Squarespace acquires Google Domains
On June 15, 2023, Squarespace announced its intent to purchase domain registrations and related customer accounts from Google Domains.
“Google has closed an agreement for Squarespace, Inc. to acquire all domain name registrations from Google Domains. Squarespace is the registrar of record for your domain and the Squarespace’s Terms of Service apply; however, Google will manage your domain during a transition period. Following a transition period your domain will be transitioned to Squarespace, and upon transfer, your data will be governed by Squarespace’s Privacy Policy. Learn more about the agreement.”
Previously, users had the option to host their domains through Google Domains, as well as their company email addresses.
Google Domains will now no longer offer new domain registrations. Until your domain(s) are migrated to Squarespace, a process that will happen in the next few months, you can continue to manage your existing domain(s) at Google Domains. If you wish to purchase a new domain now try Squarespace.
The “definitive agreement” between Google and Squarespace includes assurances that customers will get the same renewal prices available to them for the next 12 months. Plus, Squarespace agrees to provide “incentives” for customers to build their website with the company’s platform.
The deal makes Squarespace the exclusive domain provider for Workspace customers buying domains directly through Google, at least for the next three years. For those who already subscribe to Workspace, and have purchased domains through Google, Squarespace will also be taking over those customers’ domain billing and support services.
What does this mean for you as a customer?
There’s no immediate impact on your Google Domains account and there is nothing you need to do at this time. Now that the transaction between Google and Squarespace has closed, you’ve become a customer of Squarespace, and your domain account is owned and, after a transition period, will be managed by Squarespace. At the time of transition, Squarespace will automatically manage related Google Workspace services, subject to limited exceptions. If any further action is needed, Squarespace will contact you directly.
Will your domain stop working at any point?
Your domain name registration and DNS delegation won’t be affected by the migration to Squarespace. After your domain has been migrated to Squarespace, you can manage additional services through their management console.
What happens to your Google Workspace service & G Suite purchased through Google Domains?
Now that the transaction between Google and Squarespace has closed, you’ve become a customer of Squarespace. The billing and support services for Google Workspace, including G Suite subscriptions currently billed by Google Domains will be managed by Squarespace. Beginning soon, there will be a transition period during which customer and billing information will be migrated over time, subject to limited exceptions. After which, Squarespace will manage and bill your Workspace subscription previously billed by Google Domains. We’ll work with Squarespace to make the transition as seamless as possible for you. This does not impact any Workspace subscription billed directly by Google Workspace or other resellers of Workspace.
What does this mean for Squarespace SEO?
Check out what websitebuilderexpert.com has to say:
“We’ve researched all of the top website builders extensively, focusing on the most relevant features, and have concluded that Squarespace’s SEO capabilities may in fact be underrated. It scored a 5 out of 5 in our SEO research and a very commendable 0.5-second server response time in both desktop and mobile versions – one of the best we’ve tested!”
The Social Boutique - Marketing Team’s thoughts:
This is very exciting news for Squarespace users. The days of needing a WordPress site are long gone as Squarespace becomes even more popular and is now endorsed by Google itself. Squarespace has a user-friendly design platform that makes editing and creating a beautiful website simple for beginners, and has excellent SEO options (the most important component). We are hoping to see more plugins become available on Squarespace as they continue their journey towards becoming the top web hosting platform.
If you’re looking for a custom-designed website for your business, complete with SEO, reach out to our Team to learn more!
For more information from Google, click here.
