Error."
Click Edit and build a simple, beautiful section using Fluid Engine.
What to include: A fun, friendly headline (e.g., "Oops! Looks like you took a wrong turn."), a short paragraph, and most importantly, a large Button that links back to your Homepage!
Step 4: Setting the 404 Page Live
Now we need to tell Squarespace to actually use the beautiful page you just designed whenever someone gets lost.
Go back to your main Squarespace dashboard.
Click on Settings, then select Website, and finally click on 404 Page (sometimes located under System depending on your menu version).
You will see a dropdown menu. Click it and select the "404 Error" page you just built.
Click Save.
💡 DESIGNER SECRETS FOR THE 404 PAGE:
Use Humor: The 404 page is a great place to show off your brand's personality! If your brand is playful, use a funny photo or a witty headline ("We searched everywhere, but this page is missing!").
Add a Search Bar: If you have a blog or a large store, adding a Search Block to your 404 page is incredibly helpful. It allows the lost visitor to immediately search for the exact article or product they were trying to find.
Keep the Header and Footer: Make sure your custom 404 page still displays your main navigation menu and footer. This ensures the visitor never feels "trapped" on a dead-end page.
Links tested and 404 page connected? Incredible work.
Nothing frustrates a potential client more than clicking a "Buy Now" button that goes nowhere. In this lesson, we will make sure your website is perfectly wired together and learn how to create a beautiful "safety net" just in case a visitor gets lost!
Step 1: The Manual "Click Test"
It sounds tedious, but this is a mandatory step before any successful launch.
Open your website in Full-Screen Preview mode (click the little diagonal arrow in the top right corner of your Squarespace editor).
Pretend you are a brand new customer.
Click every single link in your top navigation menu.
Scroll down every page and click every single button.
Do they all go exactly where they are supposed to? If a button does nothing, exit preview mode, click the Pencil Icon on that button, and make sure the correct page is linked!
Step 2: What is a 404 Page?
If a visitor accidentally types the wrong URL (like yourwebsite.com/abouuuut), or if they click an old link from Pinterest that doesn't exist anymore, Squarespace will show them a 404 Error Page (which means "Page Not Found").
By default, the Squarespace 404 page is just a blank white screen with tiny, boring text. We can do much better! Let's build a custom one to keep visitors on your site.
Step 3: Designing Your Custom 404 Page
Go to your Website (Pages) menu.
In the Not Linked section, click the "+" to create a new Blank Page.
Name it "404 Error."
Click Edit and build a simple, beautiful section using Fluid Engine.
What to include: A fun, friendly headline (e.g., "Oops! Looks like you took a wrong turn."), a short paragraph, and most importantly, a large Button that links back to your Homepage!
Step 4: Setting the 404 Page Live
Now we need to tell Squarespace to actually use the beautiful page you just designed whenever someone gets lost.
Go back to your main Squarespace dashboard.
Click on Settings, then select Website, and finally click on 404 Page (sometimes located under System depending on your menu version).
You will see a dropdown menu. Click it and select the "404 Error" page you just built.
Click Save.
💡 DESIGNER SECRETS FOR THE 404 PAGE:
Use Humor: The 404 page is a great place to show off your brand's personality! If your brand is playful, use a funny photo or a witty headline ("We searched everywhere, but this page is missing!").
Add a Search Bar: If you have a blog or a large store, adding a Search Block to your 404 page is incredibly helpful. It allows the lost visitor to immediately search for the exact article or product they were trying to find.
Keep the Header and Footer: Make sure your custom 404 page still displays your main navigation menu and footer. This ensures the visitor never feels "trapped" on a dead-end page.
Links tested and 404 page connected? Incredible work.
32. Checking Your Links & 404 Page
