Do you want to reach more people and have a greater impact for the Kingdom of God?

Today, people start their search for just about everything using search engines.

If you want to reach people in your community across the nation or around the world, you not only need a website, but you need a website that ranks well in search engines so people can find it.

This month we are publishing a series of SEO Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) video blog articles.

They are designed to help you understand things like…

• What is SEO? (all the tasks and elements involved)
• Why is SEO important?
• How do you decide whether to do your own SEO or hire an SEO company?
• If you hire an SEO company, how do you choose a good one that’s right for you?

These articles are applicable to church SEO, SEO for Christian schools, SEO for Christian ministries, and SEO for businesses.

SEO FAQs:

1. What is SEO?
2. What is technical SEO?
3. What is keyword research?
4. What is on-page optimization?
5. What is link building? (backlinks)
6. What is content marketing?
7. What is local SEO?
8. Do I need an ongoing SEO service?
9. Is SEO still important?
10. What does it take to rank well for my keywords?
11. How long does SEO take?
12. Is SEO an expense or investment?
13. How much does SEO cost?
14. Should SEO companies have guarantees?
15. Should I do Google Ads or SEO?
16. 3 things to know before contacting an SEO company
17. What questions should I ask an SEO before hiring them?
18. What is black hat SEO?
19. Should a Christian organization hire a Christian SEO Company?

Why is SEO important? Because…

A website without SEO is like a car with no gas. -Paul Cookson

SEO FAQs: Search Engine Optimization Questions Answered

1. What is SEO?

We kick off the series by addressing the most fundamental question, “What is SEO?”

SEO encompasses a range of tasks and strategies aimed at boosting a website’s ranking in search engines when users search for specific keywords or phrases. But why do we do this? It’s simple – we want more people to discover a website, click on its search listings, and visit it. The ultimate goal is to increase a website’s visibility and, subsequently, its traffic.

SEO is a multifaceted field, and it’s impossible to cover all aspects of it in a single video. So, in this first video we address the question by providing an overview of 7 key aspects of SEO.

Check out: What is SEO?

2. What is technical SEO?

Technical SEO is all about ensure a website can be read by search engines, loads quickly, and can be properly indexed. Without good technical SEO, your website could be excluded or penalized by search engines.

In this article and video we look at 5 components of technical SEO.

See What is Technical SEO?

3. What is keyword research?

Everyone wants better search rankings, right?

But getting better search rankings for the wrong keywords is worthless! It’s a big waste of time, effort and resources.

Many people think they know what keywords they want to rank better for in the search engines. However, more often than not, those assumptions are way off the mark. The last thing you want to do is invest your valuable time, energy, and resources into optimizing a website for the wrong keywords.

For more on how to target the right keywords, see What is Keyword Research?

4. What is On-Page Optimization?

On-page optimization involves making changes and improvements directly to your web page to enhance its search engine rankings.

Usually, when people hear the term “SEO,” they think of using keywords on a web page as much as possible. But there is much more to on-page optimization than you may realize, including Google’s latest effort to evaluate the quality of a web page through what is known as  E-E-A-T.

For more on this, including how to optimize for E-E-A-T, see What is On-Page Optimization?

5. What is Link Building? (Backlinks)

Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to your website. Beyond simply what link building is, it’s important to understand…

Why is link building important? and What are the best ways to get more backlinks?

Find out in What is Link Building? (Backlinks)

6. What is Content Marketing?

According to the dictionary… Content marketing is a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of online material (content) that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.

But with so much content being created these days (especially with AI), content must stand out to be effective. In this SEO FAQ video and article we look at 6 characteristics of good content marketing.

Check out What is Content Marketing?

7. What is Local SEO?

Local SEO is vital for locally-focused organizations like churches, schools, and local businesses. It helps them rank higher in local search results, including map listings and local packs.

Getting listed in the local search results and maps doesn’t happen automatically or by accident. You actually have to register, verify, and optimize with each map/local search engine. Beyond that, there are a few other important things to do, so we cover 4 Key Aspects of Local SEO in our next SEO FAQ video…

Watch/read What is Local SEO?

8. Do I Need an Ongoing SEO Service?

The internet is a dynamic and ever-evolving space. Search algorithms are in a perpetual state of change, websites are continuously being updated, and competitors are constantly vying for better positions. If you optimize your website just once and then check that off your list, over time any progress you’ve made in your search rankings will gradually erode due to these changes.

In this SEO FAQ video we share 6 Things Your Ongoing SEO Should Include.

Check out Do I Need an Ongoing SEO Service?

9. Is SEO still important?

With the growing popularity of social media and AI, people ask us all the time, “Is SEO still important?”

To answer this question, its important to look at how people use search engines, social media, and AI. What are people asking each of them?  What do they do after they use them? And then, is your organization and your website in position to provide the information people are looking for when they’re looking for it?

We address these questions and more in, Is SEO Still Important?

10. What Does It Take to Rank Well for My Keywords?

We get this question a lot.  Usually, the person asking wants a specific answer – a specific number of links, a specific amount of content, a specific amount of time.

To figure that out, it’s helpful to start by understanding this general formula: Relevance x Authority = Search Rankings

From there, we can look at 5 Things That Impact What It Takes to Rank Well for a Keyword.

That’s what we do in the video and article: What Does It Take to Rank Well for My Keywords? 

11. How Long Does SEO Take?

Everyone wants better better search rankings… and we want them now!

But realistically, how long should you expect SEO to take?  How long will it take before you actually see improvements in search rankings and an increase to visitors to your website from search engines?

First, it’s helpful to understand the SEO tasks that must be completed to improve search rankings and roughly how long each task takes. In addition to that, there are a several other factors that impact how long it will take.

Learn what they are in, How Long Does SEO Take?

12. Is SEO an Expense or Investment?

First of all, let me be honest with you. This is not really a Frequently Asked Question. Nobody actually calls or emails saying, “Hey, I have this burning question… do you think SEO an investment or an expense?”

What happens is people contact us because they’re interested in SEO, we discuss the financial aspect of an SEO service, and some of them say, “I can’t afford it.”

This response indicates they have an expense mindset.

In this article and video we discuss why having an investment mindset matters, and how it impacts the way you budget for SEO and measure ROI.  Check out Is SEO an Expense or Investment?

13. How Much Does SEO Cost?

If you start researching Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services, you’ll quickly discover that there is a wide range of prices for SEO services, from under $100 to several thousand dollars a month. Why is there such a big disparity?

In this SEO FAQ article and video we explain 4 things that impact the cost of SEO services.

See How Much Does SEO Cost?

14. Should SEO Companies Have Guarantees?

Some SEO professionals think that SEO companies shouldn’t guarantee specific search rankings because they have no control the search results produced by Google and other search engines. They argue that guaranteeing results might seem like an attempt to deceive people.

It is true that no one can control search results, and therefore no one can say with 100% certainty they can get specific rankings in the search results. But we have a different perspective on what a guarantee means.

Check out Should SEO Companies Have Guarantees?

15. Should I Do Google Ads or SEO?

Search engine results pages contain two types of search listings: paid ads and organic (free) listings. Therefore, to improve your visibility in the search results and get more visitors from search engines, you have two options:

• pay for ads on a pay-per-click (PPC) basis, or
• invest in search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your position among the organic search listings

Find out how to determine which is best for you as we address the question Should I Do Google Ads or SEO?

16. 3 things to know before contacting an SEO company

If an SEO company does their job well, they will ask you questions so they can recommend the SEO services that are the best fit for your organization.

You can and should be prepared for those questions.

Check out 3 Things to Know Before Contacting an SEO Company

17. What questions should I ask an SEO before hiring them?

There are many search engine optimization (SEO) companies out there. But which company is right for you?

To find out, you have to ask the right questions.

Read/watch What questions should I ask an SEO before hiring them?

18. What is black hat SEO?

The term “black hat” harks back to the old Western movies where the good guys wore white hats and the bad guys sported black ones. This distinction made it easy to identify the heroes and villains.

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the world of SEO was like the Wild West, and people were experimenting with various techniques – some ethical, and some not so ethical – to boost their search engine rankings. Those unethical tactics that search engines frowned upon became known as black hat SEO.

In this article and video we look at 4 Black Hat SEO Techniques to Avoid

See What Is Black Hat SEO?

19. Should a Christian organization hire a Christian SEO Company?

There are lots of SEO companies out there to choose from.  Here are 4 benefits you experience when you work with a Christian SEO company.

Check out Should a Christian organization hire a Christian SEO Company?

Additional Resources

• The Ultimate Guide to Church SEO
• More Search Marketing Articles on our blog

Share your feedback and perspective on SEO in this month’s Listening Post survey.

From DIY SEO to DIWU SEO

SEO is a complex, ever-changing endeavor. You can try to do it yourself, but will you know if you are doing it well? Is it really the best use of your time to not only learn and implement SEO best practices, but continue to re-learn and re-implement best practices as they change?

Instead of do-it-yourself (DIY) SEO, consider the benefits of do-it-with-us SEO (DIWU, I think we just invented that ).

If you’re interested in saving time while also reaching and serving more people through church SEO or Christian SEO for your business, school or ministry, we’d love to talk with you!

Fill out the consultation request form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop)

Post a Comment and Discuss:

• What questions do you have about SEO?

Paul Steinbrueck

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. 

steinbrueck.org

The post SEO FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

We say that because most people will visit a church’s website before they visit the church for a worship service.

Not only will potential visitors view your website, but they will also get their first impression of your church from the website and decide whether or not they will visit in person.

It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of your church website to your church outreach!

If one of your goals this year is to redesign your church website or make some improvements to the design of your church website, we’re here to help you do that.  Here’s how…

7 Church Website Design Tips and Tools

1) Church Website Design Services

If you are interested in having Christian web developers with lots of experience build a new website for your church. Check out our church web design services and request a free, no obligation phone consultation. This is a great solution for pastors and church communications folks who want a great church website but don’t have the time or experience to do it well.

2) Church Website Builder

If you want a new church website and have the time to do it yourself, our WP-EZ Church Website Builder is easy to use, affordable and designed specifically for churches.  No need to install WordPress, buy a theme, or install dozens of plugins. WP-EZ does all of that for you.

3) Update Your Church Website Theme

If your website looks dated or you just want to change things up, one way to do that is to switch to a new website theme.  If you built your website within the last 4 years or have already migrated to WP-EZ 2.0, switching themes takes just a few clicks.  If you built your website more than 4 years ago with our original WP-EZ Website Builder (or 8+ years ago with our NE1 Website Builder), we strongly encourage you to switch themes and migrate to WP-EZ 2.0.  Your new website will look and function sooooo much better!

4) Training Center & Video Tutorials

Have you already built your website with our WP-EZ Website Builder and want to make it even better?  We created 10 training courses on the most important website design topics in our WP-EZ Training Center, and we have an extensive library of additional web builder video tutorials

5) Free Website Reviews

Even the most experienced web developers can benefit from a fresh set of eyes and some honest feedback.  We’ll review your website once a year at no cost.  So, if you haven’t gotten your free review this calendar year, request a free website review now.

6) Ultimate Guide to Church Website Design

If you want to build a new website or improve your website in your own, get our insider tips on the church website design process we use in our free Ultimate Guide to Church Website Design.

7) Website Design FAQS: Frequently Asked Questions

We are answering 12 of the most common Church Website Design questions in a new video blog series.

1. Do we need a new website? How to tell.
2. Why do I need a web team? How do I build one?
3. 5 Things You Need to Know Before Hiring a Web Developer
4. How to Determine Your New Website Requirements
5. How Much Does a Church Website Cost to Build?
6. How long does it take to design a website?
7. What Is Best Platform for my Website?
8. Will I be able to update my website myself?
9. 9 Questions to Ask a Church Website Developer Before Hiring
10. What is responsive website design?
11. What is good website design?
12. Should Christian organizations hire Christian web developers

Don’t forget…

Your website is the front door to your church. –Paul Steinbrueck

Website Design FAQS: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do we need a new website? How to tell.

A website is a crucial tool for any organization, whether its a church, school, ministry, or business. Therefore, the decision whether or not to build a new website is a big one!

Ultimately, it comes down to whether your current website is helping you to accomplish your mission. And whether investing in a new website will significantly improve your ability to accomplish your mission.

In this video and article, we provide 6 assessment questions to help you determine whether building a new website is worth the investment.

2. Why do I need a web team? How do I build one?

Are you running the website for your church, school, ministry or business all by yourself?

If so, it’s not the ideal situation for you or your organization.

For you, it can lead to burnout. For your organization, if you become unavailable due to illness or vacation, what happens to the website? What if the website goes down or there is important information to communicate while you’re unavailable?

In this video and article, we tell you how to create a web team and roles you should have on that team.

3. 5 Things You Need to Know Before Hiring a Web Developer

You may think the first step in the process of getting a new website for your organization is to start contacting website developers, but that would be premature.

For a website developer to be able to provide you with a proposal and a price, you have to be able to tell them what you want as well as the time and budget constraints you’d like them to work within.

Plus there are some internal organizational decisions that need to be made so you can keep the project on track and avoid major pitfalls.

In this video and article, we guide you with 5 Things You Need to Know Before Hiring a Web Developer.

4. How to Determine Your New Website Requirements

Before you build a new website, you need to determine its requirements – what the website is going to look like and do.

This is especially true when you hire a website design company to build your new website. You need to figure out what you want in your website so you can tell the developer and get all the requirements into your contract.

As you talk to people within your organization about the website, you’re going to get a lot of different ideas and a lot of requests. Deciding which ones actually make it into the website and which ones don’t (or get delayed) can be quite a challenge, so…

Here are 3 tips on How to Determine Your New Website Requirements

5. How Much Does a Church Website Cost to Build?

This is far and away the #1, most common question we’re asked about website design. It’s a complicated question because the cost of a website depends on many things.

The only way to really know how much a custom-designed website will cost is to consult with a developer and have them give you a fixed-priced proposal (which we would be happy to do).

Apart from that, however, we think it’s important to understand the things that impact the cost of a website, so in this Web Design FAQ video/article we share with you 10 factors that impact how much website design costs.

See: How much does website design cost?

6. How long does it take to design a website?

Would it surprise you if the answer to this question is, “It depends?”

Just as there are number of factors that impact the cost of a website, there are also a number of factors that impact how long it takes to develop a new website.

In this video and article we look at 5 things that impact how long it takes to build a website. Some of these factors are determined by the website developer, some others are determined by you, the client, and some depend on the scale of website. To learn out each impacts the website development schedule…

See How long does it take to design a website?

7. What Is Best Platform for my Website?

Another big decision that needs to be made before building a new website is which platform to use.

There are lot of different options.  Some involve purchasing and installing software the developer installs on their desktop computer. Others involved installing Content Management System software in a web hosting account. Still others utilize an online website builder.

In this video and article we explain the pros and cons of each type of website platform, and then point out a few other factors to take into consideration when choosing the platform for your website.

See What Is Best Platform for my Website?

8. Will I be able to update my website myself?

Often organizations don’t think ahead of time about how they are going to maintain and update their website after it launches. This can lead to a lot of problems.

There’s nothing worse than a website that has a bunch of outdated information on it.

No actually, there is something worse… a website that gets hacked because it hasn’t received security updates

Therefore, it’s important to talk about updates and maintenance with any developer you’re considering hiring to build your website. To help you better understand the issues and questions to ask…

Check out Church Website Maintenance: DIY or Developer?

9. 9 Questions to Ask a Church Website Developer Before Hiring

Hiring the wrong website developer would be a huge mistake!

You can avoid that mistake by properly vetting the web developers you’re considering.

Chances are you already have 5 or 6 good questions in mind, but you don’t want to leave anything out or leave anything to chance, so check out these 9 Questions to Ask a Church Website Developer Before Hiring

10. What is responsive website design?

“Responsive” website design is one of those buzzwords that website developers use, assuming that everyone understands what it means.

If you’re not quite sure you know what responsive website design is, why it matters, and maybe you’ve been hesitant to ask, this FAQ video and article are for you.

See What is responsive website design?

11. What is good website design?

Sometimes it seems like whether a website is “good” is just a matter of subjective opinion. One person might point to one website and say, “I really like this!” Then someone else says, “Ugh, I don’t like that at all. This one looks way better to me!”

While there are some aspects of website design that are a matter of personal opinion, there are also some objective qualities to consider that distinguish good website design from poor website design.

We answer the question, What is good website design? by discussing 5 essential elements of good website design.

12. Should Christian organizations hire Christian web developers?

As you consider which web design agency to hire, you’ll probably look at their experience, the portfolio of sites they’ve built, online reviews, and the price provided in the proposal. But what about their faith?

We’re not here to tell you what you should do, but there are some real tangible benefits to working with another Christian organization.

We share 4 benefits of hiring a Christian website developer as we address the question, should Christian organizations hire Christian web developers?

That wraps up this series of Website Design FAQs.

Work with Our Team of Experienced Pros

Yeah, you can build your own website, but will it be as effective as a website built by our team that’s been building websites for 25 years? Don’t you have enough on your plate as it is? Work with our team and you can have a better, more effective website, in less time. Fill out the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a discover call today!

Share your perspective on church website design in this month’s Listening Post survey.

Post a comment and discuss… 

• What “next step” are you going to take to improve your church website design?
• What questions do you have about website design?

Paul Steinbrueck

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. 

steinbrueck.org

The post Church Website Design Tips and Tools appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Church Website Hosting FAQs 

1. What is church website hosting?
2. How do I get a website?
3. What factors should I consider when choosing a hosting provider?
4. What are storage and bandwidth and how much do I need?
5. Do I need much technical knowledge to manage my website hosting?
6. Can I upgrade or downgrade my web hosting plan in the future?
7. Will a website hosting company backup my website?
8. What is MyOCC?
9. What is cPanel?
10. What is an SSL Certificate?
11. Can I register a domain name with my hosting provider?
12. Is Email Hosting Included with Website Hosting?
13. How much does church web hosting cost?
14. Do web hosting companies offer money-back guarantees?
15. Should a church use a Christian web hosting company?
16. Is it good to get all website services from one service provider?

A prudent question is one half of wisdom. –Francis Bacon

If you’re looking for church website hosting that’s easy to use, reliable, and is supported by a team that shares your faith…

Getting started with OurChurch.Com’s church website hosting is simple:

1. Go to OurChurch.Com
2. Select your web hosting package
3. Complete your order

What questions do you have about web hosting? Ask them in a comment and I’ll either answer in a reply or maybe even feature your question in a new video blog post.

You can also share your feedback and perspective on church website hosting and other topics in this month’s Listening Post survey.

Paul Steinbrueck

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. 

steinbrueck.org

The post Church Website Hosting FAQs – Video Blog Series appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Events are one of the best forms of church outreach because:

1. People – especially families – are always looking for meaningful things to do together.
2. Events give guests the opportunity to experience Christian fellowship and the love of Christ first hand.
3. Events are an easy way to meet new people and start new friendships.

One of the most unheralded blessings of God’s creation is seasons.

Each new season brings change and freshness, yet the rhythm of the seasons also brings familiarity and comfort.

This is why holidays and seasonal events are so popular and resonate with just about everyone no matter how old they are or what their cultural background is.

Paul Steinbrueck

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. 

steinbrueck.org

The post Church Outreach Ideas & Events appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.