Do you have a website created through Google Business Profiles for your local business?
If so, you must find an alternative website solution as Google plans to shut down websites created with Google Business Profiles in March.
Websites Created With Google Business Profiles Will Redirect Until June 10, 2024
A redirect will be put in place from your GBP website to your Google Business Profile until June 10, 2024.
“Websites made with Google Business Profiles are basic websites powered by the information on your Business Profile.
In March 2024, websites made with Google Business Profiles will be turned off and customers visiting your site will be redirected to your Business Profile instead.
The redirect will work until June 10, 2024.”
How To Find Out If You Have A Google Business Profile Website
To find out if your business has a website made with Google Business Profile, search for my business or your business name on Google. Once you find your Google Business Profile, edit your profile and check for your website in the contact section.
If you have a Google Business Profile site, it should say, “You have a website created with Google.”
Otherwise, it will allow you to add the link to your website.
Screenshot from Google, February 2024Choosing An Alternative Website Builders For Small Businesses
Google suggests Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Google Sites, Shopify for ecommerce, Durable, Weebly, Strikingly, and WordPress as alternative website builders to create a new website or ad landing page to replace the Google Business Profiles site.
While some, like WordPress, offer a free website builder with generative AI features, its users’ content may reportedly be sold to OpenAI and Midjourney as training data unless they opt out.
Regarding Core Web Vitals, WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace showed the most improvements in performance.
It’s also worth noting that while Google Deepmind used a Google Sites website to introduce Genie, its new AI model, Google Sites may not be best for SEO.
Updating Ad Campaigns
If you have a Google Ads campaign that links to a website created with Google Business Profiles, the ad campaign will also stop running on March 1, 2024, until the website link is updated.
There’s still time to update your business website to ensure visitors are not sent to a 404 error page after June 10, 2024. If you haven’t chosen a new website builder or hosting service, review the reviews to find the most reliable, affordable, and optimized solution for your business.
Featured image: Vladimka production/Shutterstock