The Beginners Guide to Substack’s SEO Tools (That Won’t Make Your Brain Hurt)
If the phrase “search engine optimization” makes you want to crawl under a blanket, you’re not alone. For many writers, SEO feels like a mysterious tech ritual meant for bloggers who live in spreadsheets—not for newsletter authors who just want to write meaningful things and be found by the right readers.
Here’s the good news: Substack actually makes SEO simple. You don’t need to be an expert. You don’t even need to touch it for every post. But a few small tweaks can make a big difference in helping people discover your work—especially over time.
This is your no-stress guide to using Substack’s built-in SEO tools, written specifically for thoughtful humans who want to be findable without feeling fake.
What is SEO, and Why Should You Care?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about making sure your content can be found by people typing questions or phrases into search engines like Google.
You’ve probably already been that person: Googling things like:
“how to grow a Substack”
“spiritual meditation for beginners”
“best newsletters about design thinking”
Now imagine someone typing a question that your writing could answer. SEO is how you help that person actually find it.
Substack handles most of the technical stuff for you. But with a few thoughtful edits in your post settings, you can give your writing a better shot at being seen—and clicked on.
Where the SEO Tools Live in Substack
When you create or edit a post, click the little gear icon ⚙️ near the bottom of the editor. This opens up the “Post Settings” panel, where you’ll find the following fields:
SEO Title
SEO Description
Post URL
Social Preview Image
Let’s break them down one by one.
1. SEO Title: Tell Search Engines What the Post Is About
This is the clickable headline that shows up in search results. Substack auto-generates it from your post title—but you can (and sometimes should) tweak it.
Good SEO Title =
Under 60 characters
Clear and keyword-rich (but not spammy)
Easy to understand at a glance
📝 Example: Original title: "The Ensofic Reiki Experience"
📝 SEO title: "What Is Ensofic Reiki? A Guide to This Energy Healing Session"
2. SEO Description: Invite Readers In
This is the little blurb that appears under the SEO title in search results. Substack will usually pull your subtitle here, but you can write a custom one for extra clarity or intrigue.
Good SEO Description =
150–160 characters
Gives context beyond the title
Includes relevant keywords
Makes people want to click
📝 Example: “Learn what to expect in a ensofic reiki session, how it works, and how it supports your healing journey.”
3. Post URL (a.k.a. the Slug): Keep It Clean
Substack creates a unique URL based on your post title—like this:
yourpublication.substack.com/p/your-title-here
You can change this before you publish the post to make it cleaner or more keyword-friendly.
Good URL Slugs =
Short
Clear
All lowercase, no weird characters
📝 Example:
🚫 Bad: yourpublication.substack.com/p/234rta-what-the-heck
✅ Better: yourpublication.substack.com/p/ensofic-reiki-guide
⚠️ Important: Don’t change the URL after you’ve published. It’ll break any links that already exist.
4. Social Preview Image: It Matters More Than You Think
When someone shares your post on social media, this is the image that shows up.
By default, Substack uses the first image in your post. If there’s no image, it’ll use your publication logo. You can override this in the post settings.
🌟 Posts with preview images get twice as many signups and 40% more clicks. Worth the 30 seconds it takes to set one.
🖼 Bonus tip: Use Canva or another tool to create a branded image that includes your title or a quote for extra click appeal.
How Often Should You Use These SEO Tools?
You don’t need to optimize every post. But if a post is:
Evergreen
Informational
Likely to answer someone’s question
Something you’ll want to reshare often…
Then YES, it’s worth taking 2–3 minutes to update your SEO fields.
What About Tags? Do They Help SEO?
Not really.
Substack tags are mostly used for organizing your content within your own publication. They don’t significantly affect discoverability on search engines or the platform.
✅ Use tags to group posts into themes on your homepage
❌ Don’t expect them to bring in new readers on their own
TL;DR – Your 5-Minute Substack SEO Checklist
Before publishing a post:
✅ Is the SEO title clear, keyword-rich, and under 60 characters?
✅ Does the SEO description explain the value of the post?
✅ Is the URL slug short, relevant, and clean?
✅ Did you set a social preview image that invites clicks?
That’s it. SEO doesn’t have to be a big production—it’s just making sure the right people can find the content you worked so hard to create.
Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Game the System—Just Be Clear
The best SEO strategy is still the simplest one: write great content for people who care. Substack gives you the tools to make that content more visible—without having to compromise your voice or vibe.
So the next time you write a post, give those SEO settings a glance. Your future reader is out there searching.
Make it easy for them to find you.
Want help figuring out what to write, how to structure your Substack, or how to optimize for growth without selling your soul? Reach out—I offer strategy consults and creative support for mission-driven creators.