Google Maps Setup

Getting your church, nonprofit, or business setup with a location on Google Maps is a lot easier than it used to be, and well worth your time.

Back in the day it was kind of a challenge, or at least I remember it being a challenge to get set up.  Now there are easy ways of doing it, all it takes is a little bit of preparation and a little bit of paitence.

If you don't have one already, you need to get setup with a Gmail account.  Not only does this help you get setup for maps, but it gives you access to all things Google.  You don't have to like Google to use their services. They are an important part of the online ecosystem, and important for your church to have a presence on.

Once you have your Gmail setup, then you need to gather some more information.

This information will make your life easier as you go.  Having this on hand, whether for Google Maps, your website, or social media means you have both a consistent message across platforms, and its less work for your to do.

Because I primarily work with rural churches, I know that there is one piece of this information that could be a challenge, and that's the street address.  Especially for our smaller open country churches, having a street address has never been important.  Mail is generally sent to a board chair or treasurer, and people are told where the church is through directions or in relationship to other landmarks/known locations.  This is not at all unusual. I have a much longer story about how much time I've spent on Google Maps in satellite view looking for churches and cemeteries because of this issue.  

Don't worry if you don't have an address.  You can go to your local courthouse and start with the Assessor or Recorder and they will help you figure it out (I've done that).  You can probably find your location on Google Maps, but in some neighborhoods and areas it can't pinpoint an exact address unless you tell it.  This is why you need to find it from another location first.

Once you have that, you're ready to get started.  I won't take you through the steps here, but will direct you to Google's Instructions that are pretty good and will get you set up.  They'll be getting you setup as a Business Location.  If you have questions let me know in the comments below, or contact me by email.