October is a great time to finalize your plans for Christmas or start planning for the new year. So, our theme in October is Strategic Planning Month.
The first step in developing a strategic plan is to assess your current situation. After all…
It’s impossible to figure out how to get somewhere until you know where you are.
In this article we’re going to look at ways to assess your search engine marketing, so you can determine what you’re doing well and where there is room for improvement.
5 Ways to Assess Your SEO
1) Google Analytics. Take a look at your website visitor data in Google Analytics. How does the number of visitors to your site so far this year compare to the same time frame last year? Look at the each specific source – organic search, paid search, social media, referral. Is your organic search traffic growing as much as you’d like?
2) Search Rankings. Check where your website ranks in the search results for the keywords you’re targeting. If your website is for a church, search “church in [your city].” If you’re trying to connect with people in other nearby cities check them as well. Is your website listed on the first page (top 10) of the search results?
3) Local Search Rankings. Check where your organization ranks in the local/maps search engines, especially Google Maps, Bing Maps and Yelp. Is your website in the top 10? As an added bonus, if your organization can get into the top 3 in Google Maps, it will also appear in the “local 3 pack” in Google’s general search results. Same thing for the top 5 in Bing Maps making into Bing.
4) Google Search Console. If you connect your website with Google Search Console, it will tell you if Google sees any problems with your website – if it’s unable to read certain pages, if it’s not mobile-friendly, if links are broken, if there are security problems. You can also connect your website with Bing Webmaster Tools to see if Bing sees any problems with your website.
5) Professional SEO Audit. If all this sounds like it’s too complicate or time consuming, hire a Christian SEO agency to do a professional SEO Audit of your website.
Our team at OurChurch.Com would love to talk with you, help you assess your current search marketing, and help you share your SEO plan for Christmas and next year.
Comment and discuss… Describe one thing you learned when assessing your SEO?
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Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com
Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.
An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.
Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication.