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Local SEO for Churches

Go from page 4 to the Google Map Pack

Every day, families in your city search "churches near me." Google shows them 3 results. If you're not one of them, you don't exist. Our Local Visibility Engine gets your church into that top 3.

$1,500 setup fee waived with 12-month commitment. Cancel anytime.

64 directory citations
Google Business Profile optimization
Monthly reporting

Watch Thomas explain how Local SEO gets your church found on Google

46%

of all Google searches are local

76%

of local searches visit within 24 hours

28%

of "near me" searches lead to a visit

#1

result gets 27.6% of all clicks

The real problem

If Google can't find you, neither can they

A study by BrightLocal found that 87% of consumers used Google to evaluate local businesses in 2023. Churches are no different. When a family moves to your city, they don't knock on doors. They type "churches near me" and visit whichever one Google shows them first.

Google's local results show exactly 3 businesses in the "Map Pack" — the box with the map, photos, and reviews that appears at the top of every local search. If your church isn't in those 3 spots, 93% of searchers will never see you at all — because they never scroll past the Map Pack.

The churches filling seats right now aren't necessarily the best churches in your city. They're the ones who've told Google the right signals. That's not talent. That's a system. And we have it.

Does this feel familiar?

A family moves to your neighborhood. They search "churches near me" on Google. Your church doesn't appear anywhere in the results — so they visit the one that does. You never knew they were looking.

Your Google Business Profile still shows the wrong service times from two years ago. A visitor drives across town, finds the doors locked, and never comes back.

There are three churches within a mile of yours. Two of them show up in the Google Map Pack with photos, reviews, and directions. Yours doesn't appear at all.

Someone searches "Bible study groups in [your city]." Google shows results for churches 20 miles away — because those churches optimized their profiles and yours didn't.

You have 4 Google reviews. Other churches in your area have 80+. Google shows them first. Not because they're doing more ministry — because they look more trustworthy to the algorithm.

Google decides which churches people see. We make sure Google chooses yours.

Local SEO is how you tell Google: "We're here, we're active, people love us, and we serve this community." When you do that right, Google puts you at the top — and families who are already looking for a church finally find yours.

Diverse church community gathering together

Your community is already searching. They just haven't found you yet.

Local SEO changes that.

Our Local Visibility Engine

The 4-signal system that puts you on the map

Google uses exactly 4 signal categories to decide which churches appear in local results. We call it the Local Visibility Engine — and we optimize all four simultaneously, because ignoring any one of them is like running a car on 3 cylinders.

Signal 1: Your Google Business Profile (photos, categories, posts, Q&A). Signal 2: Your citations (64 directories with consistent name, address, and phone number). Signal 3: Your reviews (quantity, quality, recency, and response rate). Signal 4: Your website's local relevance (on-page SEO, schema markup, local content).

Most churches have optimized zero of these four signals. That means the opportunity is wide open. Within 60-90 days of activating all four signals, you start climbing. Within 3-4 months, you're typically in range of the top 3.

Friends connecting in community

Imagine this:

It's a Sunday morning 4 months from now. A young couple walks in — you've never seen them before. After service, you ask how they found you. "We just moved here last week," they say. "We searched 'churches near me' and you were the first result. The reviews looked great, so here we are." It's the third time this month a visitor has told you the same story.

01

Someone searches "churches near me"

In your city, your zip code, your neighborhood

02

Google shows the top 3 results

The "Map Pack" — with photos, reviews, and directions

03

Your church appears first

Because your local SEO signals are the strongest

04

They click, they visit, they stay

A new family walks through your doors

What becomes possible

From invisible to the top of Google

When your local SEO signals are optimized, here's what churches typically see:

Top 3 Google Map Pack placement for "churches near me"
300-500 Monthly Google Business Profile views
30+ Direction requests from Google each month
64 Directory citations built with consistent data
What we do for you

A complete local search strategy

We handle every aspect of your church's local search presence — from Google Business Profile to 64 directory citations to review strategy coaching. You focus on ministry. We handle Google.

Local SEO analytics dashboard

Real-time tracking of your local rankings

Google Business Profile Optimization

We fully optimize your GBP listing — categories, services, photos, posts, and Q&A — so you show up in the local map pack when people search for churches.

64 Directory Citations

We list and verify your church across 64 directories — Yelp, Apple Maps, Facebook, Bing, and more — building local authority and consistent trust signals.

Review Strategy Coaching

We coach your team on proven strategies for earning more 5-star reviews — from timing and templates to follow-up sequences. You execute; we guide.

"Near Me" Optimization

We target high-intent local searches — "churches near me," "Sunday service near me," "youth group near me" — so your church appears when people are ready to visit.

Monthly Reporting

Clear, plain-English monthly reports showing your rankings, traffic, and growth. No jargon — just the numbers that matter for your church.

On-Page SEO

We optimize your website's content, meta tags, schema markup, and internal linking to signal relevance to search engines for every search in your area.

Free audit available

Find out exactly where you rank — in 5 minutes

Enter your church name below and get an instant local SEO audit. See exactly where you stand — no obligation, no pressure.

How it works

From invisible to found in 4 steps

We do the heavy lifting. You focus on ministry.

Free Local Visibility Audit (Takes 5 Minutes)

We run your church through our diagnostic: Google Business Profile completeness score, citation consistency check across 64 directories, review count vs. local averages, and current ranking position for 8 target keywords. You'll see a clear scorecard showing exactly what's costing you visibility — whether you hire us or not.

We Activate All 4 Signals (Weeks 1-4)

Signal 1: We fully optimize your Google Business Profile — categories, services, 20+ photos, weekly posts, Q&A section. Signal 2: We build and verify 64 directory citations with consistent NAP data. Signal 3: We coach you on review strategy with proven email/text templates your team can use. Signal 4: We implement on-page SEO, schema markup, and local content on your website.

Your Rankings Start Climbing (Days 60-90)

Google notices the new signals and starts testing your church in higher positions. You'll see it in your monthly report: more profile views, more direction requests, more website clicks. Most churches see meaningful ranking improvement by day 90.

We Optimize. You Minister. (Ongoing)

Every month we publish fresh Google posts, track your rankings for all target keywords, coach you on review strategy, and look for new optimization opportunities. You get a plain-English report showing exactly what moved, what grew, and what we're doing next. No jargon. Just results.

A word of warning

Why most churches stay invisible on Google

Google doesn't rank churches based on sermon quality, community impact, or years of faithful ministry. It ranks them based on 4 categories of local SEO signals — and most churches have never optimized a single one.

The result? A brand-new church plant with 50 people and a 6-month-old Google profile can outrank your 500-member, 30-year congregation. Not because they're better — because they filled out their Google Business Profile completely and you left yours half-empty.

That's the bad news. The good news? It's a fixable system — and most churches in your area haven't done any of this yet. The first church to optimize all 4 signals tends to dominate local results for years to come.

Common mistakes that keep you buried:

Incomplete Google Business Profile

Google ranks complete profiles higher — yours gets buried

Inconsistent name/address/phone across the web

Google can't verify your info — trust score drops

Ignoring or not responding to reviews

Looks like nobody's home — visitors choose the church that responds

Wrong categories on your Google listing

You show up for the wrong searches — or don't show up at all

No photos or outdated photos on your profile

Listings with photos get 42% more direction requests

Never posting updates to your Google profile

Google assumes you're inactive — pushes you down in results

Each of these mistakes pushes you further down in local search results

Skip the guesswork. Let us handle it for you.

From churches we work with

Don't take our word for it. Take theirs.

30 new visitors in 3 weeks

"We are starting to see some first time visitors over the last few weeks. Many coming from Google online searching! We used to get like 5 new people a month. In the last 3 weeks we have had nearly 30 new people! Thank you so much, please keep doing what you are doing!"

RK

Ryan Keller

First-time guests every Sunday

"We are consistently seeing first-time guests on Sundays, and when we ask "How did you find us?" the response is almost always, "We found you online." Over the years, we've tried a number of strategies — nothing has been as effective as this."

TK

Terry Kreuger

Redemption City Church

Families spending time together outdoors in the community

Your neighbors are searching. Let's make sure they find you.

Pricing

The cost of being invisible is far higher.

Every month you're not optimized, families are searching for a church and can't find yours. $297/month to fix that is a no-brainer.

Most Popular
Local SEO

Everything you need to dominate local search:

$297 /month

$1,500 one-time setup fee — waived with 12-month commitment

  • Google Business Profile optimization
  • 64 directory citations
  • "Near me" keyword targeting
  • Review strategy coaching
  • On-page SEO optimization
  • Schema markup implementation
  • Local search analysis
  • Monthly performance reports
  • Ongoing profile management
  • Dedicated SEO specialist
Start Ranking Or Get a Free SEO Audit First

No long-term contract required. Cancel anytime.

No long-term contract required
Free local SEO audit
Cancel anytime with 30 days notice
Questions

Still have questions? Good.

How long before we see results from Local SEO?
Most churches start seeing improved visibility within 60-90 days. Significant ranking improvements typically happen around month 3-4. SEO is a long-term strategy, but the results compound over time — and unlike ads, they don't disappear when you stop paying.
What if we're in a competitive area?
We actually love competitive markets. The more competitive the area, the bigger the opportunity — because most churches in your area aren't doing any SEO at all. There's a massive first-mover advantage for the church that gets this right first.
Do we need a website for Local SEO to work?
A website dramatically improves your Local SEO results, but we can still optimize your Google Business Profile and local citations without one. That said, we recommend our REACH package ($297/mo) which includes both a website and Local SEO for maximum impact.
What's a Google Business Profile?
It's the free listing that appears when someone searches for your church on Google or Google Maps. It shows your hours, location, reviews, photos, and more. Most churches have one but haven't optimized it — that's like having a storefront with the lights off.
How is this different from regular SEO?
Local SEO specifically targets geographic searches — people in your area looking for a church. Regular SEO targets broader keywords. For churches, local SEO delivers the highest-intent visitors because they're already nearby and actively looking for a place to worship.
What are citations and why do they matter?
Citations are listings of your church's name, address, and phone number on directories like Yelp, Apple Maps, Facebook, and Yellow Pages. Google uses them to verify your church is real and trustworthy. More consistent citations = higher rankings. We build and maintain 64 for you.
Can we see how we compare to other churches in our area?
Absolutely. Our initial audit includes a local analysis showing you where your church stands in local search and what the top-ranking churches in your area are doing well — so you can learn from what's working.
How does billing work?
Local SEO is billed monthly at $297/mo with a $1,500 one-time setup fee. Commit to 12 months and we waive the setup fee. No hidden fees, no long-term contracts. Cancel anytime with 30 days notice.
What if our Google Business Profile is already claimed?
We'll help you gain access to it. If someone else claimed it (a previous staff member, a volunteer, or Google itself), we know the process to recover it. This is more common than you'd think, and we handle it regularly.
How will we know it's working?
You'll see it in your monthly reports — profile views, direction requests, website clicks, keyword rankings, and review growth all tracked over time. Most churches see meaningful improvement within 3-4 months. SEO is a long-term strategy, but we make sure you see exactly what's moving every single month.

The choice is simple

While you're reading this, someone nearby just searched "churches near me."

Google showed them 3 churches. Was yours one of them? If not, they found another church — and you never even knew they were looking. That happens dozens of times every single month.

Free Local SEO Audit. $297/month. No long-term contract. Cancel anytime.