<\/p>\n
We here at OurChurch.Com are big advocates of setting goals.\u00a0 However, I believe one of the biggest pitfalls of goal-setting for Christians is setting the wrong kind of goals.<\/p>\n
I touched on this when we discussed Should Churches Set Goals?, but I want go deeper\u2026<\/p>\n
Businesses often focus on results-oriented goals like \u201cGrow revenue 10%.\u201d\u00a0 For churches, it might be things like \u201cIncrease average Sunday<\/span><\/span>\u00a0attendance by 20%\u201d or \u201c25 decisions for Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n These are good things to work towards, but I ask you, Christian leader: who is it that can produce these results?<\/p>\n Can you and your church increase attendance by 20% on your own?\u00a0 Do you have the power to produce 25 new followers of Jesus?<\/p>\n We know from scripture \u201cNo one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them\u201d (John\u00a06:44<\/span><\/span>)<\/p>\n And yet when it comes to strategic planning and goal setting, we often set goals that only God can produce.<\/p>\n If we meet the results-oriented goals, we have a tendency to congratulate ourselves for accomplishing our goals even though God is the one who deserves the credit.<\/p>\n On the other hand, if we don\u2019t meet the goals, there is a tendency to think we must have done something wrong and need to make changes to reach our goals the following year, without really thinking and praying about whether God may be calling us to \u201ccast our nets on the other side of the boat.\u201d<\/p>\n Neither response honors God as the only one who can produce fruit.<\/p>\n Some church leaders see the danger of setting results-oriented goals. But then they make the opposite mistake:\u00a0 they assume because only God can change a human heart that they have no role in the process and shouldn\u2019t set any goals at all.<\/p>\n Jesus told his disciples, \u201cTherefore,\u00a0go\u00a0and\u00a0make disciples\u00a0of all nations,\u00a0baptizing\u00a0them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and\u00a0teaching<\/strong> them to\u00a0obey\u00a0everything I have commanded you\u201d (Matthew 28:19-20a)<\/p>\n God gives us some big clues in Matthew 28:19-20 as to the kind of goals Christians and Christian churches ought to set.<\/p>\n Notice the words of Jesus I highlighted in the verse above \u00a0\u2013 go, make disciples, teach, obey.\u00a0 They are all verbs.<\/p>\n As followers of Jesus, our goals should be to do what God is calling us to do, and trust him for the results.<\/p>\n Click to share this image on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram <\/p>\n Tying this in with the 4 types of goals we discussed earlier, verbs (action steps) are the project and process goals.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s get practical about applying these principles specifically to search engine optimization and church SEO\u2026\u00a0 When setting your church SEO goals for 2024, the question to ask yourself is, \u201cWhat is God calling me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n Here are some action steps (project and process goals) I recommend you prayerfully consider.<\/p>\n Your\u00a0Google Business Profile (previously called Google My Business listing) is what appears on Google Maps.\u00a0 Also, if you do a search on Google.com for \u201cchurch in [your city],\u201d in the search results you\u2019ll see a map with 3 Google Business Profile listings. If your Profile is out of date, lacks important information, or doesn\u2019t exist at all, people will have a hard time finding your church on Google.<\/p>\n Google Analytics\u00a0provides a wealth of information about how many people are visiting your website, where they\u2019re coming from and what they\u2019re doing on your site. I recommend looking at Google Analytics data once a month, but to do that you\u2019ll first need to get it setup by creating an account and embedding Google Analytics code in your website.<\/p>\n Google Search Console will tell you if Google has any problems reading your website, and it will tell you what keywords people are using in Google to find your website.\u00a0 This can be extremely useful for fixing problems with your website, and for identifying what keywords are bringing people to your website (and which aren\u2019t)<\/p>\n Google introduced Core Web Vitals in 2021 as a measure of a web page\u2019s speed and usability. If your website does not load quickly or is not easy for mobile visitors to use, Google will show your website further down in the search results.\u00a0 Check your website\u2019s Core Web Vitals with GTMetrix. or Google PageSpeed Insights. If your website scores poorly, set a goal of improving your website\u2019s CWV or having a professional help you with this.<\/p>\n How is your website doing in the search engines? Are there opportunities to improve search rankings and reach more people in your community?\u00a0 If so, what steps can you take to do this?<\/p>\n If you can answer these questions on your own, great.\u00a0 If not, talk with a professional SEO who specializes in\u00a0church SEO\u00a0and ask them to do an assessment\/audit and give you their recommendations.\u00a0 The idea here is to get some recommendations you can prayerfully consider.<\/p>\n Wouldn\u2019t it be great if you knew how many people who visited your church for a Sunday service found your church through an online search?<\/p>\n This would help you understand how important your website and SEO are to your church\u2019s outreach.<\/p>\n The only way to do this is to ask \u2013 either by having people fill out a visitor\/connection card that asks this question, or by having someone follow up with visitors personally and ask \u2013 and then track this info in a spreadsheet. This takes some work, but the insight is tremendously valuable!<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to talk with someone who understands churches and church SEO, we\u2019d love to talk with you.<\/p>\n Complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a call \u2013 no cost, no obligation.<\/strong><\/p>\n Continue reading\u2026\u00a0How to set and reach your goals in 2026!<\/p>\n Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com<\/strong><\/p>\n 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 An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like <\/span>ChurchLeaders.com<\/span>, <\/span>The JoyFM<\/span>, and his personal blog, <\/span>LiveIntentionally.org<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at <\/span>Journey Community Church<\/span> 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>\nThe big danger with results-oriented goals is what happens next year when these goals are reviewed.\u00a0<\/h4>\n
Falling off the other side of the horse: no church goals<\/h4>\n
What are our goals as Christians?<\/h4>\n
5 Church SEO Recommendations for 2026<\/h2>\n
1) Setup, verify and update your Google Business Profile.<\/h4>\n
2) Integrate Google Analytics.<\/h4>\n
3) Integrate Google Search Console.<\/h4>\n
4) Make sure your website has good Core Web Vitals.<\/h4>\n
5) Develop a Church SEO plan.<\/h4>\n
BONUS: Count and track how Sunday visitors find your church<\/strong>.<\/h4>\n
Discuss and Comment<\/h4>\n
\n