Getting found · 12 min read · Updated August 2026
How to get your church on Google Maps
When someone new to town types “church near me,” Google Maps decides what they see. Getting your church listed is free, takes about an hour, and you can do it from the church office computer or your phone. This guide walks through every step.
Step 1. Check whether Google already knows about you
Open Google Maps and search for your church by name, then by address. Churches often have a listing they never created — Google builds them automatically from public records. If a listing exists, you’ll claim it. If not, you’ll create one. Either way, keep going.
Step 2. Claim or create your Business Profile
Go to business.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Search for your church. If it appears, click it and choose “Claim this business.” If it doesn’t, choose “Add your business” and pick “Place of worship” as the category.
Step 3. Verify you're really the church
Google will ask you to prove the church is yours. Usually this is a postcard mailed to your address with a code on it (it takes about a week), though sometimes a phone call or video option appears. Pick whichever is offered, and don’t worry — nothing breaks while you wait.
Step 4. Fill in the details visitors actually check
Once verified, fill in every field you can. In order of importance: service times (put them in the “hours” field — Sunday 10:00 to 11:30 is clearer than “open Sunday”), phone number, website if you have one, and photos. A phone photo of your real building beats no photo — it’s how visitors confirm they’ve found the right place.
Step 5. Ask two people to leave a review
Reviews are how Google decides which churches to show first, and how visitors decide where to go. You don’t need dozens. Ask two members this Sunday to write a sentence or two about the congregation. That’s genuinely enough to start.