Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?
Yes, if you want to win more of the customers who find you. Your Google Business Profile gets you seen on the map. A website is where people go to decide whether to call you, and it gives Google far more to understand about your business. The two work best together.
What your Google Business Profile does well
Your profile is free, and for local trades it matters a lot. It puts you on Google Maps and in the map results, shows your hours, your phone number and your reviews, and lets people call or get directions in one tap. If you don't have one, set it up before anything else.
What a profile can't do
- Room to explain. A profile has a short description and a list of services. A website can explain each service, how you work, what an estimate involves and what happens on the day.
- Win the comparison. Customers usually look at two or three businesses before they call. The one with a real website that answers their questions looks like the established choice.
- Belong to you. Google controls the profile's layout and rules, and can change them at any time. Your website is yours.
- Carry your name everywhere. Your web address goes on your truck, your cards and your invoices. A profile link doesn't fit on a truck.
How a website helps your Google ranking
Google says local results depend on three things: relevance (how well your listing matches the search), distance, and prominence (how well known your business is). It also says information Google finds about a business across the web counts toward prominence. Read Google's own guide.
A website feeds two of those. It tells Google exactly which services you offer and which towns you cover, which helps relevance, and it gives other sites something to link to, which helps prominence. Your profile has a website field for this reason.
The setup we recommend
- A complete Google Business Profile: hours, services, photos and a link to your website.
- A website that lists every service and every town you cover, shows your real reviews and puts your number one tap away.
- The same business name, address and phone number on both, word for word.
- Ask every happy customer for a Google review.
On our Care plan, we keep both current for you: your site, and your profile's hours, services, photos and links.
Common questions
Is a Google Business Profile enough for a small trades business?
It's enough to be found, but often not enough to be chosen. When customers compare a few listings, the businesses with a website that explains their services and service area tend to look more established and get the call.
Does having a website help my Google Maps ranking?
It can. Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence, and a website helps Google understand what you do and where, and gives other sites something to link to. Nobody can promise a specific ranking.
Can I put my Facebook page in the website field instead?
You can, but a Facebook page is built for posts, not for explaining your services to someone deciding who to hire. Here's how the two compare.
Give your Google profile a website to send people to.
We'll design a free Preview from your profile, your reviews and your photos.