Squarespace Just Made SEO Actually Simple
TL;DR: Squarespace's September update added an AI tool that automatically writes SEO titles, page descriptions, and image alt text for your entire site. It takes 30-45 minutes instead of 3-5 hours, helps you rank faster on Google, and optimizes for AI search tools like ChatGPT. It's not perfect (you'll need to review and edit), but it removes the biggest barrier to actually doing SEO. Find it in Settings > Marketing > SEO Appearance > "Improve with AI."
Squarespace rolled out AI-powered SEO tools in their Refresh 2025 update, and honestly? This is the first time I've seen AI actually save people meaningful time instead of creating more work.
I've been testing these on client sites and my own WhidbeyWebGirl blog. The results are mostly excellent, with one quirk worth knowing about upfront.
What Actually Changed
In September, Squarespace added AI tools that handle the tedious parts of SEO for you.
Instead of manually writing descriptions for every page and image on your site, the AI does the first pass. You review it, edit what needs adjusting, and save. Done.
It also flags technical problems and helps you show up in both Google searches and when people ask AI assistants like ChatGPT for recommendations.
The best part? It's already live in your dashboard.
The "Improve with AI" Button
The feature you'll use most is deceptively simple. Squarespace added an "Improve with AI" option that scans your entire site and automatically generates SEO titles, page descriptions, and image alt text.
This matters because these three elements are what search engines use to understand and rank your site. They're also the most tedious parts of SEO to write manually.
Here's what it takes:
Log into your Squarespace dashboard
Go to Settings > Marketing > SEO Appearance
Look for your SEO Completion Score
Click "Improve with AI"
Review the suggestions
Save
That's it. The AI scans your site, identifies what's missing, and generates suggestions based on your actual content.
What It Does (In Plain English)
SEO Titles & Descriptions
These are the snippets that show up when someone searches on Google. When someone searches for "Whidbey Island wedding photographer" or "Langley coffee shop," your title and description are what convince them to click.
The AI generates these automatically, pulling from your existing content. You can use them as-is, edit them to match your voice, or click "Regenerate" for different options.
Image Alt Text
Alt text serves two purposes. It helps search engines understand what's in your photos. And it makes your site accessible to visually impaired visitors using screen readers.
The AI tool scans every image on your site that's missing alt text and generates descriptions. For a Whidbey tourism site, it might suggest "sunset over Mutiny Bay" instead of leaving the image unlabeled.
The beauty of this feature? You can review and edit all your alt text in one place instead of clicking through dozens of individual images.
Why This Matters Beyond Google
Here's what most people don't realize: these AI tools optimize your site for both traditional Google search AND AI-generated answers from platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
People are increasingly asking AI assistants for recommendations instead of using Google. "What are the best restaurants on Whidbey Island?" or "Find me a web designer on Whidbey."
If your site isn't optimized for how AI reads content, you're invisible to these searches.
Squarespace's tools handle this automatically. You're not just optimizing for Google anymore. You're optimizing for how people actually search in 2025.
The Brand Identity Thing (A Word of Caution)
Squarespace's AI uses something called "Brand Identity" to understand your business. You describe your business and choose a tone like professional, casual, or creative. The AI then generates preview examples of copy it would write for you.
Here's the problem: you can't edit those preview examples. If the AI decides to add sales language that doesn't fit your business, your only option is to rewrite your brand description and try again.
On my site, the Brand Identity keeps generating copy about "quirky sales" and "slashing prices" - language I'd never use. Because I can't edit the preview directly, I have to either accept it or keep tweaking my brand description, hoping for better results.
My recommendation: The Brand Identity can help the AI understand your business, but keep in mind it's imperfect. The good news is you CAN edit the actual SEO content (titles, descriptions, alt text) that gets generated later in the "Improve with AI" process. Just don't expect the Brand Identity preview examples to be exactly what you want.
Does This Make Your Site Show Up Faster on Google?
Here's what clients often ask me: "If I use these AI tools, will my site show up on Google faster?"
The answer is yes and no. Let me break it down.
The Technical Part (This Hasn't Changed)
Squarespace has always been good at the technical setup Google needs. When I build a site and submit it to Google Search Console, the crawling and indexing process takes the same amount of time it always has.
Usually 3-7 days for Google to acknowledge the site exists, then 2-4 weeks to start appearing in search results.
The AI tools don't speed up that technical process.
The Content Part (This Is What Changed)
Here's what DOES change: sites with complete metadata rank better, faster.
When I launch a site without proper page descriptions, image alt text, and optimized titles, Google has to figure out what each page is about. That takes time. Sometimes Google gets it wrong. Sometimes pages don't rank at all because Google can't understand them.
With the AI tools, you can have all that metadata in place from day one. Google immediately understands what your site is about, what services you offer, where you're located.
Instead of spending weeks trying to interpret your content, Google can start ranking you appropriately right away.
Real-World Difference
On sites I've launched with complete SEO metadata (now much easier with AI), I typically see:
Faster movement in search rankings (weeks instead of months)
Better initial placement for local searches
More accurate search results (showing up for the right keywords)
On sites launched without proper metadata, it takes longer to build momentum. And you often have to go back and fix things later anyway.
The Bottom Line
The AI tools don't make Google's crawlers work faster. But they help your site rank better sooner because the foundational SEO work is done correctly from the start.
That's meaningful for new businesses that can't afford to wait months to show up in search results.
How to Use This Effectively (Not Just Efficiently)
The AI saves time, but it's not perfect. Here's what I recommend:
Review Everything
The AI generates suggestions based on your content, but it doesn't understand your business strategy. If you run a high-end boutique, make sure the language reflects that. If you're targeting specific services, verify those keywords are included.
Edit for Your Voice
AI tends toward generic professional language. If your brand is warm and conversational (or direct and technical, or quirky and creative), edit the suggestions to match.
Be Specific About Location
For Whidbey Island businesses, make sure your location context is clear. "Coffee shop" is generic. "Coffee shop in Langley on Whidbey Island" is specific.
AI needs to know you're ON Whidbey, not just serving it.
Don't Skip the Alt Text Review
The AI is surprisingly good at describing images, but it can't always tell context. A photo of someone working on a laptop might get tagged "person using computer" when you need "web designer creating custom Squarespace site" for SEO purposes.
What This Really Saves You
Let's be honest about the time investment here.
Manually writing SEO metadata and alt text for a 10-page site with 50 images typically takes 3-5 hours of focused work.
With the AI tool? About 30-45 minutes to scan, review, edit, and save.
That's not just time saved. It's the difference between "I'll get to it someday" and actually having optimized SEO live on your site.
The Honest Take
Squarespace has historically been known for beautiful design but criticized for SEO limitations. This update directly addresses that gap.
Is it perfect? No.
You still need to understand your business and keywords. The AI can't do strategy for you.
But it removes the tedious barrier that stops most people from doing SEO at all. And that's significant.
For Whidbey Island businesses competing with larger markets, every bit of search visibility matters. This tool makes it actually feasible to maintain good SEO without hiring a specialist or spending hours every week on technical work.
Worth Your Time?
If you're on Squarespace and haven't looked at your SEO in months (or ever), yes. Run the scan. Even if you only implement half the suggestions, you're ahead of where you were.
If you're launching a new site or making significant updates, definitely use this before going live.
If your SEO is already dialed in? It's still worth running the scan to catch gaps you might have missed and to see how the AI handles your content. You might find useful suggestions.
Need help implementing this for your site? This is exactly the kind of practical optimization I help Whidbey Island businesses with through WhidbeyWebGirl. Sometimes you just need someone to walk through it with you the first time.
What's your experience? Have you tried Squarespace's AI SEO tools yet? I'm curious what's working (and what's not) for other local businesses.
