{"id":11308,"date":"2025-12-04T16:27:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T16:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=11308"},"modified":"2025-12-04T16:27:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T16:27:49","slug":"how-to-get-your-church-website-to-rank-for-christmas-eve-services-near-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=11308","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Your Church Website to Rank for &#8220;Christmas Eve Services near me&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">Are you ready for Christmas?<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">Is your website?<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">If you are the person responsible for your church\u2019s website, hopefully you have information about your church\u2019s Christmas Eve services (and Christmas services, if you have them) on your church website.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">Every year, we do research to learn\u2026<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">How Google responds to people searching for \u201cChristmas Eve services near me\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Take a look:<\/p>\n<p>The biggest change from December 2024 is that Google is now showing an AI Overview above the local 3 pack.\u00a0 We\u2019ll get more into that in a moment.\u00a0 But before we do\u2026<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s remarkable, how the Google search results page has changed significantly almost every year since I wrote the first version of this article back in December 2018. Take a look at December 2021\u00a0and\u00a0 December 2022, to see how the search results have evolved over the years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">This means it\u2019s important to pay attention to what Google is doing NOW and adjust accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some observations and \u201cChristmas Eve Service near me\u201d church SEO tips.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>1) AI Overview displayed at the top<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Yes, AI has entered the scene. Therefore, if you want the greatest visibility for your Christmas Eve services, it would be beneficial to be included in the AI Overview (and ideally the first church mentioned in it). So, how do we do that?<\/p>\n<p>Well, Google\u2019s not giving away the \u201csecret sauce\u201d to their algorithm, but we can make a few observations.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Google lists churches in my city first, followed by nearby cities. So, it\u2019s important to have your address on your website and a verified Google Business Profile so Google knows where your church meets.<\/li>\n<li>The first two churches listed have a little info about Christmas Eve on their homepages and then a link to a separate page that contains all the details.<\/li>\n<li>The churches got their Christmas info on their website early in the season.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>2) Google Business Profiles are now second<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>As shown in the screenshot above,\u00a0 the \u201cPlaces\u201d section is displayed below the AI Overview.\u00a0 This section, sometimes referred to as the \u201cLocal 3 Pack\u201d includes listings that come from Google Business Profiles (GBP). Therefore, if you want your church to show up in this prominent part of the search results for\u00a0 \u201cChristmas Eve Service near me,\u201d you need to have a GBP.<\/p>\n<p>For more on this see How to Create, Claim and Verify Your Google Business Profile.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>3) Put your Christmas Eve service info on your website<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>In the December 2022 search results, next to each of the churches listed in the search results it said, \u201cTheir website mentions Christmas eve service.\u201d\u00a0 That reference to \u201ctheir website\u201d is no longer shown in the search results, but it shows Google pays attention to what\u2019s on your website.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have your Christmas Eve service info on your website homepage yet, get to it! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also important that the Christmas Eve service info you put on your website is in text.\u00a0 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\u2019t misunderstand \u2013 it\u2019s fine to put a Christmas Eve graphic on your homepage, but if you do, it\u2019s important to repeat that info text on the page.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>4) Set Your Website URL in your Google Business Profile\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>We mentioned earlier the importance of having a verified Google Business profile. Additionally, it\u2019s important to help Google can make the connection between your church\u2019 GBP\u00a0 and its website. The way to do that is to make sure your churches web address is in your GBP.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">5) No paid ads at the top, but in the Local 3 Pack<\/h4>\n<p>In past years, we\u2019ve seen paid ads displayed at the top (2018 results) and bottom (2021 results) of the search results page.\u00a0 But this year, I\u2019m not seeing ads in the search results, even for larger cities like Tampa.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">Because there there seems to be little (or no) competition for ad spot, it\u2019s likely a church could get their ad placed at the very top of the page for a very affordable rate.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Google Ads has an option for Local Campaigns which are displayed in the Local 3 Pack. Notice the 4th \u201cSponsored\u201d listing in the screenshot below.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>6) Get your services listed on other sites<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>On the search results page, below the Local 3 Pack, Google displays the regular, \u201corganic\u201d 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).<\/p>\n<p>Contact the administrators of the websites listed in your search results and ask them to add info about your church\u2019s Christmas Eve services to their page.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s a good chance that new page will rank well in the search results.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">7) Online reviews affect results more than ever!<\/h4>\n<p>Starting in 2024, in the Local 3 Pack, Google switched from showing churches for which \u201cTheir website mentions Christmas eve service\u201d to showing excerpts from online reviews. This continues in 2025 as all 3 churches listed in the Local 3 Pack above have review excerpts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Our first visit was with our best friends for Christmas Eve service.<br \/>Wonderful Christmas Eve service.<br \/>It was a great candle lite service.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Notice how the reviews specifically mention Christmas events.<\/p>\n<p>These are reviews people posted to this church\u2019s Google Business Profile. This means asking people to post a review and specifically reference your church\u2019s Christmas Eve service can help.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">See our Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews for more info.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\"><em><strong>Christmas is\u2026 a chance for us to connect with people who don\u2019t normally go to church\u2026 Make your best stuff. Take some chances. This is your moment. -Stephen Brewster<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Click to share this image on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram <\/p>\n<h4>Partner with experienced Church SEO experts<\/h4>\n<p class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">Discussion<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">Where does your church rank in Google for \u201cChristmas Eve services near me?\u201d<\/li>\n<li class=\"m_-6316312469808022476gmail-Preformatted\">What questions or comments do you have about setting up your Google Business Profile or ranking for \u201cChristmas Eve services near me?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Continue reading\u2026\u00a0Your Christmas Communications Playbook\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Co-founder &amp; CEO, OurChurch.Com<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ChurchLeaders.com<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The JoyFM<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and his personal blog, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LiveIntentionally.org<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Journey Community Church<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you ready for Christmas? Is your website? If you are the person responsible for your church\u2019s website, hopefully you have information about your church\u2019s Christmas Eve services (and Christmas services, if you have them) on your church website. Every year, we do research to learn\u2026 How Google responds to people searching for \u201cChristmas Eve<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[813,82,2618,2747,1746,1250],"class_list":["post-11308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-prayer","tag-christmas","tag-church","tag-eve","tag-rank","tag-services","tag-website"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11308"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11308\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}