Is Squarespace Actually SEO Friendly?
The short answer is YES!
Website that we designed for Premier Skating Group using Squarespace 7.1.
Why are we writing about this? We recently received a marketing email from a Web Development firm based overseas which caught our eye. The subject line was “Is Squarespace Actually SEO Friendly” and the email started with the following: “Do you know your website isn't visible on Google first page of search results? I know you are using Squarespace for your website but do you know Squarespace websites are template based and have very low SEO rankings rate as compared to custom designed websites. Search engines like Google.com and Bing.com never support template based websites for search ranking. Not having that visibility is losing you money every month.” It goes on to sell their services. Although this may sound convincing that just not the way Google ranks websites.
Debunking the Claim
The claim that this email makes is that a custom designed website will perform better than sites designed with a website builder that uses templates such as Squarespace. In reality either can be really successful or really poor depending on the implementation and content of the site.
Some of the top things Google looks for in a website include user experience, site speed, adaptability to mobile and consistent branding.
A lot of these issues can be solved more effectively and efficiently with a good template. Good templates have usually have been designed by professionals for good user experience and have been designed with mobile versions and allow you to apply your own branding consistently across the site. Notice though that the key word is good. You want to find a high-quality template that offers these options for customization or hire a designer that can help you.
You can also get help from a copywriter who specializes in writing for SEO. These writers work with you to understand your business and what people are looking for when they search for companies like yours. They write content that not only appeals to Google but also to the human reader to make your site appear higher in Google searches organically without paid ads.
Google, Bing and other search engines don’t care if your site was built using a template. What they do care about is what you did with the template. Did you customize it to your brand? Does it have a mobile friendly version? Is it easy to navigate? Is the content useful to potential visitors? These are the things that matter.
About the Author - Jack C. Henry
A graduate of OCAD University’s Graphic Design program, Jack blends art with real-world business strategy. The result? Creative solutions that add value to your business. Jack has designed for a wide range of industries including restaurants, retail stores, health care, community organizations and charities. As well as helping companies develop their brand, he creates beautiful marketing materials and signage. More…