Google is killing the free business.site

[keyserholiday]

Google is ending the free business.site you can create in GBP. This will make it harder for spammers as they will have to set up a real website!!!

 

[Brian - TGL]

I wonder if just that URL will become a redirect or if the site itself will also be deleted and all references to it will be redirected?

IE if The Groovy Lab is redirected, will The Groovy Lab still work?

 

[JS Girard]

Coworker just told me about out clients getting this email. I've been predicting for months, so..

 

[keyserholiday]

I wonder if just that URL will become a redirect or if the site itself will also be deleted and all references to it will be redirected?

IE if The Groovy Lab is redirected, will The Groovy Lab still work?

For now, it will be a 301 redirect, but I wonder how long it will last. I am curious to know what happens if you don't have another domain to be redirected to.

 

[Marcin Karwowski]

There is also a tab in the guidelines on this topic with extended information

Websites made with Google Business Profiles are turned off - Google Business Profile Help

As of March 5, 2024, websites made with Google Business Profiles are no longer available and customers that visit your site will be redirected to your Business Profile instead. Learn how to find your

support.google.com

You can even pass on some to concerned customers.
Some profile administrators receive e-mails other than those related to profiles so rarely that they considered the information to be phishing.

 

[willscott]

It's important to note that per the help page the redirect will not be to your site, but instead to your GBP: "your site will be redirected to your Business Profile instead"

So whether or not one has an alternative site, Wix, WordPress, Google Site, there will be no value conferred by the redirect.

Any value conferred will be to the GBP and Google.

 

[keyserholiday]

It's important to note that per the help page the redirect will not be to your site, but instead to your GBP: "your site will be redirected to your Business Profile instead"

So whether or not one has an alternative site, Wix, WordPress, Google Site, there will be no value conferred by the redirect.

Any value conferred will be to the GBP and Google.

That's if you don't have another website. A lot of people created this as a secondary website for what's that word, "barnacle" SEO or to take up more spots in the SERPs.

 

[Marcin Karwowski]

It's important to note that per the help page the redirect will not be to your site, but instead to your GBP: "your site will be redirected to your Business Profile instead"

So whether or not one has an alternative site, Wix, WordPress, Google Site, there will be no value conferred by the redirect.

Any value conferred will be to the GBP and Google.

Exactly. Google only indicated here an alternative to creating your own website, e.g. if the business site was your only website. They have indicated only the most common website builders here.

 

[GoLocal]

Google is ending the free business.site you can create in GBP. This will make it harder for spammers as they will have to set up a real website!!!

ZipWP creates high quality sites in 30 seconds. There's no barrier for spammers there.

 

[willscott]

That's if you don't have another website. A lot of people created this as a secondary website for what's that word, "barnacle" SEO or to take up more spots in the SERPs.

Barnacle SEO - I think I may have heard of that

 

[fredmcjunkins]

Google is ending the free business.site you can create in GBP. This will make it harder for spammers as they will have to set up a real website!!!

Hi, working with a new client that doesn't have a website. I have removed the business.site. Is there any danger of the GBP being removed as there is not any website?

 

[GoLocal]

Hi, working with a new client that doesn't have a website. I have removed the business.site. Is there any danger of the GBP being removed as there is not any website?

If you need a super cheap but high quality website up in a day, I do that. Here's one I did yesterday: Pump Hill Real Estate

Sites are so cheap right now there's no reason really not to just have one. Even a tight one pager, I do tons of those. This was $300 including logo design in one day: Unique Rentals – Scissor Lift Rentals in Calgary, AB this was same but $500 because blogs DHI Exteriors

Even if they can dig up $99 something can be done, reach out anytime, happy to assist. Or if you want to DIY just get a cheap WP host, install "starter templates" plugin (will install astra and elementor for you) and then either use a built-in or their new "WPZip AI Site Generator" to get a tight page in 1 minute flat. Those are great sites, I use them all the time, Astra is super good. Cheers.

 

[Marcin Karwowski]

According to Google's announcement, the sites are to be disabled on March 1 and redirected to profiles.

Have you seen anything like this? From what I can see, all sites are working as usual.


Has Google changed the date they themselves provided again?

 

[willscott]

I just noticed the same thing, but got no announcement. The GBP sites I was watching are still up.

E.g.: WebBoss

 

[Brian - TGL]

The manage section in the GBP still shows the March 1st date, but any that I checked are still working here:

2024-03-02_15-53-51

World's leading screen capture + recorder from Snagit + Screencast by Techsmith. Capture, edit and share professional-quality content seamlessly.

app.screencast.com

 

[JS Girard]

I just noticed the same thing, but got no announcement. The GBP sites I was watching are still up.

E.g.: WebBoss

Wouldn't be the first time we see this sort of delays before things actually go dark.

 

[keyserholiday]

I just noticed the same thing, but got no announcement. The GBP sites I was watching are still up.

E.g.: WebBoss

I love how the Google posts violate the TOS and weren't removed.