3 Effective Ways Churches Can Improve Their Local SEO

As the internet continues to evolve, so does the importance of church local SEO. More and more people are using the internet to find churches in their area, and if your local church doesn't have a strong online presence, you could be missing out on potential new members. Luckily, there are a few things churches can do to improve their local SEO.

1. Create a Google My Business Account 

One way to improve local SEO is for churches to create a Google My Business account. Google My Business is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google. Creating a listing on Google My Business can help churches to improve their visibility in local search results.

In order to create a listing on Google My Business, churches will need to provide some basic information about their church, such as the church name, address, and phone number. They will also need to choose a category, such as "Religious Organization" or "Place of Worship." Churches can also add additional information about their business, such as a description, photos, and business hours.

Once a church's listing is created, it can start to manage its online presence on Google. They can respond to reviews, update their information, and post updates and announcements. Google My Business also provides Insights, which is a data tool that shows how people are interacting with a church's listing.

2. Conduct Local Keyword Research

Churches can improve their local SEO by conducting local keyword research. By understanding what potential church members are searching for online, churches can ensure that their website appears in the search results for those keywords.

There are a number of tools that churches can use to conduct local keyword research, including the Google AdWords Keyword Planner and Google Trends. Additionally, churches can use third-party tools like Moz Local and Whitespark.

Once churches have identified a list of relevant keywords, they can start implementing those keywords on their website. Keywords should be used in the website's title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and throughout the body of the website. Additionally, churches should create local landing pages that are optimized for specific keywords.

3. Optimize for Mobile Devices

To reach and engage with as many people as possible, it's important for churches to make sure that their website is mobile-friendly.

There are a few different ways to make a church website mobile-friendly. One option is to use responsive design, which means that the website will automatically adjust to fit the screen size of the mobile device it's being viewed on. Another option is to create a separate mobile-specific website. Churches can do this by creating a separate URL that is optimized for mobile devices or by using a responsive design template that is specifically designed for mobile devices.

In addition to using a mobile-friendly design, churches can also use mobile-specific SEO techniques to make sure their website appears in mobile search results. This includes using shorter keywords that are more likely to be used in mobile searches and adding click-to-call buttons so that people can easily call the church from their mobile devices.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, local SEO for churches can be extremely effective in helping church leaders connect with members of their community and attract new members. By optimizing their website for local search engines, churches can ensure that their site appears higher in the search results, making it more likely that potential members will find and visit their church.

Improve your church website’s local SEO with the help of Faithworks Marketing. We are a church marketing agency that specializes in local SEO for churches. Faithworks Marketing builds and manages websites specifically for non-profits and churches all over the US, helping you bring more people to your site and through your front doors. Book an appointment now!