WEBSITE VS GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE: WHAT DOES A LOCAL BUSINESS NEED?
Does a local business need a website, a Google Business Profile, or both? Most need both: the free Business Profile gets you onto Google Search and Maps, and a website you own explains your services in full and backs the profile up. If your business has no website yet, set up the profile first, then add a simple site; Conqueror Capital builds one for $297 a month in the US, with hosting and updates included.
Below: what each one does, side by side, then the order to set them up if you are starting from nothing.
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SIDE BY SIDE
| Google Business Profile | Your website | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free: Google says creating a profile and listing your business on Google is free1 | Domain and hosting at minimum, plus whoever builds and updates it |
| Shows on Google Maps | Yes. Google says a verified profile is more likely to show up in search results2 | Not on its own; it is linked from your profile |
| Who controls it | You manage it, under Google's rules; Google may suspend profiles that don't follow its guidelines4 | You own the domain and the content |
| Room to explain your work | Short description, services, photos, posts | As many pages as you need: each service, each town, prices if you choose, FAQs |
| Effect on local ranking | Complete, accurate info and reviews help it show up2 | Google counts how many websites link to your business as part of prominence2 |
| Where it shows | Google Search and Maps | Any search engine, AI assistants, social posts, your truck and your invoices |
MY BUSINESS HAS NO WEBSITE: WHAT NOW?
Claim and verify your Business Profile
It is free and it is what puts you on Maps. Step by step: Business Profile setup.
Fill in every section
Google says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results.2 See how to optimize your profile.
Start asking for reviews
Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking.2
Build a simple website
Your services, the towns you serve, your phone number and real photos. It does not need to be big; see our website checklist.
Link the two, with matching details
Add the site to your profile. Use the same name everywhere: Google asks for your real-world name as used on your storefront, website and stationery.3
I HAVE BOTH, BUT THEY DON'T MATCH
This comes up more often than "no website at all." A business rebrands, moves, changes its hours seasonally, or adds a service, and updates one of the two but not the other. The usual mismatches, worst first:
- Different phone numbers or addresses. Google's guidelines call for your real-world business name, address and phone to be used consistently;3 a mismatch between your profile and your website is exactly the kind of inconsistency that erodes the "prominence" signal, and it directly confuses a customer trying to decide which number to call.
- Hours that disagree. A customer who shows up to a locked door because the website said one thing and the profile said another won't check which one was right; they'll just leave a review about it.
- Services listed on one but not the other. If your site offers something your profile's category and services list don't mention, that service effectively doesn't exist for Google Search and Maps users searching for it.
- An old logo, name or owner on the website after a sale, rebrand or franchise change, while the profile (or vice versa) already reflects the new one.
The fix is almost always the same: pick one source of truth, usually your Business Profile for hours and contact details since that's what shows directly in Maps results, and make the website match it exactly, then check both again any time either one changes.
IF YOU CAN ONLY AFFORD ONE RIGHT NOW
If budget forces a choice, the Business Profile comes first every time, because it costs nothing and is what actually places you in Google Maps results and the map pack.1 A website with no claimed profile behind it is close to invisible on local search and Maps; a verified, complete profile with no website still shows up, takes calls and can list services, just with less room to explain them.
That said, "can only afford one" is rarely actually true for long. A $297/month plan that includes hosting and updates generally costs less than most businesses already spend on a single truck's fuel in a month, and it's the piece that gives you something to link reviews, social posts and ads back to. Treat the free profile as step one, not the finish line.
FAQ
Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?
For most local businesses, yes. The profile gets you on Google Maps, but a website you own lets you explain each service and town in full, and Google counts websites that link to your business as part of prominence.
Is a Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Google says creating a Business Profile and listing your business on Google is free.
My business has no website. What should I do?
Set up and verify your free Google Business Profile first, fill in every section and start asking for reviews. Then build a simple website with your services, towns, phone number and real photos, and link it from the profile.
Can a Facebook page replace a website?
It can help people find you, but you don't own it or control how it looks the way you do with your own site. Use it alongside a website, not instead of one.
Does a website help my Google Maps ranking?
It can help, but nothing is certain. Google says prominence is based partly on how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have, and that there's no way to pay for a better local ranking.
SOURCES
- Google, Business Profile on Google (FAQ: Is a Business Profile on Google free?).
- Google Business Profile Help, Tips to improve your local ranking on Google.
- Google Business Profile Help, Guidelines for representing your business on Google.
- Google Business Profile Help, Fix suspended or disabled profiles.
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