SEO for Substack: Complete Guide (2026)
SEO Basics for Substack
Substack has its own approach to SEO. Understanding how Substack handles URL structure, meta descriptions, XML sitemaps, and page rendering is the foundation of ranking Substack sites in search.
Technical SEO for Substack
URL Structure
Check how Substack generates URLs. Clean, descriptive URLs perform better in search. Configure your Substack settings to use keyword-rich slugs.
Meta Tags
Ensure you can customize title tags and meta descriptions for every page. Some platforms limit this. If Substack restricts meta tag editing, look for plugins or workarounds.
Sitemap
Verify that Substack generates an XML sitemap automatically, or create one. Submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Page Speed
Substack sites vary in page speed depending on themes, plugins, and hosting. Test with Google PageSpeed Insights and optimize images, scripts, and CSS.
Keyword Research for Substack Sites
Use Delulu9 to find keywords relevant to your Substack site. The MCP server integrates with Claude Code and Cursor, so you can research keywords without leaving your editor.
Focus on keywords that match the content types Substack supports well. If Substack is strong for blog content, target informational keywords. If it’s an ecommerce platform, focus on product and category page keywords.
Content Strategy for Substack
Build content that plays to Substack’s strengths. Create pillar pages for your main topics, with supporting blog posts targeting related long tail keywords.
Optimize each page for one primary keyword. Include it in the title, H1 tag, meta description, and naturally throughout the content.
Common Substack SEO Mistakes
- Not customizing default meta tags
- Ignoring page speed optimization
- Missing schema markup
- Not submitting sitemap to search engines
- Duplicate content from tag and category pages
Related Guides
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