Google Business Profile vs Website: Do You Need Both?

By the Tuncer Technologies team · 22 October 2026

A free Google Business Profile can put your business on Google Maps, show your hours and collect reviews. So it is a fair question: if Google gives you a free listing, why pay for a website at all?

The short answer is that they do different jobs. Your Google Business Profile helps people find you. Your website helps them choose you. For most local businesses, the two work best together. This guide explains the difference and how to make them support each other.

What a Google Business Profile does well

Google Business Profile (formerly "Google My Business") is the box that appears on Google Search and Google Maps when someone searches for your business or for a service near them. It is free to set up and manage.

It is excellent for:

Showing up on Maps and in the local results for searches like "plumber near me".
Basic facts: address, phone number, opening hours, service area.
Reviews, which many customers read before they call.
Photos and short posts about offers or news.
Quick actions: call, get directions, visit website.

If you run a local business and have not claimed your profile, do that this week. It is one of the most useful free tools available.

Where a Google Business Profile falls short

You do not control it. Google decides the layout, the features and the rules. Features have been added and removed over the years, and listings can be suspended for policy reasons, sometimes by mistake.
Limited space. There is no room to properly explain your services, prices, process, policies, team qualifications or FAQs.
Anyone can suggest edits. Members of the public can propose changes to your listing details.
It only lives on Google. Customers who find you through Facebook, a flyer, a directory or word of mouth still want somewhere to check you out.
No business email. A profile does not give you info@yourbusiness.com.

What a website does that a profile cannot

You own it. Your domain, your content, your rules.
Room to sell. Separate pages for each service, with photos, prices or starting prices, and answers to common questions.
More search visibility. Each service page can appear for its own searches, not only your business name.
Credibility. Many customers, especially for larger jobs, check for a real website before they call.
Contact forms and booking that send enquiries straight to you.
A home for your email, so quotes come from your own domain.

How they work together

Google uses several factors for local results, including relevance, distance and prominence. A well-built website helps with relevance and prominence, and the profile links straight to it. In practice:

Put your website link in your Google Business Profile.
Make sure your business name, address and phone number are exactly the same on both (and on Facebook and directories).
Add a map and opening hours on your website's contact page.
Use your website's service pages to explain in detail what the profile can only summarise.
Link to your reviews from your website so new visitors see them.

Our local SEO checklist walks through each step.

Do you need both? A quick decision guide

You have a profile but no website: you are visible on Maps, but you lose customers who want more detail, and you depend entirely on one platform. A simple one-page website fixes this.
You have a website but no profile: claim your profile now. It is free, and you are missing local searches.
You have both: check that the details match and that your website loads quickly on mobile, because many visitors arrive from the profile on their phones.

For almost every local business, the answer is both. The website does not need to be big. One clear page is often enough to start.

The simplest way to add a website

Starter Online (/store/B03) gets a local business online in one step:

1 .com domain for 1 year, registered in your name
1 year of Starter hosting with SSL and backups
A 1-page website with your services, contact details, contact form and a mobile-ready layout
Delivery in 5 to 7 days after you send your content
Price: USD 229 / PHP 8,900 (as of 22 October 2026; checkout shows the current price)

Already have a domain and hosting? The Launch-Ready Landing Page (/store/L01) is a single page with contact form for USD 199 / PHP 5,900.

Already have a website but it is slow or not showing up properly on Google? The Website Speed & SEO Fix (/store/L02) covers speed fixes, page titles, sitemap and indexing for up to 5 pages, for USD 149 / PHP 4,900.

Your text, photos and logo are supplied by you. Domain and hosting renew after the first year at the normal yearly price, with notice.

Get Starter Online

Want to see where your current online presence stands? Run our free website audit.

FAQ

Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Creating and managing a profile is free. You verify that you own or represent the business, then you can edit your details, add photos and reply to reviews.

Can I use my Google Business Profile instead of a website?

You can, and it is better than nothing. But you do not control the platform, space is limited, and you miss searches for your individual services. Most local businesses benefit from having both.

Does having a website help my Google Maps ranking?

A website is one of the things that helps Google understand your business and its relevance. Distance and reviews also matter, so a website alone will not decide your position, but it supports your profile.

Do you set up my Google Business Profile?

Our packages focus on your website, domain, hosting and email. We will make sure your website shows the same name, address and phone number as your profile, and you link the profile to your new site.

How big does my website need to be?

For many local businesses, one clear page is a good start. If you offer several distinct services, a 5-page site such as Business Pro (/store/B05) gives each service its own page.

What should be on a one-page business website?

Your business name and what you do, the area you serve, your main services, a few photos, opening hours, contact details with a form, and links to your reviews.

Agencies and freelancers can refer local businesses through our free partner program: partners.tuncertech.com/earn.