Why your Squarespace website isn’t showing up in Google search results
You built a website on Squarespace (or maybe had one built for you.)
You launched it - it’s LIVE!
And… crickets. So, now what?
Unfortunately, a website isn’t Field of Dreams (“If you build it, they will come.”).
Nobody will know about your new site unless you tell them. Here’s how to get your site noticed.
Step 1: Share your site!
This probably seems like a no-brainer, but there are small opportunities every day to share your website with the world. Here are some of my favorite places to add a link to your site:
Email Signature. I recently had a client add a website link to her email signature and, until then, some people in her life had NO IDEA she was a social media manager - she got a ton of new interest and opportunities from this one simple step. You can just do this as a text link (which is what I do), or get fancy with a (free) stylish email signature from Signature Hound.
Social Media Bios. Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn… anywhere people come across you online, give them the opportunity to learn more by visiting your website.
Printed Materials. Have business cards, letterhead, or printed invoices? Add a link here.
Online Directories. Anywhere your business shows up in a directory, make sure there’s a link to your website. Everywhere from Chamber of Commerce sites to Google Business listings.
Signs. Do you have a physical location? Add your website to your business sign!
👉 When you add a clickable link online, make sure you include the full address: https://www.yourdomain.com BUT for display purposes you can just use yourdomain.com.
🙈 What if you DIY’d your site and it’s not perfect? Go ahead and start sharing your link. You can improve your website over time, but the goal is to get people there NOW so they know you have a legitimate business. Visitors aren’t looking for an art project - they are looking for details about your services or products.
Step 2: Make sure your site has been indexed by Google (and Bing, if you care)
Google, Bing, and other search engines need to “index” your site in order to serve it up in search results.
A quick test to see if your site is indexed is to search for site:yourdomain.com. If your site has been indexed, you’ll see a list of each page and its meta tags. If nothing shows up, you need to submit your site for indexing on Google and, if your people use Bing, verify your site with Bing too.
👉 Not submitting your site to Google is a major reason it may not be showing up in Google search results.
Step 3: Give it time
Site indexing is not a microwave… it’s a crock pot. Sometimes sites get indexed days after submitting them, but I’ve also seen sites not indexed for weeks or months! At the time I’m writing this, we seem to be more on the weeks/months schedule for Google to index newly submitted sites. So if you’ve recently submitted your site, know it can take a good long while to show up in search results.
👉 If you work with a web designer, ask if they submit your sitemap for you OR if it’s something you need to do. I walk my clients through the process so they can manage and check on it themselves, but some designers do this for you under their account.
⚠️ You WILL get error messages from Google after your site is indexed. This is not specific to Squarespace and they are typically nothing to be concerned about. You can read more about How to Fix Google Search Console and Mobile Usability Issues in Squarespace.
Step 4: Your site may be indexed, but not coming up in the first (several) pages of results
Your site won’t automatically show up on Page 1 of Google’s search results. There’s a lot of work to be done for your site to consistently rank high on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Unless you specifically purchased an ongoing SEO package, you can expect to do some consistent work on your own to get a higher ranking. This takes time and effort, but the dividends pay off in more site visitors, more customers/clients, and better recognition.
👉 If you worked with a designer, they probably included basic on-site SEO. You can continue to optimize the content of your site to improve SEO. For example, if you add new images to your website, you’ll need to optimize them for size and file name. If you’d like to learn more, join my free mini course on image optimization.
✨ Getting backlinks (see Step 1 above) is also a great way to improve your ranking. The more reputable the site that links to you, the more “weight” the link has.
Step 5: Learn more
Ready to learn more about getting your site to rank higher in search results?
Check out my Make Money with your Blog course to learn how I landed on Page 1 of Google’s search results and bring in >$1.5k/month on autopilot.
Or dive deep into SEO with Kate Scott's Grow with SEO course.
