Local SEO · · 6 min read
Do Contractors Need a Website, or Is a Google Business Profile Enough?
A Google Business Profile is essential for contractors, but it isn't enough on its own. Customers check reviews on Google and then visit your website before they call. Your website is also the only channel you fully own if Google suspends or changes your profile.
You need both. The profile gets you found on Google Maps; the website gets you chosen. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 54% of consumers said they visit a business's website after reading positive reviews, and 45% now use AI tools like ChatGPT for local recommendations.
Is a Google Business Profile enough for a contractor?
No. A Google Business Profile helps you appear in map results, but most customers still check your website before they hire you. The profile also isn't yours: Google controls it and can suspend it.
Think of the profile as a sign on the motorway and the website as the showroom. The sign gets attention. The showroom is where people decide.
What do customers actually do before hiring a contractor?
They read reviews, then look you up properly. In BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey of 1,002 US adults:
- 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses
- 71% use Google to evaluate local businesses
- 54% visit the business's website after reading positive reviews
- 45% use ChatGPT or other AI tools for local recommendations, up from 6% the year before
What can a website do that a Google Business Profile can't?
A website lets you explain your services in depth, show full project galleries, rank for many different searches, and capture leads on your own terms.
- A separate page for every service and every town you cover, each able to rank on its own
- Detailed project write-ups and before-and-after photos
- Quote forms that ask the questions you need answered
- Proof of licences, insurance and warranties
- Content that AI assistants can read, understand and recommend
What happens if your Google Business Profile gets suspended?
You can lose your map listing overnight, and appeals can take weeks. Contractors are hit hard by this: garage door, tree service and similar trades were among the categories caught in the wave of suspensions reported in 2024.
A website you own keeps working while you sort it out. Your phone number, quote form and reviews all stay online.
How do AI assistants like ChatGPT decide which contractor to recommend?
They pull from web pages they can read: your website, review sites and directories. A business with only a map listing gives them very little to work with.
ChatGPT's search results line up closely with Bing's: one study found that more than 87% of its citations matched Bing's top 20 results. So a clear, well-structured website that's indexed in both Google and Bing gives you the best chance of being mentioned. Our guide to answer engine optimization covers how to get there.
Key takeaways
- Use both: the profile gets you found, the website gets you hired.
- 54% of consumers visit a business's website after reading positive reviews.
- Your website is the only listing you fully control.
- AI assistants recommend businesses they can read about. Give them a website.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, it's free to create and manage. The real cost is the time it takes to keep it updated with photos, posts and replies to reviews.
Google discontinued the simple websites it used to build from Business Profiles in 2024. You need a separate website to link from your profile.
At minimum: home, one page per main service, an areas-served page or one page per town, a project gallery, reviews and contact. Five to fifteen pages covers most contractors.
Sources
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