It’s also a wonderful opportunity for churches to strengthen their bonds with the community and spread the message of love and gratitude.

If you’re looking for ways to make this Thanksgiving season more meaningful for your congregation and your neighbors, we’ve got 12 creative ideas for church outreach, activities, events, serving opportunities, and services that can truly make a difference.

12 Thanksgiving Church Outreach Ideas

1. Community / Church Thanksgiving Dinner

Host a free Thanksgiving dinner for the people in your church and your community. This is an opportunity to help those who might not be able to afford a Thanksgiving meal, as well as to befriend and extend community to those who might otherwise spend Thanksgiving alone.

• Encourage volunteers to help serve and create a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
• Encourage your church people to sit and eat with people who are not a part of your church.
• Encourage people to hang out after dinner by showing the football game or the dog show.

2. Thanksgiving Food Drive

Organize a food drive to collect non-perishable items and distribute them to local families in need.  Your church could also partner with a local food pantry that is already helping those in need of food. In addition to dropping off food, there may be opportunities to serve with food pantry volunteers, packing boxes or gift baskets for people in the community.

3. Thanksgiving Church Service Ideas

Many churches do a “Thanksgiving Sunday” service the weekend after Thanksgiving. Some other Thanksgiving service ideas include:

• Thanksgiving Day church service – Very few churches actually gather for a worship service on the day of Thanksgiving. Your church could have an 11am service with Thanksgiving dinner afterwards.
• Thanksgiving Eve church service – With so may people out of town on Thanksgiving day and Thanksgiving weekend, another option would be to do a Wednesday night service. A church I was one a part of  used to do a “Pie and Praise” every year the evening before Thanksgiving. We would gather for worship and bring a pie to share afterwards.
• Open Mic – Open up the service and give people the opportunity to briefly share what what they are thankful for this year.
• Testimonies – Have a time in the service where people share their testimonies of how they came to follow Jesus and how grateful they are for God’s grace.
• Thanksgiving scripture, hymns, songs, and prayer – There are lots of scripture passages, hymns, songs, and prayers related to Thanksgiving and giving thanks. More than enough to fill any church service or gathering.

4. Christian Thanksgiving Messages

More than likely, your pastor is going to preach a Christian Thanksgiving message during your Thanksgiving service. But people in your community may be open to hearing a Thanksgiving message at other times and through other means.

If your church is not gathering on Thanksgiving, your pastor could share a Thanksgiving devotional online on Thanksgiving day.  Or you could post Thanksgiving messages and devotionals throughout the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

5. Thanksgiving Youth Group Ideas

Thanksgiving is also a great opportunity to teach teens about gratitude in fun ways.  Some Thanksgiving youth group games, activities, and service ideas include:

• Thanksgiving scavenger hunt
• Pumpkin pie relay race
• Thanksgiving trivia game
• Thank you drive-by. Load up kids in vehicles, drive by church member’s houses, say “Thank you!” Maybe give them a card, a treat, or a gift basket.
• Thank you note writing. Provide blank “Thank You” cards and take 10-20 minutes for kids to write thank you notes to their parents, friends, and even God.

6. Thanksgiving Cooking Classes

Think about how you you felt the first time you hosted a Thanksgiving meal (or would feel, if you’ve never hosted). It can be a nerve-racking experience, trying to time all the dishes to come out at the same time, and worrying about whether the turkey is going to cooked all the way through but not dried out.

Offer cooking classes to teach people how to prepare a delicious Thanksgiving meal…

• How do you cook a Thanksgiving turkey so it’s moist and delicious?
• What’s the best way to carve a turkey?
• Do you have an awesome recipe for green bean casserole you can share?

At the end of your cooking classes, you could give away free turkeys to those struggling to afford Thanksgiving dinner.

7. Thanksgiving Craft Fair

Host a craft fair where church members can sell handmade items, and the proceeds can go towards a charitable cause.  Some ideas to take your craft fair to the next level…

• Open it up to artisans in the community, allow them to rent a table or booth.
• Sell fall-favorite foods and drinks
• Have you church’s worship team play music throughout the event

8. Adopt a Family

Have your congregation “adopt” families for Thanksgiving, providing them with a full meal, including a turkey and all the fixings.

9. Prayer Walk

Organize a prayer walk in the community, thank God for the people in your local community and pray for their well-being.  As you cross paths with other people, introduce yourself and ask them how you can pray for them.

10. Thanksgiving Care Packages

Create care packages with food and other essentials and distribute them to elderly or isolated community members. Try to avoid quick or anonymous drop-offs, and instead make space for conversations and opportunities to encourage others build relationships.

11. Give Thanks in Action

Instead of words alone, challenge your congregation to show their gratitude through acts of kindness throughout the season. Provide opportunities for people to share stories of how God worked in them and through them while doing these acts of kindness.

12. Engage people with Thanksgiving in Social Media

Most people – even those who don’t yet follow Jesus – appreciate encouragement online in social media.  This is a great opportunity for your church to share Thanksgiving bible verses, inspirational Thanksgiving quotes and funny and inspiring Thanksgiving videos plus Thanksgiving messages and devotionals as mentioned earlier.

To maximize your reach, don’t just share them on your church’s social media channels, but encourage your people to share them on their social media channels so their friends will see them.

Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way to live. –Jacqueline Winspear

No matter which Thanksgiving ideas your church uses for its outreach events, you’ll also want to promote those events online. Rather than share the same strategies at the bottom of every church outreach ideas article we write for every season and holiday, we’ll just point you to…

7 Ways to Promote Your Church Outreach Event Online

And if you’d like some help with a church website builder, church web design or church SEO so you can have your best Thanksgiving ever, we’d love to talk more about that with you.

Fill out the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a call.

Comment and Discuss

• What Thanksgiving outreach events is your church planning?

Want more church outreach ideas?  Church Outreach Ideas & Events for Every Holiday and Season

Continue reading more ways to express gratitude during the Thanksgiving season!

The post 12 Thanksgiving Church Outreach Ideas appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Thanksgiving bible verses and scripture help us put our focus on the goodness of God, even in the midst of life’s challenges – and we are certainly facing a lot of challenge these days, aren’t we?!?

Before we get to the scripture and bible verses for Thanksgiving, we want you to know OurChurch.Com is all about giving you the tools, resources and services you need to live out your God-given mission. This includes:

• Christian and church website design
• Christian and church search engine marketing
• Do-it-yourself website builder
• 12 Thanksgiving Church Outreach Ideas

You can also find more Thanksgiving social media content to share in:

• 25 Thanksgiving Quotes to Inspire Gratitude
• 12 Funny and Inspiring Thanksgiving Videos

We hope you will be encouraged and inspired by the Thanksgiving bible verses below. If you are, please click the links below the images and share them with others so they too can be encouraged.

 8 Thanksgiving Bible Verses from the Psalms

The book of Psalms is full of Thanksgiving scripture, so we start with Psalms of Thanksgiving.

1. I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. -Psalm 9:1

2.The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. -Psalm 28:7

3. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. -Psalm 100:4

4. I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High. -Psalm 7:17

5. Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. -Psalm 103:1

6. It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High -Psalm 92:1

7. I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. -Psalm 69:30

8. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. – Psalm 107:1

3 More Thanksgiving Bible Verses from the Old Testament

While Psalms are a great place to find bible verses for Thanksgiving, there are other scriptures on Thanksgiving in the Old Testament as well.

9. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, “Salvation comes from the LORD.” -Jonah 2:9

10. In that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. -Isaiah 12:4

11. Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving, and the voices of those who celebrate. I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will make them honored, and they shall not be small. – Jeremiah 30:19

14 Thanksgiving Bible Verses from the New Testament

Gratitude is such a major theme in the Bible, that Thanksgiving Bible verses are spread throughout the Gospels and the Epistles of the New Testament as well.

12. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

13. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -Philippians 4:6

14. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. -Colossians 3:15

15. Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. -Colossians 4:2

16. Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. -1 Corinthians 15:57

17. I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -1 Timothy 2:1

18. I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. -Ephesians 1:16

19. We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. -Revelation 11:17

20. Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. -Colossians 2:6-7

21. I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:4

22. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. -2 Corinthians 9:11

23. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4:4

24. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. -Colossians 3:16

25. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. -Hebrews 12:28

We hope these Thanksgiving bible verses have encouraged and inspired you. And we hope you’ll share them with others.

Partner with our grateful digital marketing team

If you want to take your Christian church, school, ministry or business to the next level, free up your time, and gain the peace of mind from knowing you have a team of professionals getting the job done right, see how our web builder, website design, or SEO (search engine optimization) services can do that. Then, let’s talk.

Complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a discovery call call. 

Comment and Discuss

•  What’s your favorite Thanksgiving bible verse?

Continue reading… How to Communicate Gratitude around Thanksgiving

The post 25 Thanksgiving Bible Verses and Scripture to Inspire and Share appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Sure, part of it is because I love turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, time with family and cool fall weather. But even more than that is the focus on gratitude.

I believe there is no attitude that can change a person’s life more than gratitude.

• Ungrateful people are grumpy, while grateful people are happy.
• Ungrateful people are stingy, while grateful people are generous.
• Ungrateful people blame others, while grateful people share compliments.
• Ungrateful people are prideful, while grateful people are humble.
• Ungrateful people are unaware of God’s great love for them, while grateful people respond to God’s love by worshiping him and following him whole-heartedly.

Unfortunately, most of us (myself included) have a tendency to take things, people and God for granted.

Sometimes we get so caught up in circumstances that are not going the way we’d like, that we forget how blessed we really are.  Or we have moments where we feel grateful but neglect to express it to others because we’re so busy or we forget. But as Robert Brault once wrote…

There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed. If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude. -Robert Brault

Whether you’re a church leader thanking volunteers, a nonprofit director appreciating supporters, or someone who wants to express gratitude more often, how you communicate your appreciation matters.

So this month, our theme here at OurChurch.Com is Thanksgiving Month.

Our goal is to provide resources, guidance and encouragement so you can better thank your staff, volunteers, supporters, and God during this Thanksgiving season. And we want to help you raise the value of gratitude among those in your church, school, nonprofit or business.

You can start by sharing your thoughts and perspective in this month’s Listening Post survey.

Thanksgiving Articles, and Resources

Throughout the month we’ll be publishing articles, sharing resources, and adding links below:

• 12 Thanksgiving Church Outreach Ideas
• 25 Thanksgiving Bible Verses and Scripture to Inspire and Share
• 25 Thanksgiving Quotes to Inspire Gratitude
• 7 Thanksgiving Website Updates You Should Make
• 7 Ways to Express Gratitude Online
• A simple way to show gratitude to your staff
• 3 Ways Gratitude is Good for SEO
• 12 Funny and Inspiring Thanksgiving Videos
• A Great Way to Express Gratitude and Build Community

A Guide for Better Communication and Outreach

If you are looking for a trusted partner to help you and your Christian church, ministry or business make a real impact with your web design, web hosting, or SEO, we’d love to talk more with you about that.

Complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule free call.

Comment and share your thoughts:

1. What do you think is the greatest barrier in your life to expressing gratitude?
2. What things will you be doing this month to express gratitude to others?

The post How to Communicate Gratitude | Ideas & Resources appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, people are talking about your organization.  And according to BrightLocal’s 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey, “97% of consumers use online reviews to help guide their purchasing decisions.”

If you lead a business, you probably already understand this.

But online reviews impact every type of organization including schools, nonprofits, ministries, and even churches!

Yes, my fellow church leaders, this applies to us too.

We may not think of someone’s decision to visit a church as a “buying decision” but it is a decision that is influenced by reading online reviews.

Do you know what you would do if you got a review like this?

Would you even know if someone posted a review like this?

Did you know the number of reviews and average rating also affect search rankings?

In The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews, we’ll help you understand everything you need to know about online reviews, how to get good online reviews, and how to handle negative online reviews.

The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews includes the following sections:

1. The Impact Online Reviews Have on Search Rankings
2. Your Secret Source of Website Testimonials
3. How to Create, Claim and Verify Your Google Business Profile
4. How to Get Your Google Review Link
5. The Easiest Way to Get Google Reviews
6. Online Review Rules for Google, Facebook and Yelp
7. How to Respond to Negative Online Reviews
8. The BEST Way to Get More Positive Online Reviews
9. How to Restore a Missing Google Business Profile Review
10. Online Reviews – Tips from the Pros

1. The Impact Online Reviews Have on Search Rankings

In 2026, Whitespark researched 187 factors that could impact local search rankings. According to the 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors report, 4 of the top 14 factors are related to online reviews:

• #6 High Numerical Google Ratings (e.g. 4-5)
• #9 Quantity of Native Google Reviews (w/text)
• #11 Recency of Reviews
• #14 Sustained Influx of Reviews Over Time (rather than bursts)

Note that when we talk about “local search rankings” we’re talking about results Google shows in the “local 3 pack” as shown below.  (Often there are ads and organic (aka general) results shown above and below the local 3 pack, but we’re just going to focus on the local results here.)

A lot of local organizations, especially churches and nonprofits, balk at the idea of getting online reviews…

Is someone really going to visit my church or check out my nonprofit just because a bunch of people they’ve never met gave it high ratings and said nice things about us in a review?

Yes, actually they will.  90% of people say online reviews factor into their decision making.

But people won’t even have a chance to make a decision about your organization, if they can’t find it. And if you’ve got few or no online reviews, your search rankings will be lower, making it less likely people will find you when doing an online search.

Don’t Take My Word For It, Try This…

If you are a part of a local organization – a church, school, local nonprofit, or local business, we have a little experiment you can do to see how online reviews are impacting your local search rankings.

Read The Impact Online Reviews Have on Search Rankings for details.

What’d you learn?

No matter how big your organization is or how many online reviews you have now, you can improve your online reputation and search rankings by getting more positive online reviews.

You just have to ask. And know how to ask.

We’ll talk more about how to do that in a future post.

For now, I’ll leave you with a quote from Whitespark’s Local Search Ranking Factors report.

For 2026, the biggest changes we’re seeing are an increased importance of review signals and behavioral signals. -Darren Shaw, founder of Whitespark

2. Your Secret Source of Website Testimonials

Online reviews can be on Google, Yelp, Facebook, the Better Business Bureau, and other websites.

Online reviews are valuable because they help people decide whether they can trust your church, ministry or business. They can also help prospective visitors discover you through Google and other platforms.

But that’s not all…

Here’s another benefit to online reviews

Recently, we were developing a new website for an organization that wanted to have testimonials in multiple places on their homepage as well as on several internal pages of their website.  The challenge was that they didn’t have enough testimonials to fill all these spots.

We looked to Google… 

They had many great reviews on their Google Business Profile, all of which could also serve as testimonials.  Once we realized this, we simply asked the client to select which review they wanted in each place on their website.

If you manage a church website, you may ask, “Where is the best place on my website to put these testimonials?”

To help you with your church website design, we explain the Top 5 Pages for Church Testimonials in the extensive article Your Secret Source of Website Testimonials.

Don’t tell people about your church.  Let others tell people about your church through their testimonials.  -Mark Steinbrueck

3. How to Create, Claim, Verify Your Google Business Profile

Hopefully you now see the tremendous importance of online review, and you’re ready to get started managing and increasing your online reviews.

Let’s start with the biggest and most important: Google Business Profile

Don’t let the name fool you… A Google Business Profile is NOT just for businesses.

Google Business Profile (formerly called Google My Business) is Google’s system for local search results and Google Maps search results for all local organizations – churches, schools, nonprofits and local businesses.

When someone posts an online review of a local organization to Google, they are posting it to that organization’s Google Business Profile.  Therefore…

• If you want people to find your local organization in Google Maps, you need a Google Business Profile.
• If you want people to post online reviews about your organization to Google, you need a Google Business Profile.
• If you want to be able to control the information people see about your organization in Google Maps and Google’s local search results, you need access to your organization’s Google Business Profile.

In fact, some people are saying Google Business Profile is the new church homepage because it’s often the first thing someone sees when searching for your church.

This is why we say emphatically…

Local organizations need a Google Business Profile, and they need verified access to its content.

Create, Claim, Verify Your Google Business Profile

There are many steps needed to create, claim, and verify your Google Business Profile, and those steps will vary depending on whether a listing already exists for your organization and if you have access to it.

Therefore, we put together step-by-step instructions including screenshots, which we updated regularly.  The instructions with instructions are several pages long, so we thought it best to put them in their own article. You can find the instructions in How to Create, Claim and Verify Your Google Business Profile

Once you’ve created, claimed, and verified your Google Business Profile, you’ll be able to start receiving online review.

But how do you get more Google reviews? It starts with a link…

4. How to Get Your Google Review Link

Maybe you want to put a link to post a Google review on your website (great idea!) or email some people and ask them to post a review (great idea!).

There’s something you need first – the web address (URL) where people can post a Google review.

This seems like it should be simple to get, but Google has changed it several times over the years, so we want to make sure you’ve got up-to-date instructions.

How to Get Your Google Review Link

In recent years, Google has made it much simpler to get a direct link for Google Business Profile reviews.  But it still takes multiple steps and you need to know where to look, so to streamline this Ultimate Guide, we decided to separate the instructions and screenshots into their own article: How to Create a Direct Link for Google Reviews.

If you want more online reviews, you’ve got to give people a direct link to the Google reviews form.

5. The Easiest Way to Get Google Reviews

Now that you’ve got the direct URL to post a review, it is just a matter of asking people to post a review of your local business, church or nonprofit.

Some churches, ministries and businesses send emails, post requests to social media, and make announcements asking their members, supporters, or customers to take 2 minutes to post a positive review.  These are all great ways to encourage folks to post a review.

However,  do you want to know the easiest way to ask people to write a review for your church?

Put a link to your reviews on your website.

Surprisingly enough, most organizations don’t include this link on their website.  And as a result…

When it comes to online reviews, you have not because you ask not. -Mark Steinbrueck

The next thing you might be wondering is…

What is the best place on our website to put a link to post a review?

We’ve got 4 recommendations for you.  To learn about the 4 best places to post review links on your website (and why) check out The Easiest Way to Get Google Reviews (but Rarely Done)

6. Online Review Rules for Google, Facebook and Yelp

It’s good to get as many online reviews as possible for your organization, but this has to be done in the right way.

Unfortunately, some organizations have knowingly or unknowingly violated Google, Facebook, or Yelp’s terms of service regarding reviews and had their reviews removed. 

Ouch!

I even saw one very popular church tech blogger with thousands of followers (who will remain nameless) promote a strategy for getting online reviews that is specifically prohibited by Google. So, you’ve got to be careful about who you’re getting advice from.

Note #1: Every online review site has different rules

Just because it’s ok to do something for one review site doesn’t mean it’s ok for others.  Therefore, we took the time to scrutinize the terms of service agreement for the biggest sites – Google, Facebook and Yelp.  (Note that the ratings and reviews in Bing Maps are from Yelp)

Note #2: Rules change frequently

We have been writing about the rules for online reviews since 2018.  We review the information every year or two, and every time we have done this review, we have found some changes to the rules, and needed to update our information.

We believe the information in this article is accurate as of 10/21/26, but it could be inaccurate as you read it. We have included links to our sources. We strongly suggest you click them and check the rules for yourself.

Enough disclaimers.

For a full explanation of online review rules, including…

• Google Business Profile Rules for Online Reviews
• Facebook Rules for Online Reviews
• Yelp Rules for Online Reviews
• US Laws regarding Online Reviews

Read Online Review Rules for Google, Facebook and Yelp

We understand reading about rules and policies is not much fun but the alternative is even less fun.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. –Thomas Jefferson

7. How to Respond to Negative Online Reviews

Every organization wants to get a lot of 5-star online reviews, but chances are at some point you are going to get a dreaded 1-star review filled with criticism.

The truth is, the bolder and more impactful your organization is, the louder and more numerous your critics will be.

Some people think if they just ignore online review sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp, negative reviews won’t impact them.

Not true!

Ignoring negative reviews doesn’t prevent other people from seeing them.

On the other hand, some people are so sensitive to criticism, they fear even a single negative review could ruin their organization forever.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, I believe…

Negative reviews provide unique opportunities to show your organization is made of good people who aren’t perfect but respond with grace, own up to their mistakes and make things right.

How to Respond to Negative Reviews

So, let’s talk about how to make the most of the opportunities that come with negative reviews.

We put together a guide with 7 Tips for Responding to Negative Online Reviews that includes what to do about fake reviews, matters of opinion, and even crazy whack-job reviews. For more details click to read How to Respond to Negative Online Reviews.

8.The BEST Way to Get More Positive Online Reviews

So, now you may be wondering…

How do I get more positive online reviews?

You could try things like…

• Asking people to post reviews using your social media accounts
• Asking people during the announcements segment of your  church service
• Asking people in your newsletter

There’s nothing wrong with any of those methods. Our experience, however, is that they all get a relatively small response.

You may also be tempted to send out a massive email blast to your customers, supporters or congregation asking them to post a review, but this is a bad idea for several reasons:

1. Impersonal. Many organizations struggle to find the best wording for the email and end up sending a message that is impersonal and ineffective.
2. Inconsistent. People rarely respond to the first request. Either they are not convinced or they think, “Sure, I’ll do that when I have a few minutes.” and then forget.
3. Unnatural. Google gets suspicious when there’s a sudden, unnatural surge of new reviews and often does not publish them.

Want to know the BEST way to get more positive online reviews?

We’ve tested many different methods for getting more positive online reviews, for both OurChurch.com and our clients.  We’ve discovered…

The secret to gaining positive online reviews is to personally ask a small number of people each week to post a review using effective wording and then follow up.

Step-by-step instructions for getting more positive online reviews

If you want to know the recipe for the “secret sauce” how we get so many positive online reviews for ourselves and our clients, you can learn all about it in The BEST Way to Get More Positive Online Reviews.

If that sounds like a lot of work, well, it is.  That’s why we’re excited to tell you about…

OurChurch.Com’s Online Review Service

Our team has developed and tested a proven method that can grow your online reviews and it requires almost no time and effort from you!

Additionally, online review sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp have a terrible reputation for customer service. Sometimes people post reviews and they are never published.  Sometimes reviews disappear for no reason.  It’s nearly impossible to contact these companies.  And when you do, they often don’t respond.

So, we include our Review Recovery service with our Online Review Service at no extra charge!

We put our contacts and experience to work for you to resolve issues like this when they arise.

What are our clients saying about the Online Review Service?

“Enrollment is through the roof for next year! The reviews have really made a difference, especially for families who are moving into the area and don’t know anyone who directly attends. People have mentioned them when they call me!” -Matti V, Bayshore Christian School, Tampa, FL 

“Not sure what you did but they put the review back up. Thank you so much for sticking with this and getting it done!” -Kevin S., Grand Vista Pools, Trinity, FL

Click the link to read more about our Online Review Service or complete the form at the bottom (mobile) or right (desktop) of this guide to schedule a call to discuss it with a member of our team.

9. How to Restore a Missing Google Business Profile Review

Google reviews play a crucial role in establishing credibility for your church, nonprofit, or business. However, there may be times when a review goes missing from your Google Business Profile (GBP) due to policy violations, technical glitches, or actions by the reviewer.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to restore those reviews.

Over the years, I have helped several clients restore reviews to their Google Business Profiles.

In some cases, the process was pretty quick, only taking a week or two. In other cases, it took months. The good news is that most of that time is just waiting on Google, but if you are patient, often times you can get your missing Google review restored.

Why Google Reviews Disappear

Google tells us reviews may be removed for several reasons:

• Google enforces strict review policies, and any content that violates these guidelines may be flagged and removed.
• Technical issues or updates to your Business Profile may also cause reviews to disappear.
• In some cases, the reviewer may edit or delete the review themselves.
• Google’s attempts to filter fake reviews sometimes accidentally filter legitimate reviews, especially if it’s the first review someone has posted on Google.

Many churches and companies lose reviews over time and don’t even know it because they aren’t monitoring their reviews. So, I highly recommend checking your Google Business Profile monthly, if not weekly, to log any new reviews (take screenshots) and make sure no reviews have gone missing.

Also, don’t assume that just because a review has been there a long time or you previously had it restored, that it will not go missing. I’ve seen reviews that were years old disappear, and I had one review that has been removed three times!

Steps to Restore Missing Google Reviews

We put together step-by-step instructions explaining how to contact Google support, how to use the Google Business Profile Help Community, and what to do if neither of those tactics results in a restored review. You can find all that and more in How to Restore a Missing Google Business Profile Review.

While losing a Google review can be disappointing, it’s not always permanent. By following the instructions provided, you can address the issue and potentially restore missing reviews. Even if a review can’t be recovered, maintaining a proactive approach to member/customer engagement will help you continue to build trust with new visitors and clients.

Get Help with Online Reviews from our Pros!

If restoring Google reviews still seems complicated and time consuming, no worries; our team of Christian SEO experts can take care of it for you.  Restoring missing reviews is one component of our Online Reviews Service.

10. Online Reviews – Tips from the Pros

We close the Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews with some advice from some local SEO and church communications experts.

1. Don’t ignore them.
-Nils Smith, nilssmith.com

Listen and respond if appropriate. True or untrue, these public opinions become many people’s perceived reality.

2. Before responding to a negative review, ask yourself these questions:
-Seth Muse, sethmuse.com

1) Do they have the right place? 2) Did they simply misunderstand the information? 3) Could there be a reason outside of our organization they are upset? 4) Is their concern valid? Then respond with kindness.

3. Fix the problems.
-Kevin Hendricks, churchmarketingsucks.com

When it comes to online reviews, it’s tempting to have all kinds of tips for ‘stacking the deck’ with positive, glowing reviews. But honestly, if you’re not getting good reviews, you should be addressing why that is and fix the problem.

4. Establishing regular positive reviews is crucial to your church’s reputation.
-Justin Dean, thatcc.com

When someone is looking for a new church, they are going to search online and find your church on Google, Facebook, and even Yelp. Smart churches are managing those reviews, promoting those reviews, and soliciting new reviews from their members and visitors.

5. Email your key volunteers.
–Steve Fogg, SteveFogg.com

Negative reviews can be a massive barrier for people attending your church. Positive reviews can lower the barrier and reduce fears or anxieties that people may have. If you need reviews, email your key volunteers and parents that have young children and invite them to leave a review. Ask them to give a review just based on their experience of the church. Explain why its important to leave a review.

The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews was written by the OurChurch.com team which has been helping churches, schools, nonprofits and businesses live out their mission online with web design, web hosting, and SEO since 1997.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to restore those reviews.

Over the years, I have helped several clients restore reviews to their Google Business Profiles.

In some cases, the process was pretty quick, only taking a week or two. In other cases, it took months. The good news is that most of that time is just waiting on Google, but if you are patient, often times you can get your missing Google review restored.

Why Google Reviews Disappear

Google tells us reviews may be removed for several reasons:

• Google enforces strict review policies, and any content that violates these guidelines may be flagged and removed.
• Technical issues or updates to your Business Profile may also cause reviews to disappear.
• In some cases, the reviewer may edit or delete the review themselves.
• Google’s attempts to filter fake reviews sometimes accidentally filter legitimate reviews, especially if it’s the first review someone has posted on Google.

Many churches and companies lose reviews over time and don’t even know it because they aren’t monitoring their reviews. So, I highly recommend checking your Google Business Profile monthly, if not weekly, to log any new reviews (take screenshots) and make sure no reviews have gone missing.

Also, don’t assume that just because a review has been there a long time or you previously had it restored, that it will not go missing. I’ve seen reviews that were years old disappear, and I had one review that has been removed three times!

Steps to Restore Missing Google Reviews

1. Check for Policy Violations

Ensure that the missing review didn’t violate any of Google’s review policies. If it did, you won’t be able to restore it.

2. Confirm with the Reviewer

If possible, contact the reviewer to see if they edited or removed the review. If they’re willing, ask them to resubmit it.

3. Wait a few days and then check again

Google sometimes takes several days to publish new reviews while checking for policy violations. Reviews may also be temporarily unavailable after two Business Profiles are merged.

If the review was recently submitted, allow a few days for it to appear. However, if a previously published review has disappeared, you may need to contact Google for assistance.

4. Contact Google Support

If the review complies with Google’s policies and wasn’t removed by the reviewer, follow these steps to request help from Google:

1. Log into the Google account that is the admin for your Google Business Profile (GBP).
2. Go to the Google Business Profile Help page.
3. Select your church or business from the “Which business do you need help with?” drop-down menu.
4. In the “Tell us what we can help with” text box, type “Missing Review” and click Next.
5. Click on Review Missing and click Next Step, then click Next Step again.
6. Choose Email as the contact option.
7. Fill in your information. Make sure to use the exact name and address from your GBP by copy-pasting them to avoid errors. (Pro Tip: As you fill out the form, save all the information in a document so you can reference it later…you will probably need to.)
8. Enter your Business Profile ID. You can find this by searching for your church or business on Google while logged in, clicking the three dots next to “Profile Strength,” and selecting Business Profile Settings > Advanced settings. (See Google’s Manage advanced profile settings page for more details) 
9. Answer the questions about whether your Google Business Profile was suspended or whether your organization is a school truthfully. Note that Google no longer allows reviews for certain schools serving students ages 6–18, although some educational institutions are exempt.
10. Provide specific details on when the review went missing.
11. Enter the reviewer’s name as it appeared in the review. This may be different from their actual name.
12. Describe the issue: include the date the review was posted, when it went missing, who the reviewer is, the content of the review, and confirm it was legitimate and didn’t violate Google’s terms. Request the review be restored.
13. Submit your request.

You’ll likely receive a canned response from Google explaining their review policies and possible delays in displaying reviews. At the end of the email, they should indicate that you can reply for further assistance.

4. Follow Up with Google

If the initial response doesn’t resolve the issue, reply to the email with the following:

• Restate the problem and provide all the original details you submitted (save this information in a document for easy reference if you didn’t previously. Note the support number found in the subject line of Google’s response).
• Include a screenshot of the review, if available, showing the reviewer’s name, date, and content. If you don’t have a screenshot, check your emails for a notification of the review and take a screenshot of the notice.
• Send the reply and wait for Google’s response, which may take up to a week or longer.

If Google restores the review, check your profile and thank them for their help. If it’s not restored, follow up again.

Using the Google Business Profile Help Community

If Google’s support team doesn’t resolve the issue, you can try reaching out through the Google Business Profile Help Community:

1. Log into your Google account associated with your GBP.
2. Go to the Google Business Profile Help Community.
3. Search for “Missing Review” and click “Post to the help community.”
4. Create a new post with a title like, “Legit Review Missing. Please Help to Restore It.”
5. In a separate tab, create a Google Doc containing all the details from your original request, along with the support ticket number and a screenshot of the review. Set the document’s sharing permissions to allow anyone with the link to view it.
6. In your community post, explain the issue briefly and include a link to the Google Doc (Note: Do not include your personal/business contact information here or the post to the community will be filtered and no one will see it. You are including that information in the Google doc which you are linking in the message). Use a message like the following:

Hi,

A customer posted a legitimate review to my Google Business Profile, but the review has gone missing. Can you please help me to restore the review to my profile?

You can find all the information about the missing review in the following Google Doc.

(Google Doc link)

Thank you!

(Your name)

• Choose the category “Engage with customers” and click Next Step.
• Click “Review Missing” and click Next Step. Then, click Next Step again.
• Select Web for the platform and click Next Step.
• Select to “Get emails when someone responds” and click Post.

Watch daily for a response but understand that it may take 7-10 days to get a response. Be sure to be responsive and provide additional information if needed. Hopefully, this will get your review restored.

If your request is denied or ignored, I recommend creating an account on localsearchforum.com and asking for assistance, linking back to your Google Business Profile Community post and Google Doc. There are really nice people on that forum who are product support specialists or have contacts in Google and may be able to take your request to the next level.

Stay Active in Responding to Reviews

While you wait for a resolution, stay engaged with the reviews you still have. Responding to all reviews, both positive and negative, shows your commitment to customer service. This engagement can also encourage new reviews, potentially making up for any that have been lost.

How to Prevent Losing Google Reviews

To avoid losing reviews in the future, follow these best practices:

• Regularly backup reviews: Take screenshots or record reviews periodically in case they disappear.
• Monitor your profile for changes: If you update your business information, keep an eye on your reviews.
• Stay compliant with Google’s policies: Ensure that reviews, especially those you solicit from customers, follow Google’s guidelines to avoid removal.

Conclusion

While losing a Google review can be disappointing, it’s not always permanent. By following the steps above, you can address the issue and potentially restore missing reviews. Even if a review can’t be recovered, maintaining a proactive approach to member/customer engagement will help you continue to build trust with new visitors and clients.

Get Help with Online Reviews from our Pros!

If restoring Google reviews still seems complicated and time consuming, no worries; our team of Christian SEO experts can take care of it for you.  We have restored dozens of missing reviews, and restoring missing reviews is one component of our Online Reviews Service.

Fill out the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a call.

Its one of many ways we help Christian organizations live out their mission online.

Post a Comment!

• Have you ever had a Google review go missing? What did you do about it?

Read more insightful articles about online reviews

The post How to Restore a Missing Google Business Profile Review appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

The truth is, the bolder and more impactful your organization is, the louder and more numerous your critics will be.

Some people think if they just ignore online review sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp, negative reviews won’t impact them.

Not true!

Ignoring negative reviews doesn’t prevent other people from seeing them.

On the other hand, some people are so sensitive to criticism, they fear even a single negative review could ruin their organization forever.

Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, I believe…

Negative reviews provide unique opportunities to show your organization is made of good people who aren’t perfect but respond with grace, own up to their mistakes and make things right.

7 Tips for Responding to Negative Online Reviews

Let’s talk about how to make the most of the opportunities that come with negative reviews.

1) Monitor reviews.

It’s important to respond quickly to negative reviews, and the only way to do that is if you are monitoring them. Most online review sites will send an email when a new review is posted. Make sure you are regularly checking the email account you signed up with, and you have “whitelisted” email from review sites so it doesn’t go to your spam folder.

2) Be objective.

Try to figure out what led to the negative review.

• Did someone drop the ball?
• Was there a misunderstanding?
• Were the critic’s expectations unrealistic?
• Is the person just being a jerk?
• Does the person seem to have an ax to grind? (Sometimes atheists will randomly post reviews for churches they’ve never even been to just to rant against Christianity.)
• Is it abusive or fake?

3) Report reviews that are fake, abusive or violate terms of service.

Online review sites will not remove legitimate negative reviews, but they will remove reviews that violate their terms of service. Including:

• Threats, profanity, and “verbal” abuse
• Second hand accounts (e.g. “My friend told me these guys are terrible!”),
• Irrelevant (e.g. “My neighbor owns this company and his dog is always doing his business on my lawn.”)
• Fake reviews, including those posted by a competitor or a pattern of reviews outside the local area the organization serves.

Google provides further guidance on how to report reviews that violate their terms of service on its Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile help page. This includes info on its Review Management Tool, which is used to report fake, abusive and irrelevant reviews as well as monitor the status of the review process and even appeal a review.

4) Try to resolve issues privately. 

If your organization has dropped the ball or there has been a misunderstanding, try to resolve the issue directly with the person who left the review. Most review platforms, including Google, allow you to post a public response, but they don’t necessarily allow you to send private messages to reviewers.

If you know who the reviewer is and have their contact information, consider contacting them privately. Otherwise, post a brief public response inviting them to contact you directly.

When communicating with the reviewer:

• Apologize for the bad experience or misunderstanding, even if you’re not sure of the specifics or don’t think it was really your fault.
• Ask for more information if the criticism was vague, . (e.g. “You said, ‘The food was terrible.’ Could you tell us what night you ate in our restaurant and what you ordered? Did you tell your server or the manager about the problem?)
• Offer to make things right when appropriate. (e.g. “We’d like to make it up to you by giving you a complimentary dinner the next time you dine with us.”)

5) Post humble, public responses.

Keep in mind that when you respond to a negative review, your response is public. Therefore, not only can the person you are responding to see your response, but so can everyone else – including people who may be considering using your products or services for the first time or those who are interested in connecting with your nonprofit.

A thoughtful, professional response shows that your organization listens to feedback, takes concerns seriously, and genuinely cares about the people it serves.

6) On matters of personal taste, highlight your distinctiveness.

Sometimes people post negative reviews based on their own personal preferences. (e.g “The music was too loud.” “The food was too spicy.”)  Instead of criticizing the critic, use the negative review as an opportunity to point out what makes you unique.

For example, if someone were to criticize a restaurant because they thought the food was too spicey, you cold respond with something like this:

Sorry to hear you found our food to be too spicy. All our entrees are based on my grandmother’s recipes, and she loved to bring the heat! We do offer tamer versions of every dish, though. Just ask your server the next time you’re in.

7) Trust that other people will recognize idiots and jerks for what they are.

Sometime a person will post a review that is ridiculously harsh or just “out there.” Your gut instinct may be to attack the critic or vehemently defend yourself, but that is unnecessary. Relax.  Most people easily recognize when someone is being irrational or a total jerk, and they’ll completely ignore their review. Respond, but take the high road and maybe try some humor.

BONUS: Get more positive online reviews.

One of the most important ways to respond to negative online reviews is to get more positive reviews.

If your organization has a negative review and only 1 or 2 positive reviews, that will concern people. But if your organization has 1 negative review and 25 positive reviews, that negative review actually makes your organization look more authentic, because everyone knows nobody’s perfect.

Read more about The BEST Way to Get More Positive Online Reviews, and if you’d like our help, check out our new Online Reviews Service.

Then fill out the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a call with one of our Christian SEO experts.

We’ve helped many clients gain a substantial number of new positive reviews. We’ve also helped them handle negative reviews, providing guidance on how to respond to legitimate complains and getting illegitimate reviews removed.

Its one of many ways we help Christian organizations live out their mission online.

Post a Comment!

• Have you gotten any negative online reviews? What were they and how did you respond?
• What questions or comments do you have about negative reviews?

For more insight and tips see The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews

The post How to Respond to Negative Online Reviews appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

So, now you may be wondering…

How do I get more positive online reviews?

You could try things like…

• Asking people to post reviews using your social media accounts
• Asking people during the announcements segment of your  church service
• Asking people in your newsletter

There’s nothing wrong with any of those methods. Our experience, however, is that they all get a relatively small response.

You may also be tempted to send out a massive email blast to your customers, supporters or congregation asking them to post a review, but this is a bad idea for several reasons:

1. Impersonal. Many organizations struggle to find the best wording for the email and end up sending a message that is impersonal and ineffective.
2. Inconsistent. People rarely respond to the first request. Either they are not convinced or they think, “Sure, I’ll do that when I have a few minutes.” and then forget.
3. Unnatural. Google gets suspicious when there’s a sudden, unnatural surge of new reviews and often does not publish them.

Want to know the BEST way to get more positive online reviews?

We’ve tested many different methods for getting more positive online reviews, for both OurChurch.com and our clients.  We’ve discovered…

The secret to gaining positive online reviews is to personally ask a small number of people each week to post a review using effective wording and then follow up.

Here are step-by-step instructions for how to do that:

1. Create a list of members, supporters or customers.
2. Put that list into a spreadsheet.
3. Create an email you can send to the people on your list.
4. Personalize the email and send it to 5-10 people each week.
5. Update the spreadsheet documenting who you sent the email to.
6. Next week, check your Google and Facebook listings for new reviews.
7. Update the spreadsheet to document who posted new reviews.
8. Create a reminder email.
9. Personalize and send the reminder email to people who haven’t posted a review yet.
10. Update the spreadsheet to document which people have been sent reminders.
11. Repeat this every week.
12. While doing all this, make sure you follow all the Online Review Rules for Google, Facebook and Yelp.

If that sounds like a lot of work, well, it is.

That’s why we created…

OurChurch.Com’s Online Review Service

Our team has developed and tested a proven method that can grow your online reviews and it requires almost no time and effort from you!

Additionally, online review sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp have a terrible reputation for customer service. Sometimes people post reviews and they are never published.  Sometimes reviews disappear for no reason.  It’s nearly impossible to contact these companies.  And when you do, they often don’t respond.

So, we include our Review Recovery service with our Online Review Service at no extra charge!

We put our contacts and experience to work for you to resolve issues like this when they arise.

What are our clients saying about the Online Review Service?

“Enrollment is through the roof for next year! The reviews have really made a difference, especially for families who are moving into the area and don’t know anyone who directly attends. People have mentioned them when they call me!” -Matti V, Bayshore Christian School, Tampa, FL 

“Not sure what you did but they put the review back up. Thank you so much for sticking with this and getting it done!” -Kevin S., Grand Vista Pools, Trinity, FL

Click to read more about our Online Review Service. If you’re looking for a trusted partner with Website Design or SEO expertise, we can help you crush it in those areas too!

Then complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a call to discuss your goals and challenges with our team.

Comment and Discuss

• What do you think about the best way to get online reviews?
• What comments or questions do you have about our Online Review Service?

For more insight and tips see The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews

The post The BEST Way to Get More Positive Online Reviews appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Unfortunately, some organizations have knowingly or unknowingly violated Google, Facebook, or Yelp’s terms of service regarding reviews and had their reviews removed. 

Ouch!

I even saw one very popular church tech blogger with thousands of followers (who will remain nameless) promote a strategy for getting online reviews that is specifically prohibited by Google. So, you’ve got to be careful about who you’re getting advice from.

Note #1: Every online review site has different rules

Just because it’s ok to do something for one review site doesn’t mean it’s ok for others.  Therefore, we took the time to scrutinize the terms of service agreement for the biggest sites – Google, Facebook and Yelp.  (Note that the ratings and reviews in Bing Maps are from Yelp)

Note #2: Rules change frequently

We have been writing about the rules for online reviews since 2018.  We review the information every year or two, and every time we have done this review, we have found some changes to the rules, and needed to update our information.

We believe the information in this article is accurate as of 10/21/26, but it could be inaccurate as you read it. We have included links to our sources. We strongly suggest you click them and check the rules for yourself.

Enough disclaimers. Let’s get to it…

Google Business Profile Rules for Online Reviews

Google encourages organizations to “Remind customers to leave reviews”  However, offering incentives like gifts or discounts on future services are not allowed:

Business owners shouldn’t offer incentives to customers to leave reviews.

It goes on to state:

Contributions must be based on real experiences and information. 

This means you shouldn’t ask friends and family who have had no past experience with your organization to post a review about your products/services. That would be second hand hearsay. However, it should be ok for friends and family to post a review that speaks to your character if you lead the origanization.

In earlier versions of the Prohibited and Restricted Content document, it stated the following practices are conflicts of interest and not allowed:

• Reviewing your own business.
• Reviews from employees.

These specific restrictions are no longer listed, however, Google has never stated these reviews are ok, so we recommend you steer clear of reviewing your own organization or asking employees to do so.

It’s also worth noting that Google will not remove a review just because its negative. However, Google will remove a review if it violates their guidelines, for example if it contains explicit language, inappropriate images, or is not based on personal experience.

Finally, Google now prohibits “review gating,” the practice of selectively asking happy customers for public reviews while discouraging dissatisfied customers from posting them.

There are some feedback systems available which ask a custom to rate their experience. If the customer gives a good rating, it forwards them to post a Google review. If the customer gives a poor rating, it forwards them to a form where they can send their feedback privately to the company. This is an example “review gating,” which is against Google’s rules.

Sources: here, here, here, and here.

Facebook Rules for Online Reviews

Facebook does not explicitly encourage organizations to ask for online reviews like Google does, but there is also no place in its reviews guidelines or community standards that prohibit or discourage asking for reviews.

Furthermore, Facebook has “Invite friends” functionality built into its platform, which you can use to invite some or all of your friends to like a page. So, we think it’s safe to assume asking for reviews is ok.

Facebook’s Community Feedback Policies specifically state:

Incentivization: Feedback must not be directly or indirectly incentivized, unless otherwise disclosed compliant with Meta’s policies on Branded Content. We define incentivization as a business partner or seller providing something of value, such as a monetary payment, free gift, or refund, in exchange for Community Feedback ratings, reviews, or answers.

Irrelevance: Feedback must be based on a reviewer’s direct experience with a product, business, or seller. Additionally, the feedback must be related to the intended use of the product and/or business.

Sources: here, here, here and here.

Yelp Rules for Online Reviews

Yelp takes a stricter approach to requesting reviews than Google or Facebook. According to Yelp’s official policies, businesses should not ask customers, friends, or family members to write reviews. Yelp’s automated recommendation software may also exclude reviews it believes were solicited.

Instead of requesting Yelp reviews, focus on providing great experiences that motivate customers to share their feedback voluntarily.

Additionally, Yelp’s Content Guidelines have some helpful rules about posting reviews which are good to know. We’ve included what we believe to be the most important below:

Post your own content: Don’t copy content created by other people or businesses, including from other platforms. Write your own contributions and only share your own photos and videos. This also means you shouldn’t use third-party AI tools and chatbots to create reviews or other content, including using such tools to draft or revise content.

Relevance: Please make sure your contributions are appropriate to the forum. For example, reviews aren’t the place for rants about political ideologies, a business’s employment practices, extraordinary circumstances, or other matters that don’t address the core of the consumer experience. Review content also should only be posted to the Yelp business page for the specific location you visited or contacted, and should focus on your consumer experience with that location.

Conflicts of interest: Your contributions to Yelp should be unbiased and objective. For example, you shouldn’t write reviews of your own business or employer, your friends’ or relatives’ business, your peers or competitors in your industry, or businesses in your networking group. Businesses should never ask customers to write reviews.

U.S. Law: Fake Reviews and Incentives

In October 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) implemented new rules prohibiting fake reviews and incentives conditioned on positive or negative reviews. The rules also address certain undisclosed insider reviews and practices that suppress negative reviews.

Not every incentive is automatically illegal under federal law, but Google and Yelp have stricter policies. The safest approach is to request honest reviews without offering rewards or attempting to influence ratings.

Source: FTC Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule

If you made it this far through the article, congrats! Reading about rules and policies is never fun but the alternative is even less fun.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. –Thomas Jefferson

A trusted partner to help with online reviews

Getting online reviews is part of a comprehensive SEO strategy. If your Christian church, school, ministry or business would like a trusted partner to help with website design, search engine optimization or online reviews, we’d love to talk more to see if working together would be a good fit.

Complete the consultation request form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a discovery call.

Comment & Discuss:

• What are your thoughts and questions about the rules for online reviews?

For more insight and tips see The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews

The post Online Review Rules for Google, Facebook and Yelp appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Once you know How to Get Your Google Review Link, the next step is to ask people to post a review.

Some churches, ministries and businesses send emails, post requests to social media, and make announcements asking their members, supporters, or customers to take 2 minutes to post a positive review.  These are all great ways to encourage folks to post a review.

However,  do you want to know the easiest way to ask people to write a review for your church?

Put a link to your reviews on your website.

Surprisingly enough, most organizations don’t include this link on their website.  And as a result…

When it comes to online reviews, you have not because you ask not. -Mark Steinbrueck

The next thing you might be wondering is…

What is the best place on our website to put a link to post a review?

We’ve got 4 recommendations for you.

1. Website footer.

The easiest place to place link visitors can click to post a review is in the footer of the website. Many websites have links in the footer that serve as a secondary navigation menu. Putting a link in the footer ensures the link is visible on every page of the website without interfering with the message and focus on the content of those pages.

The text for the review can be as simple as, “Post a review!” and link that text to the Google Business Profile review URL.

The downside of putting a link in the footer is that it’s at the bottom of each page and will probably get overlooked unless someone is already looking for a way to post a review.

2. Website header

Placing a review link in the header is also pretty easy. It can even be added to the navigation menu.

The upside of putting the link in the header is it’s highly visible.

The downside is its not very visitor-friendly. If the primary purpose of your website is to connect with new visitors who are looking for a church, school, ministry or business like yours, those visitors are not interested in posting a review.

It may also give the impression that you are more interested in what your visitors can do for you than what you can do for them. It’s similar to putting a big “Donate” button at the top of your site.

3. Below testimonials

We are big fans of posting testimonials on websites, either on the homepage or on their own page.

These testimonials are real quotes from real people who have experienced benefits from your church, school, ministry or business.

It totally fits to place a link just below these testimonials, saying “Tell others how [Your Org] has impacted your life!”

4. A “Spread the Word” page

No matter what kind of organization you’re a part of, you have a mission.

You’re not just looking for consumers – people to buy your product or attend your services. You’re looking for people to join your movement and advance your mission.

Some organizations dedicate an entire page to providing ways their people can join them in this.  You could call this page something like “Spread the Word!” or “Join the Movement!”

The page can include specific calls to action like:

• Invite a friend – to an upcoming event and a link where you can put a friends name and email into a form and send them an online invitation
• Share to social – a specific quote, article, or message
• Buy merch – if someone has been impacted by your org and wants others to experience the same thing, they can help spread the word offline
• Donate – yes, it’s ok to ask for money when it’s explained that their support helps to advance the mission
• Share your story – Posting a review is telling the story of how your organization has impacted their life so others can catch a glimpse of what is possible.

Let our team help you spread the word!

You’re a busy person, wearing lots of hats. Instead of trying to do everything yourself, here’s your opportunity to delegate work to a trusted expert.

If your Christian church, school, ministry or business is interested in having a trusted partner to help with website design, search engine optimization or online reviews, we’d love to talk and see if we’d be a good fit.

Complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a discovery call.

We look forward to talking with you!

Comment & Discuss…

• Where on your website do you already have a link to post a review? Where will you add one?

For more insight and tips see The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews

The post The Easiest Way to Get Google Reviews (but Rarely Done) appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Maybe you want to put a link to post a Google review on your website (great idea!) or email some people and ask them to post a review (great idea!).

There’s something you need first – the web address (URL) where people can post a Google review.

This seems like it should be simple to get, but Google has changed it several times over the years, so we want to make sure you’ve got up-to-date instructions.

How to Get Your Google Review Link

In recent years, Google has made it much simpler to get a direct link for Google Business Profile reviews.

1. Login to the Google account that manages your Google Business Profile

2. Search for your organization.

3. Click “Ask for Reviews” (highlighted in red below)

4. That will produce a pop-up (shown below) that has your Google “Review link.”  Copy the URL, and paste it wherever you want to share it.

Easy peasy!

Save and Use your reviews QR code

As you can see in the screenshot above, in addition to a review link, Google now automatically provides a QR code which can also be used to direct people to the form where they can post a Google review.

This is great for print materials like a sign in the foyer of your office.

If you want more online reviews, you’ve got to give people a direct link to the Google reviews form.

How to Get More Online Reviews

Now that you’ve got that direct review link so people can post Google reviews for your local church, nonprofit, or business. You may be thinking… What now?

Well our team at OurChurch.Com has experimented with many different strategies to get more online reviews for our company as well as our clients.  Some worked great and resulted in many new reviews. Others not so much.

We’ll be sharing what we’ve found to be the most effective strategies for getting online reviews in future articles in this series.

Don’t have time to become an SEO expert and do your own SEO?

Good leaders know they can’t do everything and need to delegate to others. Consider delegating responsibility for your SEO to OurChurch.Com so you have more time for the things you’re really good and passionate about.

Comment and Discuss

• Have you asked someone to post a Google review for your organization and sent them the direct URL?  If yes, how did it go? If no, why not?

For more insight and tips see The Ultimate Guide to Online Reviews

The post How to Get Your Google Review Link appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.