The Google Business Profile Checklist for Churches & Nonprofits

Relevance

How well your profile matches the search. This comes from your categories, description, and how complete your profile is.

You control it.

Distance

How close you are to the person searching. You can't move the building, which is why the other two matter.

Mostly fixed.

Prominence

How well-known and trusted you are. This comes from reviews, photos, links, and mentions of you around your community.

You build it over time.

Google's guidelines say places with varied schedules, "including showtimes, worship services, or classes," shouldn't list those schedules as hours. Your hours should be when the building or office is actually open to the public. Service times go in your description, posts, and website.

Use your real name exactly as it appears on your sign and website. No slogans, service times, or "best church in town."

Google allows public-facing departments that operate as distinct entities to have their own profile, with a different name, category, and hours. A preschool, food pantry, or thrift store may qualify. Small groups and classes don't.

Google's content policy treats reviews from owners and staff as a conflict of interest, and doesn't allow incentives for reviews. Your pastors and staff shouldn't review your own church.

1. Ownership & Setup

Get these right first. This is where most church profiles go wrong.

1. 1.The profile is claimed and verified, and it's owned by a church or organization account, not a former volunteer's personal Gmail.
2. 2.At least two trusted people have owner or manager access, so a staff change never locks you out.
3. 3.Your name matches your real name exactly as it appears on your sign and website, with no slogans or extra keywords.
4. 4.Your primary category is the most specific one available, such as "Baptist church" instead of just "Church," or "Food bank" instead of just "Non-profit organization."
5. 5.Secondary categories are added only if they truly describe what you are.
6. 6.The address is the building where people actually gather (no PO box), and the map pin sits on the entrance visitors should use.
7. 7.There are no duplicate profiles under an old name, a former pastor's name, or a previous location.

2. Hours, Contact & Details

What a first-time visitor needs to know before they come.

1. 8.Your regular hours are when the building or office is actually open to the public, including Sunday morning if your doors are open.
2. 9.Individual services, classes, and meetings aren't entered as hours. Service times are in your description, posts, and website instead.
3. 10.Special hours are set ahead of time for Christmas Eve, Easter, Thanksgiving, and weather closures.
4. 11.The phone number is the church or office line, and it's answered or has a voicemail with service times.
5. 12.Your website link goes to a "Plan Your Visit" or "I'm New" page. (For nonprofits: the page that explains how to get help, volunteer, or give.)
6. 13.Your description uses most of the 750 characters: who you are, what a first visit is like, your ministries or programs, and the area you serve.
7. 14.All relevant attributes are turned on, especially accessibility features like a wheelchair-accessible entrance, parking, and restrooms.

3. Ministries & Programs

Help Google, and the people searching, understand everything you offer.

1. 15.Your services or offerings are listed wherever your category allows, such as worship services, kids' ministry, youth, groups, recovery, or a food pantry.
2. 16.Public-facing ministries that operate as distinct entities, like a preschool, counseling center, or thrift store, have their own profile with a distinct name, category, and hours.
3. 17.Each campus has its own profile, with its own phone number if possible and a matching campus page on your website.
4. 18.If you livestream, your description says so, and your website makes it easy to watch online.
5. 19.Giving and volunteering are easy to find from the page your profile links to.

4. Photos & Video

Visitors want to picture Sunday morning before they come.

1. 20.Your logo and cover photo are uploaded. The cover is your best exterior shot showing the front entrance.
2. 21.Photos show where to go: parking, the main entrance, the welcome area, and kids' check-in.
3. 22.Real photos of worship, greeters, and fellowship. No stock photos.
4. 23.Children are never shown in a way that identifies them without a parent's permission.
5. 24.At least one short video, like a 30-second welcome from the pastor or a walk from the parking lot to a seat.
6. 25.New photos are added every month from services, events, and outreach.

5. Reviews

Reviews are how a nervous first-time visitor decides you're safe to try.

1. 26.You have a direct review link and QR code, and it shows up in the bulletin, the slides, and your welcome emails.
2. 27.You ask members, visitors, volunteers, and the people you serve, not just the ones you know are happy.
3. 28.Pastors and staff don't review their own church. Google treats it as a conflict of interest.
4. 29.Reviews are never tied to a gift, drawing, or raffle.
5. 30.Every review gets a warm, personal reply within a few days.
6. 31.Negative reviews get a gracious reply that invites a private conversation, and replies never reveal pastoral care, counseling, or anyone's personal situation.
7. 32.New reviews come in every month, not just once a year. Big moments like baptisms, VBS, or an outreach day are natural times to ask.

6. Posts & Events

Posts won't jump your ranking by themselves. They show people you're alive and welcoming.

1. 33.At least one post per week: a sermon series, an event, an outreach recap, or a volunteer need.
2. 34.Christmas Eve, Easter, VBS, and fall events are posted as Events 3–4 weeks ahead, with the date, time, and a button.
3. 35.The first line of every post gets to the point, like "Christmas Eve services: 4 PM and 6 PM."
4. 36.Every post has a real photo and a button, such as Learn More, Call, or Sign Up.

7. Beyond the Profile

Google checks your profile against the rest of the internet.

1. 37.Your name, address, and phone are identical everywhere: your website, Facebook, Apple Maps, Bing, and your denomination or association directory.
2. 38.Your website has a "Plan Your Visit" page that answers service times, what to wear, how long service lasts, kids, parking, and accessibility.
3. 39.You show up locally online through community partners, local news, the chamber, event calendars, and your denomination's church finder.
4. 40.Someone checks the profile every month for edits made by the public, and for Performance data like calls, direction requests, and website clicks.

Your score: 0 / 40. People are searching and not finding you. This is the fastest place to fix that.

Should a church list its service times as its Google hours?

Can our preschool, food pantry, or thrift store have its own Google profile?

Can our pastor or staff leave a review for our church?

What category should a church use?

Does each campus need its own profile?

Can churches get free Google ads?