Squarespace SEO Checklist 2026: The Image Section Everyone Gets Wrong

3 Aug

Images are the most underestimated part of Squarespace SEO

Most Squarespace SEO checklists look like this: write good titles, add meta descriptions, use keywords in headings, optimize your images. That last item gets one bullet and nothing more.

Image optimization is actually one of the most impactful SEO actions available to a Squarespace site owner. It affects page speed, Core Web Vitals, Google Image Search ranking, and accessibility. Here is the complete checklist.

1. File size: under 250 KB per image

This is the most important item on the list and the one most commonly skipped. Page speed is a Google ranking factor. Images are the primary driver of slow pages on Squarespace. Every image on your site should be under 250 KB. Banner images can go up to 500 KB. Nothing should be above that.

If your images are already uploaded and above this threshold, SquareOptimizer can compress them all in one session without re-uploading. Optimize Squarespace images without re-uploading using the browser extension.

2. File names: descriptive and keyword-rich

Google indexes image filenames. A file named IMG_9372.jpg tells Google nothing. A file named handmade-ceramic-mug-white.jpg signals exactly what the image is about and helps it rank in Google Image Search.

Rename image files before uploading using lowercase letters, hyphens, and descriptive keywords. Include your page keyword naturally in the filename where it fits.

3. Alt text: descriptive, under 125 characters

Alt text serves two purposes: accessibility for screen readers and signal for Google about image content. Write alt text that describes what is literally in the image. Include your keyword naturally where it fits. Do not stuff keywords and do not start with "image of" or "photo of".

Good example: "SquareOptimizer browser extension compressing images inside Squarespace editor"
Bad example: "best squarespace image optimizer tool extension squarespace"

4. Image format: JPG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency

JPG is the right format for photographs on Squarespace. PNG is for images that need transparent backgrounds. WebP is excellent and Squarespace serves WebP versions automatically where supported, but you do not need to upload WebP files specifically.

Do not upload GIF files for anything other than small animations. GIFs are extremely large for their visual output.

5. Dimensions: appropriately sized for the display area

Full-width banner images should be 2,000 to 2,500 pixels wide. Content images should be 1,000 to 1,500 pixels wide. Product thumbnails should be 800 to 1,000 pixels wide. Uploading 4,000-pixel-wide images that display at 800 pixels is wasteful and slow.

6. Lazy loading: already handled by Squarespace

Squarespace applies lazy loading to most images by default. Your hero image loads immediately. Everything below the fold loads as the user scrolls. This is already set up for you.

7. Google Image Search: named correctly, alt text present

Google Image Search is a significant traffic source for visual content. Recipes, products, design work, photography. If your images have descriptive filenames and alt text, they can rank independently and bring visitors to your site directly from image search.