Being aware of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is now essential

Google and other search engines have changed the way they search and you simply have to design what they want to see or not be found. The link below goes to Google's own 'Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide'. Simply download it and read through it yourself. If you are building your own website follow the advice very carefully. If you have a web developer, go through it with them to check that they really have done everything they need to do. If you have a website already review it or go through it with your developer. Lastly Google like active sites, with good links in and plenty of unique text and content. This is probably going to be up to you.

Getting listed on reference websites

It used to be of great importance to register your website on as many directory sites as possible in order to boost your search engine rankings. However search engines will generally now find you quite quickly but will need links to your site from other established websites, social media and lively blogs more than ones from traditional directory sites. Your ranking and search visibility will probably come from these as much as anything.
Add your site to Google. Click this link. Google does say that it does not accept and list every site submitted so you might need to try several times.
Register your church and website on this very good search engine - mostly CofE (for which registration is free) but you can register other denominations.

You may already have basic information on this site for your church but if you have recently created a 2day site or other website for your church, you can add the site so that people searching for your church can click the website link.
Add a link to your church (C of E) website. This is an Anglican publication (both online and printed).
You can add your church to this very popular search site - either as a free entry or as a paid entry. Click here for details of both.