SEO & Blogging - Best Practices
Blog Post Basics
a. Titles & H1
Keep under 60 characters for page titles.
Make it clear, descriptive, and include keywords. Example: “Older Newborn Photography Tips | Victoria, BC”
Your H1 should match or be very similar to the title.
b. Meta Description
Write 140–160 characters.
Summarize the post in a compelling way and include main keywords. Example: “Older newborn photography tips in Victoria, BC. Capture your baby’s 5–10 week stage naturally and effortlessly.”
c. URL Slugs
Use short, descriptive slugs.
Include keywords + location when possible. Example: /blog/older-newborn-photography-victoria
Use hyphens, not underscores.
Images
a. File Naming (Before Upload)
Include keywords and location.
Use lowercase, hyphens only. Example: older-newborn-photography-victoria.jpg
Avoid: IMG1234.JPG or spaces
b. Image Sizes & Optimization
Max width: 2000px for full-width images.
For blog: 1200px wide is usually sufficient.
Use compressed images to keep page load fast: JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency.
Tools: TinyPNG or ImageOptimc.
c. Alt Text
Describe the image naturally, include keywords if relevant. Example: “Older newborn baby lying on soft blanket during a photography session in Victoria, BC”
SEO Settings in Squarespace
Where to enter:
Page Settings → SEO tab
Page Title → Your SEO title (can match H1 but optimized for search)
Page Description → Meta description
URL Slug → Blog post slug
Image SEO
Click each image → Add Alt Text → descriptive, keyword-friendly
Header Tags in Body
Use H2s and H3s to break content into sections.
Include secondary keywords in headings. Example: H2: “Best Poses for Older Newborn Photography in Victoria”
Content Guidelines
a. Keywords & Phrases
Focus on 1–2 main keywords per post.
Include naturally in:
Title/H1First paragraph
At least one H2
Image alt text
Last paragraph
b. Internal Linking
Link to gallery pages or related blog posts: Example: “See examples of older newborn sessions in our Early Expressions Gallery”
Keeps visitors engaged and boosts SEO.
c. Word Count
Minimum: 500 words
Ideal: 800–1,200 words for detailed posts
d. External Linking (Optional)
Link to reputable sources if relevant (e.g., parenting guides, photography tips)
Open external links in a new tab
Blog Post Checklist
Before publishing, ensure:
Title includes main keyword & location
H1 matches title
Meta description added & compelling
URL slug is descriptive & short
Images optimized, compressed, properly sized
Alt text added for all images
Content is 500+ words, natural, and includes keywords
Internal links added to galleries or other posts
Optional: external links added if relevant
Optional Advanced Tips
Featured Image: Always select a featured image for sharing on social media.
Categories/Tags: Use categories like: Newborn, Maternity, Baby, Family; tags for specifics like 5–10 weeks, sitting baby, Victoria outdoor.
Mobile Check: Preview post on mobile—fast load + images scale properly.
