These days, when someone is looking for a new church to attend, their search almost always starts online. Whether it’s typing “churches near me” into Google or searching for “evangelical church” plus their city name, people rely on search engines to find local churches. This is where strong Local SEO (search engine optimization) can make a big difference.
The Importance of Local SEO for Churches
Local SEO optimizes your church’s online presence to rank higher in relevant local search results. The top few results Google shows (the local pack) get the most visibility and traffic. Being in that local pack for keywords like “churches near me” is crucial for reaching unchurched people in your area who are searching for a church online.
The Rock Church’s SEO Challenges
The Rock Church, a church plant in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, recognized the importance of local online discoverability. As Ben Honeyford, the church’s pastor, explained, “It was just seeing the need to optimize our presence online and making sure that people could find us.”
While initially using Google Ads, The Rock Church wanted to improve its local rankings and reach more people organically searching for churches nearby. That’s when their team turned to Missional Marketing for expert local SEO consulting.
The Missional Marketing Experience
Ben appreciated Missional Marketing‘s “consultative approach” and the technical SEO guidance, from optimizing website headers to selecting relevant keywords. He discovered the Missional Marketing team provided “technical expertise” that his small church couldn’t access otherwise.
“I don’t have the time or resources to…make sure we have a consistent presence across all the different websites so that Google ranks you higher,” Ben explained. “That’s why I look at [coaching from Missional Marketing] as being able to have that technical support.”
Powerful Local Search Results
As a result of its work with Missional Marketing, The Rock Church now ranks very well for key local searches in its geographical area, such as:
- #2 for “church in Mount Laurel”
- #6 for “church in Mt Laurel”
- #3 in the local pack for “church near me”
- #1 in the local pack for “evangelical church”
Despite some fluctuations, The Rock Church improved its overall local reach for people from the community searching for “church near me” compared to the previous six months.
Boost Your Church’s Local Outreach with SEO
The Rock Church’s success story shows the impact local SEO can have—helping churches get found by potential visitors online. As Ben Honeyford said:
“We’re always getting new visitors…and they’re finding us online.”
If you want to enhance your church’s local search rankings and online visibility, Missional Marketing can provide expert local SEO coaching services tailored to your church’s needs. Contact us today to learn more about optimizing your local search presence to reach more people in your community with the Gospel.