On-Page Optimization


(Updated on 3/31/2011)

Are the pages of your website optimized for the search engines? If not, you are missing out on visitors to your website and to your church, missing out on people who are looking for God.   On-page optimization is the essence of search engine optimization and the key to targeting the keywords that can make your website a success.

What is On-Page Optimization?
On-page optimization refers to all the optimization done on the actual pages of your website. This includes both visible elements, like optimizing text, and behind-the-scenes work, like optimizing META tags. Search Engine Optimization has essentially three main parts, keyword research, on-page optimization, and track/reporting. (You could also technically include link building). These elements of SEO could also be described as research, implementation, and tracking the results. On-page optimization is the implementation stage of search engine optimization. With on-page optimization, you target specific keywords and help the search engines to rank you well for these keywords. (If you’re not sure what keywords to target, read our article series on Keyword Research)

Can The Search Engines Even Read Your Site?
Before we get into the details of how to optimize your website for the search engines, the first thing you need to do is see if your church’s website is even able to be read by the search engines.  At this time, search engines can read html.  Search Engines cannot read Flash®, Javascript, or images.

If you have a Flash® website, you may have an “Alternative Content” feature which creates an html page of the content of your website.  Some site’s don’t have this option and even when they do, it’s often more difficult to fully optimize.  I recommend not using a full Flash® site.  You can use Flash® on a site, just set it up so the site itself is an html site and just have some Flash® elements.  Keep in mind that any Flash® elements will not be able to read by the search engines.

If you have much of your content in images, they it would be a good idea to change that so the content is in regular html.  These days you can use CSS to stylize the text so you don’t have to use graphics for text.

Javascript is not usually too much of a problem.  The place I see javascript preventing the search engines from seeing content the most is with links as some websites use javascripts for their navigation menu.  As long as you have plenty of regular html links on your site outside of your navigation menu, then you have nothing to worry about.  If most or all of you links are done with javascript, you may want to change that.

Search Engine Optimization - Colorado City ResultsSEO Is Hugely Important for Churches!
SEO is important for any site, but for churches it’s even more important for churches.  Look at the image to the right.  Those are the search results for “church near Colorado City, AZ”.  Three out of the top four results (including the top two results) are Mormon or Jehovah’s Witnesses churches.  Generally speaking, about 65% of all searches click through the top two search results.  So, when someone is looking for a church who doesn’t know one church from the next, how important do you think it is for your church to be number 1?  It could literally be the difference between a person becoming a Mormon or a Christian.

With the stakes being so high, let’s take a look at what you need to do to optimize your church’s website for the search engines.

About the author

Kurt Steinbrueck

37 Comments

  • […] #split {}#single {}#splitalign {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;}#singlealign {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;}#splittitlebox {text-align: center;}#singletitlebox {text-align: center;}.linkboxtext {line-height: 1.4em;}.linkboxcontainer {padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px;background-color:#eeeeee;border-color:#000000;border-width:0px; border-style:solid;}.linkboxdisplay {padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px;}.linkboxdisplay td {text-align: center;}.linkboxdisplay a:link {text-decoration: none;}.linkboxdisplay a:hover {text-decoration: underline;} function opensplitdropdown() { document.getElementById('splittablelinks').style.display = ''; document.getElementById('splitmouse').style.display = 'none'; var titleincell = document.getElementById('titleincell').value; if (titleincell == 'yes') {document.getElementById('splittitletext').style.display = 'none';} } function closesplitdropdown() { document.getElementById('splittablelinks').style.display = 'none'; document.getElementById('splitmouse').style.display = ''; var titleincell = document.getElementById('titleincell').value; if (titleincell == 'yes') {document.getElementById('splittitletext').style.display = '';} } Find Out How to Optimize Your E-Commerce Website for the Search EnginesLearn The Suggestions To Maximize Your SEO WorkLearn The Suggestions To Maximize Your SEO WorkYou like-a da juice, ah?Bolsa FamíliaEffective Search Engine Optimization Strategies for High Quality WebsitesLearn How to Evangelize Online – Church Marketing Online Christian Outreach Strategies article: Sear… […]

  • What we can see, most of the churches does not have any website. It is always a better option to preach you message not only in the churches but also throughout the web. A lot of people are online geek. 🙂

    • There are lots of those who have regarded as the options which attend starting a house company. It's excellent to operate on your own, as well as function the actual several hours you would like. The actual ideas in the following paragraphs will help you consider your own concept

      • Once the tech assistance company is known as, their very first responses are to obtain general idea concerning the product, its specialized problems as well as what restore services tend to be implemented till time of producing that phone.

  • In on-page optimization there are several strategies to get a good traffic to your site. It's not an easy task to do, it takes much time to get a traffic, but at the end of the day you will come to notice the best results. Like you need to add more back links to your pages. Each page you need to add so that the more time a search engine crawls your website and stays in it, the more chances to increase your page rank.

  • Hey, I've recently started to learn about social networking, link building some basic tips about search engine optimization. Your post really helped me a bit to improve my knowledge. Thanks for sharing beautiful article.

    • This is a part of an excellent cleaning service. In order to maintain a perfect balance of water, they test the condition of water. By making use of certified equipment, they assure proper water filtration and chlorine level.

  • I have more knowledge about australia writing research paper services. Those are helpful to all the blog writers and content writing users. These are all given good education to our future life. Thank you so much to your educational services.

    • You need to open up another take into account your company. This particular can make monitoring company property easier as well as helps prevent all of them through interacting with your own personal property.

  • for better improvement to your website you needs to make an on page optimization for your website, it helps you to run your website the better, also agree with the points given in this article.

    • The garages are the mini parking areas actually and they can be constructed with more care by the use of rubber garage flooring. The concept is new and the features that the flooring provides are numerous and matchless. To find the superb quality flooring for garage browse through the website rubberflooring-uk.uk

    • The garages are the mini parking areas actually and they can be constructed with more care by the use of rubber garage flooring. The concept is new and the features that the flooring provides are numerous and matchless. To find the superb quality flooring for garage browse through the website rubberflooring-uk.uk

  • I really enjoyed reading this article as it gave a lot of insight in the ministries efforts to attract more visitors. The information greatly outlines the uses for SEO and helps one understand how to maneuver the landscape.

  • you’re likely to have small ones too. If you exercise really hard, or if your body doesn’t get enough nutrition, breast growth can be inhibited. James Samuel

  • The place I see javascript preventing the search engines from seeing content the most is with links as some websites use javascripts for their navigation menu…

  • Javascript is not usually too much of a problem. The place I see javascript preventing the search engines from seeing content the most is with links as some websites use javascripts for their navigation menu –

    • Our Garage Flooring is quality of Anti-slip flooring tiles for fall protection. You should use them to avoid serious injuries. Our Garage flooring in manufactured from finest quality of rubber which also helps in providing insulation against heat and cold. We are the best supplier in UK. You can visit our site rubbermatting-uk.uk

  • yeah I am very glad it is now free to everyone. This is a decision that really helps to create more equality for everyone.. This is truly a great read for me.

  • This is a fantastic article. This really is top notch wonderful stuff from you, my friend. You really have impressed me with your work here. I hope you can keep doing this in the future as well!

Church Marketing Online is a service of OurChurch.Com | Copyright ©2016-2017 by OurChurch.Com. All rights reserved.