Connect More People to your Church with Google Ads
As you’re reading this, there’s someone in your community searching for belonging. There are people in your city typing "churches near me" into their phone while sitting in a coffee shop or scrolling late at night, wondering if there's a place they'd be able to call home.
That’s why it’s so important that when someone in your city searches for "churches near me," "how to find a church," or "places to meet people," your church shows up.
Google Ads gives your church a way to show up exactly when people are searching—and to connect real, felt needs in your community with the hope and belonging your church provides.
And before you think "that sounds complicated and expensive," hang with us. It's simpler than you think, and you can start with a budget smaller than your daily coffee run.
Google Ads work within whatever budget you have
You're not signing up for some massive monthly expense. You set a daily or monthly limit (like $5/day or $150/month), and Google won't spend more than that. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, which means you're only spending money when people are interested enough to take action.
Even better? Many churches are eligible for Google Ads Grants—which gives nonprofits up to $10,000/month in free advertising. We're not kidding! You could be missing out on free money.
You can control exactly who sees your ads
You're not shouting into the void. You pick the keywords (like "churches in [your city]") and the geographic area (like a 10-mile radius around your building). This means your ads only show up for people in your community who are actually searching for what you offer.
Your ads only work if your website is ready for visitors
Here's where a lot of churches mess up: they run great ads, people click, and then... the website doesn't tell them what to do next.
Your landing page needs to make it simple for someone to figure out service times, get directions, and know what to expect. If your homepage is cluttered or doesn't have a clear "Plan Your Visit" button, fix that first. Otherwise you're paying for clicks that go nowhere.
How to Set it Up
Step 1: Gather Your Keywords
Keywords are just the phrases people type into Google when they're searching. Your job is to figure out what your community is searching for and make sure your ads show up for those searches.
Start with these:
"churches in [your city]"
"churches near me"
"how to find a church"
"places to meet people near me"
Get more specific for seasons:
"Easter service near me"
"Christmas Eve service [your city]"
"church for young families"
You can use free tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to see what people in your area are actually searching for. Just start somewhere, keep it simple, and add more keywords as you learn what works.
Step 2: Write Your Ad Copy
Your ad has three parts: two headlines and a description. Here's a formula that works:
Headline 1: [Your Church Name] - [Your City]
Headline 2: A benefit or invitation (example: "Discover Hope and Community This Sunday")
Description: One sentence about what to expect + service time + clear next step
Example:
Headline 1: Grace Community Church - Reno
Headline 2: This is the place you’ve been waiting for.
Description: Find the hope you’ve been searching for. We have something for the whole family every Sunday at 10 am. Plan your visit today!
Pro tip: Write it in your church's voice. If you're a casual, come-as-you-are church, sound like it. If you're more liturgical and contemplative, reflect that. People can tell when an ad feels generic.
Step 3: Create a Landing Page (Or Use What You Already Have)
When someone clicks your ad, where do they land? Ideally, it's a page specifically designed to help first-time visitors take the next step.
Your landing page should include:
A warm welcome - Make it clear they're in the right place
What to expect - Service times, what happens during a service, where to park, what about kids
Ways to connect - Small groups, newcomer events, how to get involved
A clear next step - RSVP button, contact form, or "Plan Your Visit" link
If you don't have a dedicated landing page, your homepage can work—just make sure it clearly answers "when do you meet?" and "how do I visit?" within the first few seconds of landing.
Step 4: Set Your Budget and Launch
Here's the part that feels scary but really isn't.
Go to ads.google.com, create an account, and follow the prompts to set up your first campaign. Google walks you through it step by step.
Budget advice:
Start small: $5-10/day is enough to test and learn
Set a geographic radius: 5-10 miles around your church is a good starting point
Run ads for at least 2-4 weeks before deciding if it's working
You're not locked into anything. You can pause, adjust, or stop your ads any time.
Step 5: Monitor What's Working
Once your ads are running, you'll want to track a few key numbers:
How many people clicked your ad (this tells you if your ad copy is working)
How many visited your landing page (this tells you if people are interested)
How many took action (filled out a form, RSVPed, called) - this is the big one
Set up Google Analytics on your website (it's free) so you can see exactly what's happening after someone clicks your ad.
If people are clicking but not taking action, your landing page probably needs work. If people aren't clicking at all, try different ad copy or keywords.
The key is to test, learn, and adjust. You're not expected to nail it on the first try.
When Should You Run Google Ads?
High-traffic seasons are a great time to test things out before you run them all year.
Easter - The biggest church search season of the year
Christmas - People looking for Christmas Eve services
Back to School/Fall - Families looking to get connected
New Year - Fresh-start energy, people searching for community
Ready to Get Started?
Google Ads aren't just for big churches with big teams and big budgets. They're for any church that wants to show up when people in their community are actively searching for hope, connection, and belonging.
Start small, test what works, and refine as you go.
Need Help Making Your Ads Work?
Google Ads only work if the page people land on is clear, welcoming, and easy to navigate. If your website feels outdated, cluttered, or doesn't have a simple "Plan Your Visit" flow, you're paying for clicks that don't convert.
That's where our All-In Plan comes in.
We design custom websites built specifically to help people take their next step. Clean layouts, clear calls-to-action, mobile-optimized, and strategically designed to turn curious clickers into Sunday visitors.
Plus, you get ongoing support to keep your site updated and make sure everything is working together to bring people through your doors so you can share the love of Jesus with them.
We've helped over thousands of churches build media that doesn't just look good—it works. Schedule a call, and we can make a plan to make your website work harder for your mission.
