Here is a finding that surprises most owners. In our 2026 Local AI Search Report, about 30% of the businesses shown in Google’s local pack had no website link at all. For nearly a third of local businesses, the Google Business Profile was doing the entire job. So it is a fair question to ask: do you still need a website?
What the data actually says
Roughly 70% of the businesses in the local pack still had a website link, so a site clearly helps. But the fact that 30% showed up and got chosen without one tells you something important. The website is no longer the front door for a large share of local businesses. The profile is.
Your Google Business Profile is the storefront now
When someone searches, the first thing they see is the pack: your name, rating, hours, phone, photos, and a button for directions. Many people get everything they need right there and never click through to a website. For almost a third of businesses, there is nothing to click through to. The profile is carrying the first impression, the trust, and the action, all at once.
Where a website still earns its keep
A site is not dead. It does things a profile cannot:
- Detail your services, pricing, booking, your story, and your proof.
- Act as a source that search engines and AI can corroborate, since your own site stating your facts plainly is a strong signal.
- Give you something you own outright, not a profile on someone else’s platform.
So the honest answer is: a website still helps, but it is no longer the only thing that matters, and for many businesses it is no longer the first thing a customer sees.
The real lesson: your profile has to be right
If a third of businesses are running on the profile alone, then an incomplete or wrong profile is a far bigger hole than a missing website. Hours, phone, address, categories, photos, reviews. That is what is being seen, and increasingly it is also what AI reads back to people. In the same report, Google Business Profile links were the single most-cited source inside AI answers.
What to do
- Treat your Google Business Profile as your primary storefront. Fill in every field and keep it accurate.
- Keep the same core facts consistent everywhere they appear, because that is what AI and search corroborate.
- If you have a website, make sure it states the same name, address, phone, and hours plainly.
- If you do not have one, you are not invisible, but your profile has to carry more, so it has to be right.
Common questions
Do I need a website for my business in 2026? It helps, but it is no longer required to show up. In our 2026 Local AI Search Report, about 30% of businesses in Google’s local pack had no website link, so their Google Business Profile was doing the work.
Is a Google Business Profile enough on its own? For being found and contacted, often yes, as long as it is complete and accurate. A website still helps for details, booking, and as a source that search and AI can corroborate.
What matters most if I rely on my profile? Accuracy and completeness: correct name, address, phone, hours, and categories, plus steady reviews, kept consistent everywhere.
The bottom line
A website is still useful, but it is no longer where most people first meet your business. Your Google Business Profile is. Whether or not you have a site, the profile has to be complete, accurate, and consistent, because that is what customers see and what AI repeats. Keeping that information right across every map, directory, and assistant is exactly what LocalBasics does for single-location businesses.