What a Google Business Profile does that a website can't, what a website does that a profile can't, and how US local businesses should use both.
Many US small businesses ask whether a free Google Business Profile is enough, or whether they still need a website. The short answer is that they do different jobs. Your profile is how you appear in Google Maps and the local results, and it is often where the first call comes from. Your website is the place you control completely, where customers go to check what you offer, what it costs and whether you can be trusted.
This guide compares the two side by side, explains why the profile alone is a risky foundation, and shows how to connect them so each makes the other stronger.
In this article
What a Google Business Profile does well
A Business Profile puts you on the map. It shows your hours, phone number, directions, photos and reviews in Google Search and Maps, and it lets people call or get directions in one tap. For many local searches — 'dentist near me', 'auto repair open now' — the map results appear before the regular website results, so a complete, active profile is essential.
It is also where reviews accumulate. Ratings and review count shape both whether you appear in the map results and whether people choose you once you do.
What only a website can do
A profile gives you a few fields, a short description and photos. A website lets you explain each service properly, show pricing or starting prices, publish your full process, answer common questions, show licensing and insurance, and collect detailed enquiries or bookings. It is also where paid ads should land, because a landing page built for one service converts far better than a profile.
Google also gave businesses a reason not to rely on it alone: the simple websites that could be built inside Business Profile were shut down in 2024, and their addresses stopped working. Profiles can be suspended, edited by others or changed by Google's own rules. Your domain and website stay yours.
- Full service pages that rank for specific searches
- Prices, packages and policies in your own words
- Booking, quote and contact forms that feed your inbox or CRM
- Landing pages for Google Ads and Meta Ads
- A record of your work: portfolio, case studies, team
Side by side: profile vs website
- Cost: profile is free; a website has a build cost and yearly hosting.
- Control: Google sets the profile's layout and rules; you control the website.
- Visibility: the profile drives map results; the website drives regular search results and ads.
- Depth: the profile holds basics; the website holds everything a buyer needs to decide.
- Risk: a suspended profile can disappear overnight; a website stays live as long as you renew it.
How to make them work together
Treat them as one system. Your business name, address and phone number should match exactly on both. The profile's website link should go to your homepage or, for single-service businesses, the main service page. Add UTM parameters to that link so your analytics show how many visits come from the profile.
On the website, add LocalBusiness structured data with the same details, embed a map on the contact page and link to your profile so visitors can read reviews. Mention the towns and neighborhoods you serve naturally in your content. Google lists relevance, distance and prominence as the main factors for local results, and a strong website contributes to prominence.
Keeping the profile active
An outdated profile loses calls. Update holiday hours before each holiday, add new photos every month or two, list each service with a short description, reply to every review (briefly and politely, including the negative ones) and ask satisfied customers for reviews with a direct link. Don't offer incentives for reviews or post reviews yourself; Google's policies and the FTC's 2024 rule on fake reviews prohibit it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Google Business Profile enough without a website?
It can bring calls, but it is a thin and risky foundation. Most customers still look for a website to check services, prices and credibility, and you can't run effective ads or explain your services in depth without one.
Does having a website help my Google Maps ranking?
Indirectly, yes. Google uses relevance, distance and prominence for local results. A website with clear service pages, consistent contact details and links from other sites helps relevance and prominence.
Where should my Business Profile website link point?
Usually your homepage. If you offer one main service or have a page built for profile visitors, link there instead, and add UTM tags so you can measure those visits.
What happened to websites built inside Google Business Profile?
Google shut down the free Business Profile websites in 2024. Businesses that relied on them needed a separate website and had to update the link on their profile.
Can WebNest set up both the website and the profile?
Yes. We build the website and can set up or tidy your Business Profile so details match and visits are tracked. See our SEO services and USA page.
Written by the WebNest Team
The designers, developers and marketers at WebNest, a website design and digital marketing studio in Durgapur, West Bengal, working with businesses across India and abroad since 2022. More about us.
