Kent Elliott
Inspired by the Pro Church Tools Show episode: “People Are Asking ChatGPT to Find Them a Church. Are You Showing Up?” — Watch it here
Here’s a scenario that’s already happening more than most church leaders realize.
A family moves to your city. They’re looking for a church. Instead of opening Google, they open ChatGPT and type: “What are the best churches near me in [your city]?” Seconds later, they get a curated list of recommendations. The list is of churches that AI has decided are credible, active, and worth visiting.
Is your church on that list?
The Shift Is Already Happening
Over 800 million people use ChatGPT every week. Research shows that 52% of U.S. adults are using AI tools regularly, and 24% already prefer AI over traditional search for local queries, including finding local businesses, services, and yes, churches.
And here’s what makes it different from traditional Google search: AI doesn’t just return a list of links and let someone scroll through options. It synthesizes information from multiple sources, like your website, your Google Business Profile, online directories, and reviews. a
The churches showing up in those recommendations aren’t necessarily the biggest or the most well-known. They’re the ones whose digital presence is clear, consistent, and structured in a way that AI can actually read and trust.
The good news is that getting there is more practical than it sounds. Here’s the checklist.
Step 1: Add Schema Markup to Your Website
Schema markup is a small piece of code that you add to your website to help search engines and AI understand exactly who you are. Specifically, your name, location, service times, denomination, and more. Think of it as a name tag for your church in the digital world.
This is a free tool that walks you through the process step by step. technicalseo.com/tools/schema-markup-generator
Once you have the code, your web developer can add it to your site or if you manage your own site, it can be added through most website platforms in minutes.
This one step alone can meaningfully improve how AI perceives and represents your church online.
Step 2: Build the Pages AI Is Actually Looking For
AI search doesn’t read your website the way a human does. It scans for specific pages and signals that help it understand who you are, what you believe, and whether you’re an active and credible church community.
There are four pieced of information that matter most right now:
An FAQ page — and not a generic one. AI pulls directly from FAQ content when answering questions about local churches. Think about what a first-time visitor would want to know: What does your church believe? What should I expect on a Sunday morning? Is there childcare? What is the pastor’s background? A robust FAQ page that honestly and warmly answers these questions is one of the most powerful pages your church website can have in 2026.
An About Us page — your story, your values, your pastor, and your people. This is where AI learns who you are beyond just your location and service times.
A Plan Your Visit page — clear service times, your address, parking information, what to expect, and what happens with kids. This page reduces anxiety for first-time visitors and gives AI exactly the structured information it’s looking for.
Consistent contact and location information — your address, phone number, and service times should appear on every page, and they should match exactly what’s on your Google Business Profile and every other directory where your church is listed. Inconsistency confuses both human visitors and AI.
Step 3: Claim and Fully Update Your Google Business Profile
If you haven’t done this yet, stop reading and go do it. Your Google Business Profile is one of the single most important digital assets your church has. It is also completely free.
A complete, active Google Business Profile tells AI exactly where you are, when you meet, who you are, and that you’re a living, active community.
Here’s what to focus on:
- Fill out every single field completely
- Add real photos of your building, your congregation, and your services
- Keep your hours and service times current — especially around holidays
- Post updates regularly, even brief ones, to signal that your church is active
- Make sure your address and contact information exactly matches what’s on your website
This one action, done well, has more impact on your AI search visibility than almost anything else on this list.
Step 4: Ask for Google Reviews and Respond to Them
Reviews are one of the strongest trust signals in AI search. Research shows that 95% of people read online reviews before making a decision, and AI weights reviews heavily when deciding which churches to recommend.
Encourage your congregation to leave honest Google reviews. Make it easy, send a direct link in your Sunday email, or have a QR included in your Sunday Slides.
Respond to every review. A church that engages with its reviewers’ signals to both potential visitors and AI that there are real people behind the ministry who care about their community.
What This Means for Your Church Right Now
The way people find a church is changing fast. Someone in your community is already asking AI for church recommendations this week. The question is whether your church has done the work to show up.
The encouraging thing is that this isn’t about having the biggest budget or the best marketing team. A complete website with the right pages. Schema markup that tells AI who you are. An updated Google Business Profile. Directory listings. And a congregation willing to share their experience through reviews. That’s the checklist. It’s not complicated. But it does require intention.
If your church website needs work or if you’re not sure whether your digital presence is set up to be found in this new era of search that’s exactly what we help churches figure out at FaithWorks.
Book a free strategy call with our team and let’s make sure your church is showing up where your community is already looking.
This post was inspired by Brady Shearer’s episode of the Pro Church Tools Show: “People Are Asking ChatGPT to Find Them a Church. Are You Showing Up?” Listen to the full episode here.