How to Easily Add Related Posts to Your Squarespace
When a visitor arrives at one of your blog posts on your website, it's a reason to celebrate. All the effort you've put into driving website traffic has yielded results. However, it's crucial not to let them simply exit after reading the post.
You can keep the visitors engaged with your website content after reading a blog by adding a “Related Posts” section at the bottom of each blog. This focuses on encouraging visitors to check out other posts on your site that will be relevant and useful to them.
Adding Related Posts
To add a carousel gallery featuring related posts, follow these steps:
Navigate to the end of the desired blog post.
Click on the insertion point where you want to add the carousel.
Under the "Summary" section, choose "Carousel" from the options.
This approach allows you to seamlessly integrate a carousel gallery of related posts at the end of your blog post.
Proceed to the Content tab and choose the Blog page from which you wish to feature related content. In this instance, our designated Blog page is labeled "Blog."
Related Posts Plugin: Improve Engagement & SEO
The Related Posts Plugin recommends relevant articles to your readers ensuring they stay engaged, hence decreasing bounce rates. Related posts and page plugins are some of the most common suggestions made through the end of a post or content to persuade visitors to read more pages, which in turn increases the number of visits per page and, thus, the time spent in a single session. This proves to search engines that your site is useful and worthy of better placement.
A related posts plugin also builds better internal linking, improving SEO. Their main guide poster directs search engines to the content and their backlinks backlinks are played by internal links. In this way, it forms logical structures in your content and makes it easier to find, as well as prevents orphan pages.
Readers can find helpful recommendations without searching for them manually, and as we predicted, the user experience is significantly better. A working-related posts feature promotes easy content discovery and maximizes chances of return visits and social shares. This is what will help reduce the exit rate and increase the signs of engagement that are taken into account by search engines when showing a list of web pages.
There are various plugins to gain these benefits with unique features. Yet Another Related Posts Plugin (YARPP) uses a custom algorithm to display the most appropriate posts, while contextual-related posts go for full-text scanning for deeper analysis. Sugar Related Posts give you an easy-to-use lightweight solution, Jetpack Related Posts make adding suggestions to your site a breeze, and Inline Related Posts allow you to add suggestions in the content, to achieve considerably higher CTRs.
When selecting a plugin, consider factors such as customization options, performance impact, and relevance algorithms. Therefore, a decent related posts plugin will not only boost user engagement it will also improve your SEO kick in your hits.
Using a Summary Block for SEO-Friendly Blog Content
The summary block improves readability, user experience, and search engine optimization (SEO) by building a summary of your content. This allows readers to quickly navigate the content, which results in higher engagement and lower bounce rates. Search engines also prefer well-structured content with explicit summaries.
Benefits of Using a Summary Block
Enhance Readability – Aids the reader to skim and identify the overarching ideas.
This increases user engagement — it tempts users to stay longer by highlighting valuable content.
Helps SEO — Google prefers structured content and summaries that lead to featured snippets.
Lower Bounce Rates – Holds visitors on-page because it sets expectations.
Improves Click Through Rate (CTR) – Good summaries lead to more clicks from search results.
How to Optimize a Summary Block for SEO
Use Primary Keywords – Incorporate relevant terms naturally.
Keep It Concise – Limit to 2-4 sentences for quick scanning.
Format for Readability – Use bullet points, bold text, or short paragraphs.
Include a Call to Action (CTA) – Encourage further reading or interaction.
Ensure Relevance – Align the summary with user intent and search queries.
The use of well-defined summary sentences also improves clarity, search engine optimization, and retention by the user, making it a key factor for blogs and SEO in general.
Proceed to the "Layout" panel. Here, you can configure the display settings for the related posts section. Follow these steps:
Set the number of posts you wish to showcase (3 is recommended for a balanced display).\
Adjust the heading that appears above the gallery. In this example, it has been changed to "Related Posts."
Maintain or customize the aspect ratio based on your photo orientation (3:2 is suitable, but select differently if you have square or vertical photos)
Opt for a text size; for instance, "medium."
Keep all other options unchanged unless you have specific preferences.
By adjusting these settings, you can tailor the appearance of your related posts section to enhance the visual appeal and user experience.
In the "Display" panel, determine the maximum number of posts to be shown, with navigation arrows for users to scroll through. Although Squarespace allows up to 30 posts using a summary block, it's advisable to keep it to 12 or fewer for better presentation. Ensure this number aligns with a multiple of the items per row. Since we're displaying 3 posts per row, choosing 9 posts is suitable.
Customize the display by:
Checking "Show Title" and "Show Thumbnail."
Unchecking "Show Excerpt" and "Show Read More Link" unless you specifically want to display them.
Optionally, turn off the date. Under "Primary Metadata," click the dropdown and select "None" for a cleaner look.
These settings contribute to a visually appealing and streamlined presentation of your related posts.
Create a Blog Post Template:
Start a new blog post on the Blog page by selecting the "+" sign.
Name it something like "Blog Post Template - Copy and Save."
Insert the Related Posts Carousel:
Add the related posts carousel as per the instructions provided earlier.
Duplicate the Template:
When you want to use the template for a new blog post, select the template, and at the bottom of the panel, choose "Duplicate."
Replace Title and Content:
Replace the template title with the correct blog post name.
Add your blog post content above the Related Posts carousel gallery.
Set Category and Options:
Set the category name to match the category of the new blog post.
In the options panel, add a thumbnail image.
Ensure the URL has the correct name.
Optionally, add an excerpt on this panel.
By creating and duplicating this template, you streamline the process of adding the related posts carousel to each new blog post. This approach ensures consistency and saves time when updating your website with fresh content.
Methods to Add Related Posts in Squarespace
Squarespace provides several ways to add related posts, from using built-in tools to employing custom solutions.
Method 1: Use Blog Content Blocks (Manual Method)
You can manually display related posts by using Squarespace’s Blog Content Blocks.
Steps to Add Related Posts Using Blog Blocks:
Edit Your Blog Post: Open your blog post in the Squarespace editor.
Insert a Blog Block:
Click the “+” icon and add a Blog Content Block below your post.
Filter Posts:
In the Blog Block settings, choose the same blog page as the source.
Use the Categories or Tags filter to display posts related to the current topic.
Customize Layout:
Adjust the display style (e.g., grid or list view) and the number of posts to show.
Best For:
Smaller blogs or users are comfortable with manual updates.
Method 2: Use Tags and Categories to Group Content
Squarespace’s tagging and categorization features allow you to organize posts and show related content dynamically.
Steps to Add Related Posts Dynamically:
Assign relevant tags or categories to your blog posts.
Example: A blog about "healthy recipes" might use categories like "vegan," "desserts," or "meal prep."
Add a Blog List Block or Summary Block to your blog template.
In the block settings:
Select your blog as the source.
Filter by tags or categories matching the current post.
Pro Tip: Use the same tag or category consistently across related content for accurate filtering.
Method 3: Add Related Posts with Custom Code
For advanced users, custom code offers a flexible way to add related posts based on tags, categories, or content similarity.
How to Add Related Posts with Code:
Insert a Code Block:
Add a Code Block to your blog post layout.
Use JavaScript or Custom CSS:
Use JavaScript to dynamically pull related posts based on metadata like tags or categories.
Customize the appearance of related posts using CSS.
Embed HTML for Styling:
Structure your related posts with custom HTML for grids, carousels, or lists.
Example JavaScript Snippet:
document.querySelectorAll('.blog-post').forEach(function(post) {
// Logic to find and display related posts
});
Best For:
Users are comfortable with coding or those working with a developer.
Method 4: Use Third-Party Integrations
Squarespace integrates with external tools to add more advanced features, including related posts.
Recommended Tools:
Elfsight Blog Widgets:
Create related post widgets and embed them on your site.
Highly customizable and easy to use.
Outbrain or Taboola Widgets:
Ideal for larger blogs focused on increasing engagement through content recommendations.
How to Embed a Third-Party Widget:
Generate a related posts widget using your chosen tool.
Copy the embed code provided.
Paste the code into a Code Block on your blog post page.
FAQs About Adding Related Posts to Squarespace
Can I automate related posts on Squarespace?
Yes, by using tags, categories, or third-party widgets, you can automate the process of displaying related posts.
Does Squarespace have a built-in related posts feature?
No, Squarespace doesn’t offer a direct related posts feature, but you can achieve it with Blog Blocks, Summary Blocks, or custom solutions.
Can I show related posts in a sidebar?
Yes, you can use Blog List Blocks or third-party widgets in sidebars to display related posts alongside blog content.
Can I customize the look of related posts?
Yes! You can style them with CSS or adjust the settings in the Summary Block for better design alignment.
Will adding related posts improve my SEO?
Yes, linking-related content can improve user engagement, reduce bounce rates, and help with internal linking, which benefits SEO.
What if my related posts aren’t showing correctly?
Ensure the correct tags or categories are used and check your Summary Block settings for the right filters.
