Save Time: Squarespace AI SEO Tools That Just Work!
Is keeping up with SEO feeling overwhelming? What if I told you that Squarespace has finally released new AI tools that can help? These tools are designed to assist with creating meta descriptions and alt text, saving you time and unnecessary frustration.
I'm excited to share how these new Squarespace AI SEO Tools can be a helpful aid in double-checking your website for missing metadata and alt text, without having to go through each page individually. It's like having a virtual assistant to ensure your site is search engine-friendly.
I’ll walk you through the process below, but if you prefer watching a tutorial, be sure to view the companion video on my YouTube channel.
Is Squarespace Finally Embracing AI for SEO?
The world of SEO is constantly evolving, making it challenging to stay current. It's not a surprise that AI has been a major topic in relation to SEO. Heck, it's a major topic EVERYWHERE!
Well, Squarespace is not sitting on the sidelines while this occurs. Instead, they are stepping into the ring with new AI-powered tools designed to simplify SEO for their users. These tools focus on two key areas: meta descriptions and alt text for images. This is a big deal because these elements play a critical role in how search engines understand and rank your website. This promises to be a significant time-saver and a helpful way to double-check your SEO efforts.
Do These Replace SEOSpace's SEO Plugin for Squarespace?
No! While Squarespace’s AI SEO tools will allow you to take some actions directly in the platform, which is fantastic, I still think SEOSpace's plugin and tools are the best for helping you understand and optimize SEO for your website. They also continue to incorporate AI tools into their product suite. As of this writing, there is no comparison to be made. I 100% believe that any Squarespace website owner serious about getting their site found & seen should use SEOSpace. When combined with Squarespace's AI tools, SEO optimization will no longer seem as scary or unattainable. Not already using SEOSpace? Start a free trial today by clicking below!👇
Finding and Using Squarespace's AI SEO Tools
Ready to see these AI tools in action? Here's how to find them and start optimizing your site:
Accessing the SEO Report
First, you need to access the SEO report within your Squarespace dashboard:
Go to the Settings wheel.
Click on Marketing.
Select SEO Appearance.
You'll now see the SEO report dashboard. It displays the number of pages missing metadata and the number of images missing alt text.
Keep in mind that if you see a lot of missing information, don't panic! It just means there's room for improvement. This report provides a brief overview of your site's current status regarding these two SEO items. And the best part is that you can start correcting them right from this page. No need to go back into each individual page or image!
Improving SEO with AI Tools
Now for the fun part – using AI to fill in those missing gaps!
(Note: If you have missing metadata, the system will force you to address these first, before you can move on to image alt text.)
Click the Improve with AI button.
Squarespace's AI will then scan your site and generate suggested metadata descriptions.
You'll have three options:
Accept the suggestion: If you like what the AI has come up with, simply accept it.
Regenerate: If you want a different suggestion, click "Regenerate" to have the AI create a new description.
Manually edit: This is where you can add your own personal touch. Feel free to refine the AI-generated content to perfectly align with your brand's voice and target keywords.
Important Note: While the AI is a great starting point, it's crucial to review its suggestions. Make sure your titles and descriptions are optimized for character length. Aim for 50-60 characters for titles and 150-160 characters for descriptions. This ensures they display properly in search engine results.
Make this even easier with my free SEO Character Count Companion tool. Check your titles & descriptions and keep track of them in one place!
Optimizing Alt Text with AI
Next up is alt text for images. This is the Squarespace AI SEO tool that I love the most!
The AI analyzes your images and suggests relevant alt text for any images that are missing it. This can save you a significant amount of time, especially if you have a lot of images on your site.
Think about it, how many times have you sworn you added alt text to an image but found it isn't there? And if you have a lot of images, it is just so damned tedious to have to go page by page, image by image to check and make updates.
Reviewing and Adjusting Alt Text: You have complete control over the suggested alt text.
Accept: If the suggestion is accurate and descriptive, accept it.
Regenerate: If you want a different suggestion, regenerate the alt text.
Edit: This allows you to fine-tune the alt text, adding relevant keywords where appropriate.
Example: If the image is a photo of a chocolate chip cookie, the alt text could be "Freshly baked chocolate chip cookie on a cooling rack."
After editing the alt text, be sure to hit save.
Checking and Maintaining SEO Metadata
SEO isn't a one-time thing. It's an ongoing process. The great thing about Squarespace's AI SEO Tools is that you can easily re-check your site for missing alt text and metadata. Simply return to the SEO report dashboard to see the latest status.
Issues & Limitations of the SEO AI Tools
While these new AI tools are helpful and a major step in the right direction for Squarespace, there are a few minor (albeit annoying) issues to be aware of.
I'm hopeful these will be addressed as these tools mature and Squarespace receives feedback.
It appears that the AI tool is not checking blog posts or other collection-type pages for missing alt text and metadata. This means you will need to manually check these pages to ensure they are properly optimized.
It seems pages that are not active/published or have the SEO toggle turned off can be included in the results. While it doesn't hurt to create metadata for these pages, it does seem a waste of time. So I'll call this an inconvenience for now.
The images are not listed with their corresponding page. It would be helpful to know which page the image in question is on. Given the issue I mentioned above, it would be helpful to determine if it is pulling from pages that are not live, etc., so you don't waste valuable time.
The Final Verdict on Squarespace's AI SEO Tools
Squarespace's new AI SEO tools offer a convenient way to improve your website's SEO. They can help you quickly identify and fix missing metadata and alt text, saving you time and effort. I'm definitely encouraged by the direction Squarespace is taking to make SEO optimization easier for users of all levels. If you have a Squarespace site, I encourage you to utilize these features. However, with all things AI, it is still essential to review and optimize the content yourself. Remember, these are tools, not replacements.
I will give the alt text generation tool the gold star ⭐️ here, because it's the one thing I can't do with SEOSpace. So when using these two tools together, there's no excuse for slacking on your SEO fundamentals!
Now get out there and start tackling your website’s SEO like a pro!
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