Search Engines and Fleas
Posted on 19. Sep, 2009 by Steve Swisher in Website
Whenever I think about getting the word out I think of this passage:
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14-15, NIV)
If Paul were writing that to churches today, perhaps he might have included, “And how can they hear your sermons online if they never find you on Google?” There’s an old saying when it comes to search engines, if you’re not on the first page you don’t exist. Think about it, how often do you click through to the second or third page of a Google search? For most people the only time they make it beyond the first page of results is when they already know what they are looking for and just need to find it. But as a new church you want people who aren’t looking for you to find you. So how do you do that?
Well, the churches that end up on the first page in your area have been around a while. They’ve also probably optimized their site and have had thousands of people visit their site over the years. The more a site is accessed, the higher it is ranked in search engine results. So how do you compete with websites that have thousands of hits when yours has only been visited by your launch team members and your mom who lives in Iowa?
Simple, get inspired by the fleas that got in your house. The flea uses two strategies to get in where other bugs can’t go. First they get where they want to go in life by attaching themselves to a big dog. Second, they travel in large numbers which only increases their chance of you finding them in your house. You need to do the same.
First, attach yourself to as many big dogs on the internet as possible: Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, Blogspot, Blogger, Flickr, and so on. Create an account and upload some content and and tag it up with as many key words as possible. Post videos and fill the descriptions with search terms people would use to find a church in your area. Whenever geo tracking is available, use it. That’s where it lets you pinpoint on a map where the video or picture was taken. It’s like a big arrow to the world, “hey there’s a church meeting right here down the street from you”. What happens is that these big dogs that have millions of hits per day are well listed in Search Engine results. If you attach yourself to them, it increases the chance you’ll make it on someone’s search results.
Second, like the flea travel in large numbers. The more videos and pictures you post and the more blogs you have going, all increase the chance that one or more of them will show up on the internet. Further, if you get really good at this and work the system, you’ll end up having multiple search results in the search engines. For instance, it’s not uncommon for you to end up having your church’s website, your twitter account, your blog, and your video link all show up in someone’s search. That would mean that 4 out of the 10 results they are seeing will ultimately lead them to your church.
When we launched our church we ran into one huge online problem. We chose our name not knowing there was a book being released with the same name: Essential Church. It was really hard to compete with a major publisher’s marketing campaign and all the online booksellers that have millions of hits per week. We used the flea strategy to break into the top ten. My personal blog was the first thing to make it in the top ten. Then a few weeks later our videos showed up, and then finally our website made it into the top ten. It takes time, but it’s well worth it. Often people will see your church’s name and do a search for it online. If there are other churches with a similar name anywhere in the country, then even the person who is looking for you might not find you. So, “go to the flea you sluggard, learn from it’s ways and be wise.” (That’s a real loose translation of Proverbs 6:6)
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