The Beginner’s Guide to Church SEO (Being Found Online)

Everyone can benefit from strong Church SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and this Guide to Church SEO will help you get a third-party endorsement. When someone recommends what you’re offering. Wouldn’t it be great for a trusted friend to recommend your church?  

The next best solution? When Google (or another search engine) gives results that recommend YOU! Winner! We tend to trust one of their first results as we heard it from a trusted friend. Imagine having the best seo keywords for churches and it makes Google your biggest evangelist!

The ability to be found on that first page requires a lot of work though. It’s called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Creating and delivering content the way the search engines (Google’s the biggest) want it. That optimization says you’re playing well with their ever-changing algorithm.

The solution: when someone (near you) requests something; Google (who’s looked through your local church website) believes you’re the best to answer the request. Or supply what they’re looking for. That’s an oversimplification of SEO. Here’s how you can ensure your church is the “best” Google solution in local church results. Local SEO is critical (especially through Google Maps).

1. You need to rank high for what they’re looking for. For example, “What’s the best chocolate to buy?” is the search. Pretend your website offers “best chocolate”; then Google may point to you. Problem: if many websites say “best chocolate”, then Google has to decide who’s best. They check the content to choose who’s most likely to be the “best chocolate”. The higher you rank, the more likely you’ll land on the first results page. Rarely will people look past the first or second results page (since they’re trying to quickly get to the trusted Google-approved result). But it’s difficult to rank. Imagine when someone searches “best church to attend”. There are many.
2. Unique, desired long-tail Keywords help. This helps narrow the pool of what someone is looking for. “Best chocolate” is a very wide-open category or keyword. Adding words before or after (as a tail) gives a narrowed request. “Good salted chocolate” slims the search. “Good salted dark chocolate” continues to target. If you’re just known for being a church, you risk never being found. Instead, consider the long-tail keywords (for church) that the people in your area may be looking for and find a long-tail keyword of about 4-5 words. And be known for it — especially in a manner that Google likes.
3. Use the Keywords consistently. Have the keyword included on the page (2-3 times) in well-written content. You should also have it in meta-descriptions too (that’s the hidden content that Google scans for images, videos, and page descriptions). If you don’t use it, why would Google think you’re great at it?! Meta page descriptions are huge: use active voice, keyword-rich, <155 characters, and unique content (that matches the keyword) for each page.
4. Create website content that Google loves. That requires easy-to-understand, unique, 300+ words/page with pictures and/or videos. With a keyword-rich headline or subhead.
5. Be good internet content providers. Ensure you have 2-3 links directing to other content on your website as well as regularly interconnecting to other websites (not yours). Google ranks you higher because they want to support the world-wide-WEB.

This is a simple overview of a very deep topic, Church SEO. Want to jump into a deeper look at Technical SEO? Here’s a great article. But certainly, start with these, be consistent, and you’ll be found! Want to have this Guide to Church SEO come to life for you and your church? You may be interested in our SEO Coaching package for the best church communication strategy and church website content. As church branding experts, we know church leaders and church ministries. And we can get Google to love you too!