Is your Google Business Profile your new church homepage?

Do you know how people search for your church?  Really know?

Your first thought might be…

Of course, Paul, it’s simple… Most people type “church in [my city],” they see our church listed in the search results, click the link, and go to our website.

That sounds reasonable, but are you sure?

Let me walk you through another path people take to find your church online…

I live in Safety Harbor, FL so I’ll use a Google search for “church in safety harbor fl” as our starting point. Here are the results:

What we see in the search results is what is called the “local 3 pack” – a map, followed by 3 search results, followed by a link to “more places.”  Some things to note about this:

1. The “local 3 pack” fills the entire browser window.
2. If you click on the map, it takes you to the Google Maps search results for “church in safety harbor fl.” Once there, if you click on any of the churches listed, it brings up an extra window showing that church’s Google Business Profile.
3. If you click on the “More places” link, it takes you to – you guessed it – Google Maps search results for “church in safety harbor fl.”
4. If you click on one of the 3 churches in listed in the local 3 pack, it shows that church’s Google Business Profile to the right of the map.
5. If you want to see anything other than Google Business Profiles, you have to click the “Website” link for the church or scroll down below the “local 3 pack” to see the general search results with links to church websites.

Do you get the feeling Google prefers people view a church’s Google Business Profile rather than the church’s own website?

That’s because they do. Google’s strategy is to keep people on Google as much as possible.

Let’s say we click on the Harborside Christian Church listing in the local 3 pack.  Here’s what we’ll see:

In the right side of the screenshot above we see the church’s Google Business Profile which includes:

• A 4.8 star rating based on 170 Google reviews
• Photos of the church
• The church’s address
• The church’s phone number
• A questions and answers section which includes info about services times and button for people to ask a question (below this screenshot)
• Reviews (below this screenshot)
• Links to the church’s social media profiles (below this screenshot)

Is your Google Business Profile your new church homepage?

Well, let’s think about it…

• This is the first impression someone gets of your church.
• If a person was looking for your address so they could visit Sunday they now have it. (Or at least they think they have it. Is the address correct?)
• The person’s idea of what your church building, people and worship services look like will be based on the photos they see there.
• The person’s idea of what other people think about your church will be based on reviews they see here.
• Some people looking for a church will see this listing and move on the a listing for another church without ever visiting your website.

Have you heard of the “duck test?”

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

And I say…

Your Google Business Profile… If it looks like a homepage, swims like a homepage, and quacks like a homepage, then it probably is a homepage. -Paul Steinbrueck

What does this mean for your church website?

This doesn’t diminish the importance of good church websites.  Many people wanting more information will click through from your Google Business Profile to your church website.  But it shows how important your church’s Google Business Profile is.

And of course, this not only true for churches but for schools, nonprofits and businesses.

Need help with your Google Business Profile?

If you’re not sure how to create, verify, or optimize your Google Business Profile, or you’re having problems with your Google Business Profile, this is something our team can help with. Learn more our SEO services, our website design services or better yet, let’s schedule a time to talk.

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Post your comments and questions:

• Do you see Google Business Profiles as the new church homepage?  Why or why not?

Continue reading the series How to Design Your Website to be a Powerful Hub of Communications, Connections & Growth