Author: Padelis
08/09/2025
Article

Do You Need a Website if You've Got a Google Business Profile?

At times, a Google Business Profile (GBP) can feel like a website in its own right. It appears when someone searches your business, it displays your hours, phone number, directions, reviews and photos. So if your GBP is already doing so much heavy lifting, do you need an actual website on top?

In this article, we explain what a Google Business Profile can and can’t do and examine whether a website still matters.

What a Google Business Profile Can Do – and Where it Falls Short

A Google Business Profile offers a raft of contact information; it will even lead customers right to your door. Combine this with reviews and you might start to question why a customer – and therefore a business – would ever need more.

But while a Google Business Profile alone might work for some local businesses, it won’t work for all.

Sure, if a customer is on the high street, trying to find the best coffee shop around, a quick scan of the Google Business Profiles is probably enough to make a decision. But what if a customer is seeking a business to carry out extensive work on their house or entrusting the welfare of a treasured pet?

They probably want to see more.

That’s where a website comes to the fore. Many customers want to understand more about your business before taking the plunge, whether it’s a detailed explanation of the services you offer, before-and-after pictures of your work, or proof of your professional credentials. And let’s face it, prospective customers will probably look at pictures of you and your employees too – we’ve all done it!

With its restricted, templated design, Google Business Profiles can’t offer the above. It doesn’t show the personality and ethos of your business. If a customer has to choose between two businesses with comparable GBPs but one has a great website, there’s only one winner.

Further downsides of running only a GBP include:

You don’t own it. If Google decides to change Google Business or even take it down (as they did with Google Business websites), then you might have to start afresh.
It lacks resilience. Google Business Profiles are infamously temperamental. If your profile gets suspended, you’ll find yourself without an online presence.
It’s not limitless. There’s only so much space for content, and the formatting is pretty rigid.

As the saying goes, a Google Business profile can lead customers to water, but can it make them drink?

Why a Website Still Matters

A website is your digital home. You can do what you like with it. Want a long-form blog post demonstrating your expertise? Simply write it and upload. Want to add an e-commerce shop, a booking calendar, or a quirky About page? Just create one.

But beyond creative freedom, a website gives you:

Search results presence: Users don’t only use Google Business Profiles to find businesses – far from it. A high-ranking website will attract its fair share of clicks. And if you appear at the top of both the Google Business results and the search results? That’s going to earn some leads.
Control over SEO: Your Google Profile helps with local search, but your website can rank for dozens of extra keywords. You might capture traffic by targeting ‘problem-solving’ keywords, such as ‘how to fix a leaky tap’ or ‘why isn’t my garage door opening?’. From there, you can use your website to nurture the lead.
Credibility: People expect a website. For some, the absence of one raises red flags. (Imagine searching for a lawyer and finding no website – would you really want them representing you in court?). If you don’t have a website, they might not trust your company enough to make the call.
Analytics: With tools like Google Analytics, you can see how visitors behave: what they click, where they came from and how long they stay. You can use that data to better understand your customers and make informed marketing decisions. Google Business only provides limited data – visits, calls and ‘request directions’ – which, while useful, doesn’t give you much to go on.
Ownership: Unlike your profile, your website can’t just vanish because a backend algorithm decided it didn’t like the way you formatted your address. You own the website, and it’s here to stay.

To put it simply: your Google Business Profile gets people to your door, but your website invites them inside, offers them a seat and lets them look around.

When You Might Get Away Without a Website

There are situations where your Google Business Profile alone might be enough:

Pop-up or seasonal businesses: If you’re running a summer-only food stand, pouring money into a website might not make sense.
Ultra-local services: If people mostly find you through word of mouth and quick searches, your profile could cover the basics, and you might not need more.
Testing the waters: Just starting out? A profile builds visibility fast while you figure out whether a website’s worth it.

Most businesses don’t stay in those categories forever. The moment you want to grow, expand your reach, or differentiate yourself from competitors, a website is essential.

How to Make Your Google Business Profile and Website Work Together

Here’s how to make your website and GBP complement each other:

Use posts on your profile to share quick updates, but link back to your website for full blog posts or promotions.
Collect reviews on your profile, but showcase testimonials more extensively on your site.
Let your profile handle “where and when,” while your website handles “who and why”.

In short, your Google Business Profile captures attention while your website nurtures the lead and closes the sale.

Google Business Profile vs Website: Final Thoughts

If your goal is to stay small, serve a handful of local customers and keep things lean, maybe you can get by with just a Google Business Profile.

But if you care about growth, credibility and long-term control, a website isn’t a luxury – it’s a must.

Here at Advance Online, we manage the websites and Google Business Profiles of hundreds of clients. We know how to make them work in perfect harmony. If you would like to find out more, then get in touch – we would be happy to help.

How to Respond to a Bad Google Business Review

Running a business can feel like spinning plates. Accounts, marketing, recruiting, inventory, prospecting – the to-do list goes on and on (and on…). And then on top of it all, another problem lands in your lap; a one-star rating on your Google Business Profile.