Why Churches Struggle to Get Lasting Results From Google Ad Grant

Churches everywhere want to share hope with more people, and when many of us hear about something called the Google Ad Grant, it sounds like a no-brainer. Free ads on the world’s biggest search engine? Yes, please. But after a few months, some churches realize something’s off. They're putting in time but not seeing much come back. The ads don’t seem to bring in new visitors. The numbers fluctuate with no clear reason. It starts to feel like the grant isn’t doing what it promised.

The truth is, the Google Ad Grant can be helpful, but it takes more than just launching a few ads to see real, lasting results. Most churches don’t realize that until they begin to experience issues. At Faithworks Marketing, we’ve seen how common these struggles are and how avoidable they can be with the right guidance. We focus on managing Google Ad Grant campaigns alongside services, such as Facebook and Instagram ads, social media posting, and local search engine optimization.

Why Good Intentions Don’t Equal Good Results

One of the biggest reasons churches stop seeing progress with the Google Ad Grant is this idea that once it's set up, it will run itself. That belief costs time and energy without much benefit in the end.

Here’s why that happens:

• Some churches treat it like a weekend project; they get the account live, write a few ads, launch some keywords, then step back expecting traffic to roll in.
• Without weekly check-ins and long-term planning, ads stop showing, or they get buried under ads from more active users.
• If keywords don’t line up with what someone in the community is actually typing into Google, those ads might never get seen.

People might search for “church near me” or “Christmas eve service,” but if your ad doesn’t match how they search or what they care about, your message gets skipped. Good intentions won’t carry the campaign without a real strategy behind it.

Overlooking What the Grant Was Really Meant For

It’s easy to assume that because the grant is free, it can be used to promote anything related to the church. But that's a common place where things slip off track. The Google Ad Grant was built to help churches and groups with a mission-driven focus. That doesn’t always cover every event or update happening at your building.

Sometimes churches try to use the grant to:

• Advertise potlucks, internal meetings, or ministry announcements just for members.
• Promote content that isn't tied to outreach or serving the community.
• Push ads to people who aren't actually looking for what you're offering online.

What works better is using the ads to reach people looking for help, answers, or connection. Think about terms like “grief support group,” “bible readings online,” or “church for young families.” These kinds of searches show intent to connect with something deeper, and that's where your message should land.

Not Keeping Up With Google’s Rules and Updates

Google means business when it comes to how the grant is used. They have specific rules about ad quality, keyword performance, and account activity. Miss too many of those targets, and your account can get flagged or paused without warning.

The trickiest part about this is how quiet the warning signs are:

• Google doesn’t always make a big deal about updates to its policy, so it’s easy to miss them.
• Unless someone is checking reports regularly, you might not know your best ads aren’t running anymore.
• Old keywords that once worked may now be wasting space because they no longer meet performance standards.

On top of that, the grant requires participating accounts to maintain a specific click-through rate each month, so someone has to keep an eye on performance and adjust ads when results start to slip. Keeping up with these details takes time, something most church staff members don’t have. That’s why these changes often go unnoticed until the account is already in trouble.

Missing the Link Between Ads and Website Follow-Through

Even the best Google Ad Grant campaign won't be successful if the website behind it feels confusing or unfinished. That disconnect is one of the main reasons churches fail to see results.

We often find issues like these:

• A visitor clicks the ad but lands on a homepage with no clear next step.
• The site loads slowly on phones or has links that don’t work.
• The content doesn’t match what the ad promised, and people click away fast.

When visitors don’t feel like they can trust what they see or find what they need, they leave. The Ad Grant opened the door, but the website needs to keep the person inside. Without both pieces working together, momentum is lost. That’s why, when setting up Google Ad Grant campaigns, part of the process includes reviewing a church’s website to ensure nothing could disqualify the grant or limit performance.



A Better Way to Reach the People Searching for You

Getting real results from the Google Ad Grant isn’t out of reach. It just takes steady effort in the right direction. When churches focus on what the grant was really made for, community outreach through clear messaging, and pair strong ads with a welcoming website, good things happen.

The grant works best when it's not left alone. It should be updated, tested, and connected to what your church is doing both on Sundays and during the week. That’s how you go beyond the click and actually reach people who have never walked through your doors before.

We’ve seen how churches can move from guessing to growing when they have someone walking with them. If you're tired of the frustration, we’re here to help you figure out what’s missing and how to get lasting results from the Google Ad Grant, starting one step at a time with Faithworks Marketing.

Many churches encounter roadblocks when trying to maximize the benefits of their advertising grant until they learn how it was meant to be used. At Faithworks Marketing, we believe that the right guidance can save your church time and help you connect with people searching for hope. For a deeper look at what matters most and what often gets overlooked, review our overview of the Google Ad Grant. Reach out when you're ready to move forward with a plan that works.