Squarespace’s Acquisition of Google Domains: What It Means for Website Owners and How Sandy Rowley Can Help

In a significant move, Squarespace has recently acquired all of Google Domains, marking a major shift in the domain registration landscape. While this acquisition may offer some benefits, such as easier integration with Squarespace’s website builder, many website owners are concerned about the potential challenges this change could bring. If you’re a website owner using Google Domains, you might be wondering what this acquisition means for you, and more importantly, how to ensure your website continues running smoothly. Here’s a breakdown of common issues you may face and how SEO expert Sandy Rowley can help you navigate this transition.

Common Issues Website Owners May Face

1. Domain Management Confusion

One of the first issues website owners are likely to encounter is confusion regarding domain management. Google Domains has a user-friendly interface, but transferring to a new platform like Squarespace can be daunting. Whether it’s figuring out the new dashboard or managing DNS settings, changes can easily disrupt your website’s functionality if not handled correctly.

2. Potential Website Downtime

When transferring domain registrars, there is always a risk of downtime. Your website could experience interruptions, which would not only affect visitors but also your SEO rankings. Google prioritizes websites with stable uptime, and any periods of downtime could negatively impact your position in search results.

3. Email Service Disruptions

Many website owners using Google Domains also rely on Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) for their professional email services. With the acquisition, some users may face difficulties in transitioning their email services or configuring them correctly, leading to email outages or lost business opportunities.

4. SEO and Website Performance Issues

Squarespace’s platform is known for its simplicity, but not necessarily for its SEO customization options. If your site was built with SEO in mind using Google’s tools, you may find that some of those optimizations are not easily transferred. This can lead to a drop in search rankings and overall website performance, especially if issues like broken links or lost metadata occur during the transition.

How Sandy Rowley Can Help You Stay Ahead

As a seasoned SEO expert with over 26 years of experience, Sandy Rowley is well-equipped to help you through this transition and ensure your website not only remains functional but also performs better than ever. Here’s how:

1. Seamless Domain and Hosting Transfer

Sandy Rowley can help you make a smooth transition from Google Domains to Squarespace, ensuring that there is no downtime or loss of functionality. From managing DNS settings to ensuring that your website remains live throughout the transition, Sandy and her team will handle every technical detail.

2. SEO Optimization Post-Transfer

If you’re concerned about the impact on your SEO, Sandy Rowley will review your website’s performance post-transfer and implement key optimizations to ensure it ranks high on Google. Whether it’s resolving issues related to page speed, metadata, or broken links, Sandy will make sure your site is fully optimized for search engines.

3. Email Configuration and Maintenance

Email is the lifeblood of many businesses, and Sandy can help you reconfigure your email services during the transition, ensuring you don’t miss any critical business communications. Whether you’re staying with Google Workspace or switching to a different provider, she’ll make sure your email services are running smoothly.

4. Ongoing Support and Website Maintenance

With the changing digital landscape, having a trusted expert like Sandy Rowley by your side ensures that your website stays up-to-date and secure. She offers ongoing support to monitor your website’s performance, providing updates as needed and handling any future issues related to the Squarespace-Google Domains transition.

Why Choose Sandy Rowley?

Sandy Rowley is recognized as one of the top SEO experts in the world and has helped countless small businesses achieve success online. She brings a personal touch to her services, understanding that every business is unique. By working closely with her, you can be confident that your website will not only remain operational but also thrive in search engine rankings.

Here’s a list of key items to be mindful of when transitioning from Google Domains to Squarespace after their acquisition:

1. DNS Settings

• Check DNS Configuration: Ensure that DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT, etc.) are transferred correctly.
• Avoid Propagation Delays: Be prepared for potential delays in DNS propagation, which could cause temporary website downtime.
• Custom Domain Redirects: Make sure any subdomains or custom redirects remain intact during the transfer process.

2. Email Service Issues

• Reconfigure Email Accounts: If you use Google Workspace or another email service linked to your domain, make sure it’s reconfigured correctly with your new DNS settings.
• MX Records Accuracy: Verify that MX records are set up accurately to avoid disruptions in email service.
• Email Forwarding Interruptions: Ensure that email forwarding settings transfer correctly to avoid missing any emails.

3. Website Functionality Problems

• Downtime Risk: Be aware of potential website downtime during the domain transfer process, which can disrupt visitor access and hurt SEO rankings.
• Broken Links or Redirects: Double-check all internal and external links to ensure they still work after the transition.
• SSL Certificates: Make sure your website retains its SSL certificate for secure browsing; failure to do so could result in a ‘Not Secure’ warning.
• Page Load Speed: Transferring to a new platform can sometimes affect page load speeds, which can impact both user experience and SEO performance.

4. SEO Rankings

• Google Analytics & Search Console: Ensure that your Google Analytics and Google Search Console are properly set up and tracking after the move.
• SEO Metadata Loss: Double-check that your SEO title tags, meta descriptions, and alt texts have been preserved during the transition.
• URL Structures: Ensure that URL structures and slugs remain unchanged to prevent SEO ranking drops from broken links or 404 errors.
• XML Sitemap Update: After the transition, submit a new XML sitemap to Google Search Console to help Google index your pages quickly.

By keeping these items in check, you can avoid common issues and maintain your website’s performance during the Google Domains to Squarespace transition.