Do I need a website for my small business if I have a Google Business Profile?

2 min read · Updated

The short answer

For most businesses, yes: you do need a website for your small business even with a Google Business Profile. The profile covers the basics in Search and Maps, but you don't control it. Google can edit or suspend it, and it has little room to explain your services. A website is yours, and AI assistants read it.

What the profile does well

  • Shows your hours, phone and location right in Search and Maps.
  • Collects reviews.
  • Takes calls and direction requests without anyone visiting a site.

What it can't do

  • Explain each service properly, with its own page.
  • Stay yours: Google and the public can edit it, and Google can suspend it.
  • Host a free website anymore. Google shut down its Business Profile websites in March 2024.

Why it matters more with AI

When AI answers a question about a local business, 93% of the distinct websites it cites are business websites. (Source: BrightLocal Local AI Visibility Tracker, August 2026 — 116,670 domains cited across Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode and ChatGPT.)

Questions

Can I get a free website for my small business?

Several builders have free plans, usually with their branding on your domain. Google no longer offers one.

Is a Facebook page enough?

It helps, but like a Google profile, it isn't yours to control.

How big does the website need to be?

Big enough to say what you do, where, and how to reach you, with a page for each main service.

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