Are you ready for Christmas?
Is your website?
If you are the person responsible for your church’s website, hopefully you have information about your church’s Christmas Eve services (and Christmas services, if you have them) on your church website.
Every year, we do research to learn…
How Google responds to people searching for “Christmas Eve services near me”
Take a look:
What immediately stands out is how much different the search results look compared to December 2021. In fact, the Google search results page has changed significantly almost every year since I wrote the first version of this article back in 2018.
If you look back at the December 2022 search results, they may seem very similar, but there is one big difference which I’ll explain below.
This means it’s important to pay attention to what Google is doing NOW and adjust accordingly.
Here are some observations and “Christmas Eve Service near me” church SEO tips.
1) Google Business Profiles top the results
Notice the screenshot above has the “local 3 pack” in it. Local 3 Pack listings come from Google Business Profiles (GBP). Therefore, if you want your church to show up at the top of the results for “Christmas Eve Service near me,” you need to have a GBP.
For more on this see How to Create, Claim and Verify Your Google Business Profile.
2) Put your Christmas Eve service info on your website
In the December 2022 search results, next to each of the churches listed in the search results it said, “Their website mentions Christmas eve service.” If you don’t have your Christmas Eve service info on your website homepage yet, get to it! 🙂
It’s also important that the Christmas Eve service info you put on your website is in text. Google is getting better at reading images, but they still have a ways to go. In the past, we have seen churches put Christmas Eve graphics on their homepage but not show up in the Christmas Eve search results. Don’t misunderstand – it’s fine to put a Christmas Eve graphic on your homepage, but if you do, it’s important to repeat that info text on the page.
3) Set Your Website URL in your Google Business Profile
We said earlier the info shown in the “Local 3 Pack” comes from GBPs, but they also say “Their website mentions Christmas eve service.” The only way Google can make this connection between a church’ GBP and its website, is if the church has the correct URL of their website in their GBP. Make sure this is the case for your church.
4) No paid ads at the top
In past years, we’ve seen paid ads displayed at the top (2018 results)and bottom (2021 results) of the search results page. But this year, I’m not seeing ads in the search results, even for larger cities like Tampa.
Because there there seems to be little (or no) competition for ad spot, it’s likely a church could get their ad placed at the very top of the page for a very affordable rate.
5) Get your services listed on other sites
On the search results page, below the Local 3 Pack, Google displays the regular, “organic” search results. This year, most of the search listings there are for churches, however, some are for web pages that list Christmas Eve services happening at multiple churches in the community (see the 2nd listing in the screenshot below).
Contact the administrators of the websites listed in your search results and ask them to add info about your church’s Christmas Eve services to their page.
Or, if you want to take the initiative, gather service info for the churches in your community and publish a page on your website that lists all of those Christmas Eve services. There’s a good chance that new page will rank well in the search results.
6) Online reviews affect results more than ever!
We mentioned earlier that in 2022, in the Local 3 Pack, Google showed churches for which “Their website mentions Christmas eve service.” The big change this year is that Google is showing excerpts from online reviews. Notice at the bottom of the Bayside Church listing it says “It was a great candle lite service.” (We’ll save the grammar/spelling jokes for another time. 😉 )
If you were to click on the Bayside Church listing, you would see the “knowledge panel” on the right side which includes a “Review summary.”
Notice how the review summary references reviews that specifically mention Christmas events.
These are reviews people posted to this church’s Google Business Profile. This means asking people to post a review and specifically reference your church’s Christmas Eve service can help.
See our Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews for more info.
Christmas is… a chance for us to connect with people who don’t normally go to church… Make your best stuff. Take some chances. This is your moment. -Stephen Brewster
Partner with experienced Church SEO experts
If you would like some help with your Google Business Profile, website reviews or website SEO from our experienced church SEO experts here at OurChurch.com, complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a time to talk.
Discussion
- Where does your church rank in Google for “Christmas Eve services near me?”
- What questions or comments do you have about setting up your Google Business Profile or ranking for “Christmas Eve services near me?”
Continue reading… Your Christmas Communications Playbook
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.
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