How to Transfer your Google Site To Squarespace
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In March 2024, websites made with Google Business Profiles will be turned off and customers visiting your site will be redirected to your Business Profile instead. The redirect will work until June 10, 2024.
A couple questions I’ve seen asked recently:
How do I transfer my Google site to Squarespace? I’ll show you how in this article, but a quick summary:
Transferring your website from Google Sites to Squarespace involves a couple steps to ensure a smooth transition.
Start by backing up your content from Google Sites using Google Takeout or manually saving your pages and files.
Next, set up your Squarespace account and recreate your website on Squarespace by adding pages and content, customizing the design to fit your brand.
Don't forget to transfer your domain, set up SEO settings, and finally, publish your new Squarespace website ☑️
Is Google Domains moving to Squarespace? This is actually a different Google question, but yes, Google Domains has moved to Squarespace.
Are Google Sites going away? Yep - see more below.
Can I transfer my existing Google website to Squarespace? Absolutely! I’ll show you how in this article.
Here’s what Google says about it: Websites made with Google Business Profiles will be turned off soon.
Want to move your Google site over to another site?
Moving your website from Google to Squarespace involves a few key steps that requires some planning, but I'll guide you through it step-by-step.
READ MORE:
NOTE: This is NOT about moving your Google Domain to Squarespace Domains. Squarespace acquired Google domains in 2023, so that is all one and the same these days.
If you want to skip the process and save time, you can hire me to set up and connect your website for you.
01. Prepare Your Content for Migration
Backup your Google website: Make sure you save all the content. This includes text, images, and any files you've uploaded. Want to know how? Keep reading to the end to see the various methods, including the one I recommend!
Organize your content: Create folders on your desktop to keep everything organized, such as images, text files, and documents.
02. Set Up Your Squarespace Account
Sign up for Squarespace: Go to the Squarespace website (affiliate link) and sign up for an account. Choose the plan that best fits your needs. I recommend the Business Plan 98% of the time to service-based businesses.
Start a new site: You can choose a template (or not - see below), you can build from scratch, or you can hire a designer to help you.
READ MORE:
03. Transfer Your Domain
If you own a domain: You can transfer it to Squarespace. In your Squarespace account, look for the "Settings" then "Domains" and follow the instructions for transferring a domain.
If you used a Google subdomain: You might need to register a new domain. Squarespace* offers a free domain for the first year with some plans.
04. Rebuild Your Website
Create pages: Start adding pages to your Squarespace site. Use the "Pages" section in Squarespace.
Add content: Upload the content you backed up from your Google site to the corresponding pages on your new Squarespace site.
Note: be sure to optimize images before re-uploading.
Customize design: Use Squarespace's design tools to customize the look of your site. Match it to your brand or give it a fresh look.
READ MORE:
Master Your Squarespace Game: 4 Must Do Tasks Before Going Live
Creating a Website that Tells Your Brand Story: A Beginner’s Guide
05. Set Up SEO, CSS (if using) and Other Settings
SEO: Squarespace has built-in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) settings. Access these through the "Marketing" section to help your site rank well in searches.
Settings: Configure settings like business information, social media links, and other integrations in the "Settings" menu.
READ MORE:
06. Test Your New Site
Review everything: Make sure all pages look good and that all links are working.
Mobile Responsiveness: Check how your site looks on mobile devices to ensure a good user experience. You’ll want to format separately on mobile: there is a mobile icon on the upper right of your Squarespace site when you’re in edit mode. Be sure to click that and reformat, check for spacing issues and photo sizes before you publish.
User experience: Make sure your CTAs are clear, all your buttons work, there are no broken links, and your images all have alt descriptions.
READ MORE:
Need more help?
Moving your website can be a big step. For more detailed help, I made a free checklist that goes into a lot more detail. It’s got a lot of tips on everything from Squarespace-specific tasks to SEO (two pages) to accessibility.
Snag your free copy here 👇
07. Go Live
Connect Your Domain: If you haven't already, make sure your domain is connected to your new Squarespace site.
Announce the Move: Let your audience know about the change and update any links or references to your new website address.
08. Post-Migration
Monitor your site: Keep an eye on your site's performance and make adjustments as needed.
Update content regularly: Keep your site fresh with new content to engage visitors.
And there we have it! Moving your Google site to your Squarespace doesn’t have to be one of those tasks you keep putting off. You can get it done in a couple days and have your site up and at ‘em in its new home.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Back up and organize your Google site content first (see below for a couple different options on how to back up your content)
Set up a new Squarespace account.
Transfer or connect your current domain.
Rebuild your website on Squarespace, customizing it to fit your needs.
Set up SEO and other important settings.
Test your site thoroughly before going live.
Announce your new site once it's live.
Monitor and update your site regularly.
Have a lot of content on your Google site?
Here are a couple ways to save your content:
Saving your content from your Google website involves a couple of straightforward methods.
While right-clicking and downloading is one way to do it, especially for images and individual files, there are more efficient ways to backup your entire site content, especially if you have a ton of information.
HERE’S HOW TO SAVE YOUR CONTENT:
01. Use Google Takeout for Google Sites
This is the way I recommend! Google Takeout is a super straightforward service that allows you to download a copy of your data stored within Google products, including Google Sites.
Access Google Takeout: Go to Google Takeout.
Select Your Data: Choose Google Sites from the list of Google products. You can select specific sites or all of them.
Download Your Data: Follow the prompts to create an archive. Google will email you a link to download your site data.
02. Manually Save Content
For specific pieces of content or when you want more control over what is saved:
Text Content: Copy and paste the text from your website into a document. You can use Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or any text editor.
Images and Files: Right-click on images and files, then select "Save image as..." or "Download" to save them to your computer. Organize them into folders for easy access later.
Note: I use ‘The Second Brain” method.
03. Use a Web Crawler Tool
If you're tech-savvy, there are web crawler tools available that can automate the process of downloading your website content. These tools can save entire webpages, including HTML, CSS, images, and files.
HTTrack: A free and easy-to-use website copier that downloads the whole site from the internet to a local directory.
Cyotek WebCopy: Another tool that copies websites to your local disk for offline browsing.
04. Export Any Additional Data
If your website uses forms or databases (like Google Forms or Sheets embedded in your site), make sure to export this data too.
Google Forms: Open your form, go to the "Responses" tab, and click on the Google Sheets icon to create a spreadsheet of your responses, which you can then download.
Google Sheets: Open the sheet, go to "File" > "Download," and choose your preferred file format.
Choosing the right method depends on the size of your website and your comfort level with technology.
For most people, a combination of Google Takeout for the bulk of the site and manual saves for specific content offers a good balance between efficiency and control.
