How Google Helps People Join Us at Church | An Interview with Paul McHardy
Leading Saints Podcast
Leading Saints
4.8 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 20 July 2024
⏱️ 55 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Paul McHardy was raised primarily in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to Utah to earn a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Brigham Young University and eventually a master’s degree in Professional Communication from Weber State University. Paul has managed multiple omni-channel marketing teams (SEO, PPC, email, social, and affiliates), and has experience with branding, market research, user experience, and product development. In 2021 he took the opportunity to specialize in search engine optimization by joining Church employment as the Head of Global SEO.
Paul currently lives in Eagle Mountain, Utah, with his wife, Aleta, and three young daughters. He loves athletics, collecting trinkets, music, and BYU sports. He has served in various callings over the years, but has spent most of his adult life as either a Sunday School teacher or in a Sunday School presidency, and currently serves in his stake Sunday School presidency.
Links
There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts.
Read the transcript of this podcast
Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library
Highlights
This conversation delves into the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) in ensuring accurate and positive information about The Church is easily accessible online. Paul explains how The Church’s shift from using the term “Mormon” to has impacted their online visibility and search rankings. The conversation also explores the intricacies of local search optimization for Church buildings, including the transition from using the Angel Moroni icon to a cross icon on map listings. Paul details the challenges of managing phone numbers for Church listings and the efforts to improve data accuracy and visibility for local congregations. He also emphasizes the significance of engaging with online reviews and maintaining consistent and up-to-date information across various platforms to enhance The Church’s online presence and accessibility for individuals seeking to connect with local congregations.
00:02:07 – Discussion on SEO and Church Communication
00:17:44 – Importance of Local Search Optimization for Chapels
00:22:02 – Various Platforms for Local Listings
00:28:03 – Transition from Angel Moroni to Cross Icon on Listings
00:35:18 – Importance of Reviews and Responses for Listings
00:40:55 – Integration of Meetinghouse Locator with Local Listings
The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints’ mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org.
Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, and many more in over 700 episodes.
Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Okay, so you're here for some great church leadership content. |
| 0:06.1 | The podcast is great, but there's also another piece of content you need to be enjoying |
| 0:11.6 | each week. |
| 0:12.6 | It is the leading saint's email newsletter. |
| 0:15.2 | Now I get it. |
| 0:16.2 | Email newsletters feel so 2006, you know? |
| 0:19.6 | But it isn't as old-fashioned as you might think. |
| 0:21.8 | It's actually one of the most popular pieces of content |
| 0:24.7 | that leading Saints produces. Each week I share a unique leadership thought that can only |
| 0:29.7 | be found in the newsletter. I keep it short and sweet, most can read it in less than five minutes, |
| 0:35.2 | and then we share with you recent content you might have missed, throwback episodes, |
| 0:39.1 | and leading Saints events that happen more often than he might anticipate. |
| 0:43.4 | If you want to make sure you are on the email list simply visit leading Saints.org |
| 0:47.5 | slash 14 that's leading Saints dot org slash one four that will also get you 14 days access to our full library of content not available to the general public. |
| 0:58.0 | So look for leading saints in your inbox by going to leading saints.org. |
| 1:02.0 | slash 14 or click the link in the show notes. |
| 1:05.0 | Before we jump into the content of this episode, I kind of feel it's important that I introduce myself now many of you've been around a long time |
| 1:17.3 | You're well familiar with my voice and with leading Saints has an organization. |
| 1:22.8 | But if you're not, well, my name is Kurt Frankam, |
| 1:25.2 | and I am the executive director of Leading Saints and the podcast host. |
| 1:28.8 | Now, Leading Saints is a non-profit organization dedicated helping Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. |
| 1:35.2 | And we do that through, well, content creation, like this podcast and many other resources at |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Leading Saints, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Leading Saints and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.