Is SEO Dead? A Candid Conversation on AI, Blogging & Squarespace with Henry from SEOSpace
If you’ve ever thought “ugh, SEO sounds boring,” or just quietly ignored it while focusing on Instagram or TikTok instead… you’re not alone. But what if SEO could actually be the simpler, more sustainable way to attract your dream clients—especially if you're on Squarespace?
In this post, we're sharing a full (and very fun) conversation between me (Erica from Big Cat Creative) and SEO expert Henry Purchase, founder of SEO Space—a game-changing SEO plugin built just for Squarespace users.
Henry’s one of our favorite people to learn from when it comes to SEO. He’s smart, super down-to-earth, and knows the Squarespace platform inside-out. We talked all things SEO for creatives, local vs. global ranking, what AI search means for your business, and how to actually get results.
If you're a DIYer, a designer, or someone just trying to get your site found without selling your soul to social media—this one's for you.
Feel free to watch the full interview or read below!
Meet Henry: Travel Blogger Turned Squarespace SEO Guru
ERICA: Hi, Henry! So nice to finally have you here. It’s been… forever. We’ve been saying “let’s do something together” for so long. And we finally made it happen.
HENRY: Hi Erica! Thanks for having me on—great to finally meet properly. Time zones haven’t made it easy, but we figured it out. You’re up late, I’m up early, and it’s happening!
ERICA: Alright, before we get into all my SEO questions, can you introduce yourself and explain why you're so passionate about Squarespace SEO?
HENRY: Sure! I’m Henry Purchase, founder of SEOSpace—the SEO plugin for Squarespace. I also run an SEO agency here in the UK and I’ve been doing SEO for about five years now.
Funny enough, I actually started on Squarespace through a travel blog I was running with my now-fiancée. That’s how this whole thing started. Eventually it snowballed into building SEO Space, and here we are.
ERICA: And now you’re like our guiding light of Squarespace SEO. Whenever we have a question about SEO in our business, it’s always, “What does Henry say?”. So I’ve got a bunch of questions for you today that are from both my audience and my team. So let's get started!
Before we dive in fully, I wanted to mention to check out our Squarespace website templates! Each of our templates were designed by a professional designer and strategist, so they are aesthetic and optimized for conversion. We’re super proud of all the designs, and know whether you’re an event planner, a service provider, a blogger, or creative–we have a template for you!
Why Should Creatives Even Care About SEO?
ERICA: Let’s start basic: If we’ve got a bunch of DIYers who don’t know much about SEO, why should they even care? Everyone talks about social media—Instagram, TikTok—but barely anyone talks about SEO. Why do you think it’s worth prioritizing?
HENRY: Yeah, SEO (search engine optimization) is really just about getting found. It’s the process of improving your website, or even your social media profiles, so you show up in search results.
And these days, it’s not just Google. It’s ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude… and even TikTok, which is actually the biggest search engine for people under 21.
But here’s the kicker: just on Google alone, there are 7 billion searches a day. That’s a lot of people looking for stuff.
And what’s the point of having a beautiful Big Cat Creative website template if no one can find it?
When you do SEO well, you attract your ideal clients without having to constantly post or DM people or run ads. Your clients come to you. I’ve never even run a paid ad!
ERICA: Say it louder for the people in the back: make the leads come to you. Delete your Instagram. Goodbye Reels. That’s my dream.
HENRY: Honestly, same. I do a bit of LinkedIn, but reels are just…exhausting.
ERICA: I don’t know anyone who loves doing them. But yeah, I love what you said—SEO is just another marketing channel, and you get to choose what works best for you.
So Is Squarespace Actually Good for SEO?
ERICA: Okay, let’s talk platforms. We’ve established SEO is important, but what about Squarespace specifically?
A lot of people in my audience are already on Squarespace (because… hi, I’m a Squarespace girly), but there’s this perception that Squarespace isn’t “good” for SEO. What’s your take?
HENRY: Yeah, there’s definitely that perception, and a few years ago, it was kind of valid. Squarespace wasn’t amazing for SEO, but they’ve really improved.
At the end of the day, Google doesn’t care what builder you use. It just cares whether you follow best practices and provide great content. If Squarespace is easier for you to use, that makes it the best platform for you.
Some builders like WordPress have more customization, but they’re also easier to break. My first SEO project was on WordPress and I totally tanked the site. Squarespace has helpful guardrails—it’s limited, yes, but that makes it easier and more efficient.
ERICA: YES. The idea of optimizing a WordPress site gives me a headache. Squarespace is just like, “Put this here, do this here,” and it walks you through it. You can’t mess it up.
And even though it’s “simpler,” you can still rank well on Squarespace, right?
HENRY: Absolutely. We’ve got SEO Space customers with 500–1000 page sites doing seven figures a year. SEO Space itself ranks really well, and our clients do too.
Squarespace is 100% capable of ranking—especially for small businesses and DIYers.
Which by the way if you've been wanting to start a Squarespace subscription, you can use our code BIGCATCREATIVE10 for 10% off your first year!
Global vs. Local SEO: What’s the Difference?
ERICA: In my audience, we’ve got a mix—some people are trying to reach clients globally, and others are local service providers. Is there a big difference in how they should approach SEO?
HENRY: Great question—and yes, there’s a huge difference. Google actually uses different algorithms for local vs. global websites.
For example, if you’re only trying to rank in one place—like London—Google doesn’t need to do as much work to figure out where to place you. It’s easier.
If you’re trying to rank globally (like SEO Space or Big Cat Creative), Google has to work harder to understand your site, what it does, and where it should rank—US vs. UK vs. Australia, etc. So it’s more competitive.
ERICA: So local SEO is easier?
HENRY: Way easier. The simplest thing? Set up and optimize your Google Business Profile. Embed your Google Maps listing on your site. List your hours, phone number, and address. That alone can get you really far.
ERICA: And definitely register your business with Google. Step one!
Steps for Beginners to Improve Your SEO
ERICA: Okay, let’s get practical. If someone is starting from scratch—or they’ve just done a little SEO—what’s the first thing they should do?
HENRY: If you’re local, focus on your Google Business Profile and get reviews. That helps with rankings and conversions.
If you’re global or online-only, focus on your “money pages”—the pages that describe your services or products. A big mistake I see is people putting all their services on one page. Instead, create a separate page for each service. That gives Google a better chance of understanding and ranking them individually.
ERICA: That’s such a design battle for us—balancing pretty with functional. I always want to make things look aesthetic, but it doesn’t always align with best SEO practices.
HENRY: I see that all the time—especially with Squarespace sites. They look incredible, but no one can find them. I always recommend using a tool like Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar to see how people actually use your site.
You might be surprised—like 70% of visitors don’t scroll past two scrolls. That blew my mind.
ERICA: That’s wild. And yeah, you’ve got to make that first section work. I can’t bring myself to put a contact form at the top of my services page, but hey—if it converts, I get it.
👉 How to Get Your Squarespace Website on Google: A 5-Step Guide
Blogging, Content, and the AI Shift
ERICA: Alright. Let’s talk about content. You said “money pages” first, but is blogging still important?
HENRY: Yes, but it’s shifting.
With AI taking over search results—like Gemini and ChatGPT summaries—you’re not going to get as many clicks from blog content alone. Google’s moving toward providing direct answers.
That means your blog strategy should shift toward building trust and showing E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). It’s less about clicks and more about conversions.
ERICA: And AI is already sourcing websites for those answers, right? How do you get your site included?
HENRY: It’s still early, but the best way is by doing good marketing. Collaborations, podcast features, backlinks, awards—those build trust.
And yeah, don’t fall for anyone selling “AI SEO secrets.” Good SEO is still good SEO.
What to do if I’m following SEO best practices, but not seeing results?!
ERICA: Okay, last big question. Someone follows all the steps and still doesn’t see results. What’s happening?
HENRY: Usually one of two things:
Competition. You might be in a crowded niche. Instead of trying to rank for “therapist,” try “EMDR therapist for creatives in Austin.” Find your wedge.
No backlinks. If no one is linking to your site, Google doesn’t trust it. That’s why collabs, directories, and social proof are so important.
ERICA: And not all backlinks are created equal, right?
HENRY: Definitely. Don’t buy spammy backlinks. High-quality ones come from real relationships—like this one. We’re linking to each other, sharing content, and it’s mutually valuable.
What Is SEOSpace and How Can It Help?
ERICA: Let’s wrap with this—tell us about SEO Space. My team loves it, but I know you’ve added some new stuff.
HENRY:SEOSpace is a Chrome extension that shows up inside your Squarespace editor and gives step-by-step SEO guidance. Every step includes a short video tutorial so you actually understand what you’re doing.
We just launched an AI assistant inside SEO Space that helps with writing, editing, and checking spelling—all right inside your Squarespace site.
We also just added a dashboard with planning tools and local SEO support. Over 25,000 people in 60+ countries use SEO Space now—mostly DIYers.
ERICA: That's amazing. Yeah, if you’re on Squarespace and feeling overwhelmed, this seriously makes SEO way more doable.
Our team have used it, and we've also gone through the entire SEOSpace Academy, and loved it! So do yourself a favor and check it out.
You can use our code BIGCAT30 for an exclusive 30% off for 3 months.
Final Thoughts
SEO isn’t dead—it’s just evolving. Whether you’re creating service pages, writing blogs, or sharing your site on social, it’s all about being discoverable in a more natural, human way.
Here’s what it boils down to:
SEO is still very much alive—and more important than ever
Good design, great content, and clear structure matter
Your job is to make your site user-friendly, not just Google-friendly
Authenticity, collaboration, and expertise are the keys to discoverability
And yes, Squarespace is 100% SEO-ready when you use it right
Big thanks to Henry for sharing so much gold. If you want to learn more from him:
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned a bit about SEO, how it’s changing, and how to make it work on Squarespace. Good luck and we’re cheering you on!
By the way if you’re curious about how to DIY your own Squarespace website (because obviously now you’re an SEO expert and you’re ready for a killer online presence for your biz), then check out our free training on all things DIYing your website. We cover the 5 key steps to build a beautiful, aesthetic website while also navigating any tech challenges 👉 Free training for those wanting to create their own dream website (let’s go and DIY that shit).
Want more SEO tips? Check out the posts below.
3 free tools to research keywords and boost your SEO
Does using one of your Squarespace Templates affect my SEO?
The ultimate blog post SEO pre-publish checklist (for Squarespace)
How to optimize your Squarespace blog posts for SEO
5 quick & easy SEO tricks for Squarespace to implement now
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