Squarespace vs. WordPress SEO
One of my most popular Instagram posts busts a few myths around Squarespace vs. WordPress SEO. It has been one of my most popular posts, and several people either commented or sent me DMs asking for more detail. So here we go!
Today, you're going to learn:
the most common myths about Squarespace SEO
how Squarespace SEO compares to WordPress SEO.
But first, a disclaimer:
I have nothing against WordPress (or ShowIt). In fact, I use WordPress for some clients. I design and build on Squarespace because I've found that for MOST of my clients, it tends to be an easier platform for them to maintain in the long-run.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive in…
Myth 1: Squarespace SEO sucks compared to WordPress.
The two most important things for SEO: The 2 main things that go into SEO are inbound links and quality content. Having inbound links plays no part in which platform you use. It doesn't matter which platform you're using if you don't have valuable content.
Your content needs to be compelling, written well, and speak to what your visitors want and need. This is what’s going to make the biggest impact on your Google ranking.
You need to be updating your content on a regular basis. Google likes fresh, new content. So, if you are the one maintaining your website, you likely want it to be as easy as possible to update that content. To be honest, it's not that easy in WordPress, but it’s very easy to update your content in Squarespace. And as a business owner with 2359 things on your plate, if it’s not easy to update your content, you probably won’t do it, right?
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Security: Google likes a secure site. You can set up SSL encryption in Squarespace (that’s what puts the “s” at the end of “http” to make your site secure). With WordPress, you have to manage your SSL encryption on your own. Usually you can do this through your domain host.
WordPress is an open-source platform. That means it relies on plugins (and all plugins are not free). It also means that pretty much anyone can hack your site unless you have the right security settings and firewalls in place.
Squarespace is a closed-source platform, meaning that anything that is added to your website has to go through Squarespace’s team first. They're going to test everything before allowing it on your site. Also, Squarespace always stays updated with the plugins WordPress uses and integrates them right into Squarespace. That means you don't have to worry about plugin updates or crashes... and you don't have plugins slowing down your site. (A slow site = bad for SEO).
Mobile Responsiveness: Another important factor in SEO and ranking is the mobile responsiveness of your website. 54% of website visitors use a mobile device, so you want to make sure your site is mobile-friendly (Statista). Plus, Google doesn’t like it if your website isn’t doesn't look good on mobile devices. Guess what? Squarespace sites are automatically mobile-friendly. Your WordPress site may or may not be mobile-friendly depending on your theme, and if it’s not, there are several steps you’ll have to take to ensure it is.
Myth 2: Squarespace doesn't let you work on your SEO.
There are places all over Squarespace you can go to update your SEO:
SEO page descriptions
SEO images
Google Analytics
automatic site maps
alt text
URL slug customization
and more.
Does WordPress have the Yoast plugin to help you with each page’s SEO? Yes, but Squarespace also gives you options to optimize each page for SEO. Plus, if you want to check your content for readability within Squarespace, use The Hemingway Editor. I use it for most of my writing. But bottom line: Everything that Yoast tells you in WordPress… you can take care of in Squarespace. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Your website is also optimized for SEO with Squarespace. There are extra steps you can take to make sure everything is extra optimized, and Squarespace gives you the tools to do that.
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And if this isn't enough for you, you can still use Squarespace’s developer platform.
Myth 3: You'll lose your Google ranking if you switch to Squarespace.
While your ranking may drop a little bit for the short-term, as long as you go through the right steps to have your new site built, your website will jump back up in ranking.
(I can also confirm this from personal experience. My ranking may have dipped a couple of spots down for a week or so, but it went right back up once I started making sure all the inbound links were correct.)
There are tons of tutorials online that tell you how to move your site from WordPress to Squarespace, but if you need help, that’s what Web Designers and Developers are for ;)
I hope that helps clear up some of the common misconceptions when it comes to Squarespace’s SEO. If you’ve got more questions, feel free to email me.
You might also be interested in reading A Simple Guide to SEO if you need a primer on SEO in general
