How to Create a Squarespace Blog: Full Step-by-Step Guide
Setting up a Squarespace blog can feel overwhelming, especially if you're new to blogging or using the Squarespace platform. But what if you could get started quickly and easily? This guide will walk you through the simple steps to create a blog on your Squarespace website, understand the basic settings, and start blogging in no time.
This blog post is based on my comprehensive YouTube video guide, where I walk you through all the steps from beginning to end. Instead of endless screenshots, I’ve included timestamps linked to the video so you can jump directly to a demonstration for any of the steps!
Step 1: Adding a Blog Collection Page 0:40
The very first step to setting up your Squarespace blog is to add a blog collection page.
Opening the Pages Section: 0:47
Navigate to the "Pages" tab in the Squarespace menu.
Choosing a Placement: 0:52
You'll need to decide whether you want your blog to appear in your main navigation or the "Not Linked" section. The steps are the same regardless, and you can always drag it into the main navigation later. I recommend starting out in the “Not Linked” section until you have your blog set up and at least one post published.
Selecting Blog Under Collections: 1:10
Click the "+" sign to add a page, and then select "Blog" under the "Collections" section. Blogs, stores, portfolios, events, videos, and courses are called “collection” pages, because they are a main page that holds a collection of other pages within them.
Squarespace will present you with a few layout options for your main blog page. Don't worry too much about this choice, because you can change it at any time. Select a layout you like and move forward.
Now, give your blog a descriptive name. For example, if you're planning to post mostly tutorial content, you might name it "How-To Blog." This name will be used in the blog's URL (yourdomain.com/blog-name), but you can customize the URL if you choose to, just make it relevant and optimized for SEO (keywords) when possible.
Step 2: Understanding the Squarespace Blog Interface 2:00
After creating your blog collection page, you'll see the main blog page in the editor panel. This is what visitors will see when they navigate to your blog's URL. People can click through into your blog posts from this page.
Customizing Your Main Blog Page Layout 2:30:
You can customize the layout of this main blog page by clicking "Edit." Next, you can select Edit Section and open the section editor, where you can adjust:
Number of columns
Spacing
Image orientation
Alignment
Metadata (excerpt, date, etc.)
Settings Overview 3:09:
Take a look at the main blog collection side pane on the left side of your screen. Here you'll see the following:
Main Blog Page: The primary page displaying blog post previews.
Settings Wheel: Access to overall blog collection settings.
Selling Tools: A collapsible section for monetizing your blog content behind a paywall. To learn more, check out this guide on how to set up a paywall to monetize Squarespace blogs and videos.
Blog Content: A list of your individual blog posts and their current status (Draft, Scheduled, Published, etc.)
Step 3: Diving into Blog Collection Settings 3:50
Click the settings wheel to access the overall settings for your blog collection. These settings are similar to those for other pages in Squarespace.
General Settings 4:10: This section includes options for titles, URL, enabling/disabling the page, and password protection.
Posts Per Page: Choose how many blog posts to display on the main blog page (the maximum is 20).
SEO Settings 4:32: Make sure the blog is enabled for search and add an SEO title and description for your main blog page. This is crucial for search engine visibility.
An important note: Do not hide all pages in this collection from search results. This will prevent your individual blog posts from being indexed by search engines.
Hiding Categories and Tags 5:12: You should hide category and tag pages. Squarespace creates separate backend pages for each category and tag you use. Hiding these from search engines prevents clutter in Google Search Console and doesn't hurt your overall SEO. Just toggle those options on.
Social Image 5:52: Upload a main image to be used when your blog is shared on social media. If you don't upload an image here, Squarespace will default to your site's default social sharing image (most likely your logo).
Feeds: Connect podcasting feeds, Apple News, or other custom feeds to your blog.
Advanced: Add CSS or plugin code to customize your blog further.
Step 4: Demystifying Categories and Tags 6:30
Categories and tags are essential for organizing your blog content and helping readers find what they're looking for. They will also come in very handy when you use summary blocks and want to filter on specific tags or categories.
Categories Defined 6:42: Think of categories as the "biggest buckets" for grouping your content. You'll typically want to keep this to 5-10 categories max.
Using Tags 6:55: Tags are more detailed and specific words related to each post's content. A single blog post can have multiple categories and tags.
Here's an example for a food blogger:
Categories: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert
Tags: Quick Meals, Gluten-Free, Chocolate, No-Bake
How to Add Tags and Categories 7:50
Now, here's where things get a little quirky with Squarespace. The way they handle categories and tags takes some getting used to. You can't add them directly in the blog settings panel when you first set up your blog. You have to add them within a blog post first. Then, they'll appear in the settings for management.
A video dedicated to categories and tags is coming soon.
Step 5: Crafting Your First Blog Post 8:30
Opening the Blog Post Editor:
To create a new blog post, click "+" in the Blog Content area in your side panel. This will create a new draft post and open the editor.
It's important to note that in Squarespace, blog posts do not use the Fluid Engine editor. They use the Classic Editor, which offers a different editing experience than other pages.
Adding Blocks 9:17:
In the Classic Editor, you won't find an "Add Block" button on the side. Instead, click the "+" sign within the content area to add blocks like text, images, and more.
Because you're not using Fluid Engine, you can't directly resize images using your mouse to shrink or expand them. Instead, use spacer blocks to control the spacing around elements. Spacer blocks simply create space and you can shrink or expand them in size using your mouse.
Remember to save your work frequently! The undo buttons are also your friends.
Post/Section Customization 10:37:
To format your blog post, click "Edit Section" within the blog post editor. This is a global setting, so it will apply to all your blog posts.
Here, you can adjust:
Color Theme: Choose your preferred color theme. I recommend using dark text on a light background for accessibility purposes. You want your posts to be easy to read.
Content Width: Choose between Narrow, Medium, and Wide. Starting with "Medium" is a good idea.
Text Alignment: Choose Center or Left alignment.
Meta Position: Decide whether to display the date and other metadata above or below the title.
You can also toggle options to show categories, author names, and author profiles.
The blog title should be formatted as an H1 for SEO purposes, and Squarespace will set this as the default. You can customize the appearance of your H1 and other heading styles in the Site Styles panel.
You can even add a summary block to keep people on your page by suggesting related content. Summary blocks can be used anywhere on your website to highlight your blog or featured posts.
You can filter content by:
All posts
Featured posts only
Category
Tag
👉 If you use a similar layout for most of your blog posts, consider creating a blog post template to save time. Learn how with this guide on how to create a custom blog post template in Squarespace 7.1.
Step 6: Mastering Individual Blog Post Settings 17:05
In Squarespace, each blog post has its own settings panel. It’s just like the settings panel for any other page on your website.
You can access it in two ways:
Click the three dots next to the blog post in the side panel and select "Settings."
While in the editor, click the blog post's title to open the settings. This is my favorite shortcut!
Let’s walk through what you’ll find in each of the tabs in the settings.
In the "Content" tab:
URL Optimization 18:00: The URL is automatically generated, but you should always customize it for SEO.
Featured Image: Upload a feature image to highlight your post. This image will appear on your main blog page and in any summary blocks you use on your website.
Author: Select the author from the dropdown menu. This is helpful if you have multiple authors or guest bloggers.
Skip the "Options" tab for now. We'll come back to that.
In the "SEO" tab:
SEO Title and Description 18:50: Add an SEO title and description. Never leave these fields blank; ensure they're optimized for search engines using your keywords.
In the "Social Image" tab:
Upload a social image.
In the "Share" tab:
Social Sharing Integration 19:26:
Connect and enable your social media accounts to share your blog posts automatically when they are published.
Most importantly, connect your Google Search Console account and click "Enable" on each post to notify Google of new content.
If you use Squarespace campaigns for your email service, you can automatically send an email to your list, as well.
In the "Location" tab:
If local SEO is important to you, add location information in the "Location" tab.
Now, let's go back to the "Options" tab. This is where you'll add tags and categories.
The “Options” Tab Settings 21:00:
The "Options" tab allows you to fine-tune post-specific settings and gives you flexibility in managing content visibility and user interaction.
Adding Tags and Categories 21:05: Learn how to assign tags and categories to your posts for better organization.
Comments Settings 22:51: Enable or disable comments on individual blog posts.
Featured Post Toggle 23:00: Mark a post as "Featured" to highlight it on your blog.
Setting Post Status 23:12: Choose between:
Draft (default)
Needs Review
Published (publishes immediately)
Scheduled (set a future date/time to publish). You can publish your post later from either the sidebar or directly from the post in the editor.
Save your settings before closing out!
Step 7: Managing Categories and Tags in Your Blog Collection Page (Revisited) 25:12
Now that you've added some categories and tags, you can manage them. Go back to the main blog collection page settings, click "Advanced," then "Manage Categories/Tags."
In the "Manage Categories" section, you can:
Edit or Delete Categories 25:16: Update or remove categories in the "Manage Categories" section.
Select a category to delete or edit it.
Merge multiple categories into one.
Select two or more categories and click Merge. Name your new category, and they will all be merged under that new category.
The "Manage Tags" section offers similar options: edit, merge, and filter.
Edit/Delete/Merge Tags 25:55: Combine multiple categories or tags to simplify organization.
The key takeaway is that you first add categories and tags within a blog post, and then manage them in the blog collection page settings panel. It's not intuitive, but after you’ve done a few posts, you’ll get the hang of it!
Final Thoughts and Resources
Setting up a basic Squarespace blog is achievable in under 30 minutes. With these simple steps, you can start sharing your ideas with your target audience and start growing your online presence.
To streamline your blog planning and SEO efforts, check out the SEO Blog Post Template. This template is available in Google Docs or Notion format and includes a Squarespace and SEO checklist, and a content template with basic SEO structure guidelines.
Hopefully, this guide has removed any fears you had about starting a blog. There are more advanced concepts to learn, but the basics are easy to implement.
If you want to improve your website's visibility, attract more clients, and drive long-term growth, consider investing in expert Squarespace SEO services.
If you have any questions, leave a comment below. Happy blogging!
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