With the way the world has rapidly grown and changed just over the last five years, so many other aspects of our lives have adapted to a more “techy” approach to living. And the church is not exempt from that. People aged 35 and below are more likely to Google something first before anything. That goes for where to eat, what to do, and where to go to church.

It’s a simple thing, and yet most congregations are just now catching up. Nowadays, the best way to expand your church’s reach and connect with more people is through the internet. It’s a great way to increase your visibility and help more people in the long run. One of the first ways you can do this is by channeling the power of search engine optimization (SEO).

Here are a few ways to expand your church by using SEO:

Create and Post Content Regularly

As a church, there are probably plenty of activities, gatherings, and stories from churchgoers that can create content. This is one of your most vital tools in building up your website and improving your ranking. If your ranking improves, your church will be more visible and possibly attract more visitors or new congregation members.
This is not only a great way to attract more visitors, but it also gives your community a chance to contribute and help expand the church.

Anything that you do can become content, from featuring the lives and stories of the church members to the activities and various charities you’re involved in. This is the type of stuff that people are looking for. The same goes for search engines to rank you higher.

Emphasize Your Location Details

When you’re trying to expand your church online, an excellent rule to follow is “less is more.” Focus on the essential details to achieve your goals. The first thing you need to do is provide the people with your location details. People looking for a church enter three items into the search bar, city or state, denomination, and church.

Of course, it’s likely that you already have this on your website. But include it in your content, every page of your website, and more. The more times you list your location on your website, the more likely you’ll appear in people’s search results. However, make sure to do it strategically. You don’t want to plaster your location all over the place. 

Share Your Service Details

Location is not the only information you need to emphasize on your website for better church SEO. Besides your location, people are interested to know the details about your services. If that information is easy to access and part of the blurb they can see on their search results, all the better. 

People are more likely to click on the church with its worship details than one without them. It’s just easier and faster for them. That’s part of the attitude and behavior of the people you’re targeting online. Although it’s not impossible for them to check out other results, it’s unlikely once they’ve found one with all the information they need. 

For best results, make sure to list your church hours together with your location. 

Share Testimonials

When people search for products or services, one of the essential things they look for is reviews or testimonials. This is all the more critical when it comes to choosing a new church to attend. People want to know how others feel and what they’ve experienced at your church. 

Make sure to ask your members to take a little time out of their day to give their honest and detailed testimonials about your church. This will not only attract more people to your church, but it also ensures that it shows up when someone searches for “city or denomination church reviews.”

Conclusion

There are plenty of ways to expand your church, and through the internet, the possibilities are endless. These are just a few examples of how you can attract new members using the power of SEO. Your website can do so much for your church if you know how to optimize it. 

If you’re curious about other ways to do digital marketing for churches, we would love to help you. Calling Digital is a creative digital marketing agency located in Belton and Frisco, Texas. We provide effective marketing strategies and only the best services to all our clients. With passion and innovation, we hope to help your brand grow to its full potential!