Local SEO · 8 min read
Google Business Profile vs a Website: Which Do You Need?
A Google Business Profile is free and a website costs money, so it's tempting to skip the website. This guide shows what each one does, where each falls short, and which to set up first for your type of business.
Groow editorial team · Reviewed
Key takeaways
- Most local businesses need both. The profile helps people find you on Google Maps. The website helps them trust you and get in touch.
- If you serve customers in person, set up the free profile first. It is quick and costs nothing.
- Online-only businesses can't have a profile under Google's rules, so for them the website comes first.
- Google no longer builds free websites from Business Profiles. Those sites were switched off in 2024.
- Nobody can pay Google for a better Maps position. Accurate details, reviews and links to your business help.
The short answer
If customers visit you or you travel to them, start with a free Google Business Profile. Then add a simple website as soon as you can. The profile gets you seen on Google Search and Maps. The website does the convincing and can capture enquiries.
A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your name, address, hours, photos and reviews on Google. A website is a set of pages you own at your own address, such as yourbusiness.com.
They are not rivals. Each one fixes a gap the other leaves open. The rest of this guide shows where those gaps are, so you can spend only on what you need.
What a Google Business Profile does well
Google offers the profile at no charge. Once it is live, it can appear when people search for your business or for what you sell nearby. That includes the map results that show up for searches like "pharmacy near me".
To manage it, you must verify that you own the business. Google picks the method for you. It may be a phone call, a text, an email, a live video call or a postcard by post.
- Your opening hours, phone number, address and website link, shown right on Google.
- Directions on Google Maps, so people can find your door.
- Photos and videos of your place, products and team.
- Customer reviews, which you can reply to.
- Links for bookings, orders or appointments in some business categories.
The profile is only for businesses with real contact with customers: a place people can visit, or a service you deliver at their location. A rented mailing address you don't work from is not allowed.
What people search for
Our analysis of Google Ads keyword data shows about 49,500 searches a month for “Google Business Profile” in Nigeria, with low advertiser competition and top-of-page bids of up to €3.67.
What a profile can't do for you
You don't fully control your profile. Google builds it from what you add, but also from its own data, other websites and the public. Anyone can suggest an edit to your details, and customers add their own photos and reviews.
The space is also small and the same for everyone. You can't explain a complex service, show a full price list in your own layout or tell your story at length. You can't add a proper enquiry form, and you can't change the design to stand out.
Some businesses can't have a profile at all. Google's rules require in-person contact, so a shop that only sells online, with no premises and no delivery area it serves in person, is not eligible.
What a website adds
A website is the one place online that you own and control. You decide what it says, how it looks and what visitors do next. That matters when a customer is comparing you with two or three others.
It also helps your profile. Google says it reads business websites when it builds local results. It also counts how many websites link to your business as part of how well known you are. A clear website gives Google more to work with. Nobody can promise it will lift your Maps position, though.
| What matters | Google Business Profile | Your own website |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Build cost, plus a domain and hosting each year |
| Control | Shared with Google and the public | Fully yours |
| Content | Short, fixed sections | As many pages as you need |
| Getting found | Google Search and Maps nearby | Google Search, including for detailed questions |
| Ranking role | Central to Maps results | Supports the profile; can rank on its own |
| Capturing leads | Calls, directions, some booking links | Forms, WhatsApp buttons, bookings, payments |
| Who can use it | Only businesses with in-person contact | Any business |
Which to start with, by type of business
Use this quick guide to decide your first step. In every case, plan to have both in the end if you serve local customers.
- Walk-in shop, pharmacy, salon or restaurant: set up the profile first. Most of your new customers will come from nearby searches. Add a small website with your menu or price list next.
- Service-area trade, such as a plumber, cleaner or electrician: set up the profile with your service area and hide your home address. Then add a website that lists each service and shows photos of past work.
- Professional firm, such as a lawyer, accountant, clinic or school: build both close together. People check you carefully before they call. Your website needs to show your team, services and how you work.
- Online-only seller: start with the website. You can't have a profile unless you also serve people in person, so your own shop page, social media and search do the work.
If money is tight, the profile costs nothing but your time. Set it up this week, then save for a website you can grow.
How the two work together
Think of the profile as your sign on the street and the website as your shop floor. The profile catches attention in search results. The website answers questions and turns interest into a call, a WhatsApp chat or a booking.
Keep both saying the same thing. Your name, address, phone number and hours should match exactly. Mixed details can confuse customers and Google.
- 1Create or claim your Business Profile and complete the verification Google offers you.
- 2Fill in every field: category, hours, phone, service area and photos.
- 3Build a simple website with a page for each main service and a clear way to get in touch.
- 4Add your website address to the profile, plus booking or order links if your category allows it.
- 5Ask happy customers for reviews and reply to each one.
- 6Check both every few months and update hours, prices and photos.
What happened to the free Google websites?
Google used to let businesses build a basic free website from their profile. Those sites ended in .business.site. Google switched them off in March 2024, and from June 2024 visitors saw a "page not found" error.
If you still have a .business.site link on your profile, cards or social pages, it no longer works. Google's advice is to build a website with another tool and add the new address to your profile.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Google Business Profile replace a website?
For a very small local business, it can be enough to get started. It can't replace a website for long. You don't fully control it, it has little room to explain your services, and online-only businesses can't have one.
Does having a website help my Maps ranking?
It can help. Google says it looks at how relevant you are, how close you are and how well known you are. Links from websites and your own site's content feed into that. There is no way to pay Google for a better local position.
Which should a new business create first?
If you serve customers in person, create the free profile first because it is quick. Build the website next. If you only sell online, start with the website.
Is a Facebook page enough instead of a website?
A Facebook page is useful for updates and chat, but you don't own it. The platform sets the layout and rules, and some customers don't use it. In our view, treat it like the profile: a helpful extra that points to your own website.
How much does it cost to have both?
The profile is free. A website's cost depends on the number of pages, who writes the content, and features like bookings or payments. You also pay each year for your domain name and hosting. Ask for a quote based on the pages you really need.
Sources
- Get started with Google Business Profile — Google Business Profile Help
- Guidelines for representing your business on Google — Google Business Profile Help
- Verify your business on Google — Google Business Profile Help
- Tips to improve your local ranking on Google — Google Business Profile Help
- Understand how Google sources & uses info in Business Profiles & local search results — Google Business Profile Help
- Edit your Business Profile — Google Business Profile Help
- Websites made with Google Business Profiles are turned off — Google Business Profile Help