Make a Bigger Difference with Google Ad Grants for Churches
For churches, the internet can be a great tool for evangelism. Unfortunately, many church leaders are unaware of just how to harness the power of the internet for the good of their churches and those in their community. Google Ad Grants for Churches can help.
The internet is crowded. A quick Google search of the word “church” resulted in almost 4 billion hits. How can churches make their voices heard and share their messages with the world online if the search result pages are already stuffed?
That’s where we come in. WestBridge Solutions provides digital strategies for non-profits and churches to help them make a difference in the lives of those who find them online. By helping your church navigate the complicated realm of SEO (search engine optimization) and Google Ad Grants for nonprofits, we can help you bring awareness to your mission.
Let’s look at the reasons why it is imperative for your church to have a solid digital strategy and how WestBridge Solutions can make your church maximize its online potential.
People are Looking for Help Online
People have long used the internet for communication and entertainment. As the internet has become a regular part of our daily lives, people are now using the internet to look for answers to some of life’s biggest problems.
According to one survey, “80 percent of Internet users, or about 93 million Americans, have searched for a health-related topic online.” The number of people asking health-related questions online has grown from 62% in 2001 to 80%, and it is predicted to continue to grow.
Keep in mind, this survey focused on health-related topics primarily, such as diseases and medical problems. Now, consider the number of people who ask questions regarding substance abuse, mental health, and marriage. The numbers would be staggering! Those of us involved in ministry know people are hurting, and we have the tools they need for healing.
Think of it this way – there are 1.2 trillion Google searches per year. People use the search feature to ask Google questions for everything from medical issues to divorce, financial concerns, depression, and more. And you have the answer! That’s why it needs to be easy for people to find you.
It’s How People are Finding Churches, Too
Additionally, people are using internet search engines to find churches – especially millennials. According to a 2014 survey by Pew Research Center, 37% searched for information online when looking for a new church to attend. Those who move to a new town will often search online first to see which churches are in the area. Those who are hurting will search for churches that offer support groups to meet their needs.
In Cyber Church: Pastors and the Internet, Roxanne Stone explains, “Pastors and church leaders also realize how much of their actual ministry now happens online. They recognize their church’s website will often be the first, and maybe only, impression outsiders get of their ministry.” If you are not using digital strategies for your church’s website, you are missing opportunities to reach those your church is equipped to help.
But How Do You Get Your Church to Show Up in One of Their Searches?
The problem for many churches is that they don’t understand the importance of Google’s search engine. When people type a phrase or question into the Google search bar, they are rewarded with what we affectionally call the SERP (search engine results page). However, most people will not go beyond the first page of the SERP, so all the churches that appear on page two or three or four of the SERP may never be seen in Google searches.
This is where WestBridge Solutions comes in. We specialize in helping churches appear in better placement on Google’s search results page by using a variety of digital strategies. By identifying your website needs and developing a digital strategy, we can help you minister to those in need.
For example, we helped Gateway Church in Scottsdale, AZ obtain 1st page Google rankings for their targeted keywords, increased their website users by 121%, increased new visitors by 112%, and increased sessions by 78%.
Why SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Matters for Churches
At WestBridge Solutions, we specialize in SEO, or search engine optimization, for churches. Essentially, SEO is making your website search engine-friendly and looking for ways to increase your Google search ranking. This typically involves making sure your website has quality content for website visitors to view, as well as using keywords that directly respond to the words people use in their Google searches.
For example, if someone searches “church in San Antonio for families,” and your church website has content which fits this search criterion, the church’s webpage will appear in the SERP.
Again, the reason SEO matters for churches is because it is how you make the online community aware of your existence and your ability to help. Working with an SEO specialist means leading more people to your website and eventually through the doors of your church.
Help People Find You by Taking Advantage of a Google Church Grant
In addition to SEO, churches should also work on their search engine marketing (SEM). SEM is how people find your church’s website through Google AdWords. In short, it is marketing geared specifically to people’s search requests on Google.
Here’s the exciting news for churches – Google is giving out ad grants to eligible nonprofits and churches to assist with search engine marketing. The Google Ad Grants for churches are designed to help churches and nonprofits reach a larger audience. Qualifying nonprofits receive $10,000 USD in in-kind Google Ads advertising every month!
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is Costly, But Churches Can Get Free Advertising
You have likely seen Google Ads without giving the logistics of the ad much thought. Google ads are the ones with the word “Ad” that appears next to the website link at the top of the search results page. Since these websites appear at the top of the first search result pages, they gain maximum exposure.
What you may not have realized is that these ads are considered “pay-per-click” or PPC ads. This means every time an online searcher clicks the Ad link, the owner is charged a fee. The owner has to pay per each web link click.
Maybe you never thought about how much search engine marketing costs – it isn’t cheap. PPC adds up quickly for businesses. For many businesses, it is worth it. However, organizations like churches and nonprofits don’t tend to have budgets that allow them to afford PPC advertising.
So, with the Google Ad Grant, churches and nonprofits don’t have to pay for the PPC fees for up to $10,000 a month. That means churches can receive up to $10,000 of free advertising a month!
How Google Ad Grants for Churches Work
If you think this seems too good to be true, you’re wrong. This is a legitimate grant for eligible nonprofit organizations. Once your organization is approved, your organization receives a daily budget of $329 (bringing the total to $10,000 a month). In order to qualify, your organization must:
- be a registered 501c (3) in America
- apply for Google for Non-Profits
- own its own website with a high-quality landing page
- utilize mission-based keywords
- and, use text-based ads only (for the grant)
Additionally, Google Ad grants must use specific geo-targeting to ensure those who live in geographic proximity of your church are the ones being targeted. This works especially well to help local nonprofits spread awareness and engage with their own communities.
With a Limited Budget for Advertising and Marketing, Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits is a Huge Help
Google is doing good and sharing their wealth by offering Google Ad grants to organizations that really can do some good with the Google money. Many churches and nonprofits have a very limited budget, and much of their resources are used to help others. With Google’s help, churches benefit in several ways.
- Saves Churches Money – Rather than spending money or allocating money in the church budget for advertising, churches can receive free advertising that works with a Google Ad Grant. This will enable churches to continue practicing good stewardship while also ministering to those they “meet” online.
- Leads to More Exposure – Google Ads will bring more exposure to a church by their strategic placement on a search results page. Likewise, the ads will raise awareness about your mission and resources.
- Boosts Website Traffic – With more exposure, the church’s website will experience more website traffic. Since people tend to look at the links first listed on a search results page, those with Google ads will get more attention bringing more people to the website.
- Helps Churches Engage with a Larger Audience – Google ads allow you to engage with a larger audience. For instance, if your church offers support groups and you use SEO keywords, people who may have never found you before will find you when searching for help overcoming specific issues your church is equipped to handle.
- Brings More People Through the Doors – Ultimately, one of the main goals of church search engine marketing is to bring people through the doors of the church. Since surveys show people often visit a church’s website before they visit the first time, a Google Ad that leads prospective church members to your website means it will also lead them through your doors. Additionally, if a Google Ad leads a hurting person to your church’s site because of the resources you offer, then you have an opportunity to engage the individual online and then open the doors for face-to-face ministry.
WestBridge Solutions Aims to Help Your Church Be More Equipped to Use Your Website for Ministry
At WestBridge Solutions, our goal is to help your church succeed with their mission. If your mission is to reach the lost, then our mission is to create a missional digital strategy which will allow you to speak into the lives of those who are searching (online and in their hearts). We exist to help you help others.
The Barna survey, Cyber Church: Pastors and the Internet, found, “More than half of pastors today agree that the Internet is a powerful tool for effective ministry (54%, up from 35% in 2000). A similar percentage say that for a church to be effective in the future, it will need to have a significant website or presence on the Internet (55%). Additionally, more than half of pastors agree that developing a significant presence on the Internet is a good investment of their church’s money (54%).”
You can’t have a significant Internet presence if you don’t invest in developing one. By investing in your church’s online presence, you are investing in the lives of those you haven’t even met yet.
We Coach Ministry Leaders on How to Navigate Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits and Churches
We understand that SEO and SEM can be headache-inducing for many, but we love it! For those people who would rather not stress themselves out managing a Google Ad Grant for their church, we can do it for you. For those who want to learn SEO and how to handle it on their own, we can work with you or teach you. We offer personalized coaching as well as half-day and full-day workshops dedicated to teaching the ins and outs of Google SEO and digital strategies. We want to help you find success so that your church can impact more lives.