A Google Listing is one of the those things we all do once and then tend to forget about. As you know Google profiles provide basic information, like the address, but often, when using the limited details from a Wikipedia entry, understandably do not give the sort of helpful details and direction which Churches would offer if they were controlling the listing themselves.  

Naturally, you want those seeking direction to your Church to see you in a positive and informed light. With Google holding over 80% share of UK searches it is most likely that online searches will bring up your Google Business profile to the right of the search results.

First things first, have you secured your Google My Business entry?

You can easily claim your profile by googling your church and if you get a profile on the right-hand side, click on 'Own this business?' You will need to sign in with a Google account which will take you through the wizard to update your details.

If you do not see a profile, go to the Google My Business page, log in with a Google account and fill in the details of your church. 

Ensure  you include as much information in as possible to attract and help those who are looking for a church in your area.

You may also want to claim your listing on the Microsoft Bing search engine here.

Secondly, is this listing up to date?

We often find that a church will have a listing, but this has not been maintained. If it needs to be said, it is essential that this is up to date. It has to have your current phone number, website address, hours and directions. 

You never know, this could be the one time that someone in your community is searching for you online and the information they find will help them reach out to you. 

Can we help?

When we setup churches on the Church Pages website platform, we advise they also update their Google My Business entry and, if you'd like help with this, or your church website, do not hesitate to get in touch with our team.