Short answer: a Google Business Profile is not a website. For a plumber, HVAC tech, electrician, or cleaner in London or Southwestern Ontario, GBP is how neighbours find you on Maps. A website is how you control the story after the click — and how Google's AI answers have something solid to cite beyond a three-line listing.
If you only have Facebook or a half-finished builder page, start with a complete GBP today. Then add a site when you are ready for phone calls that do not depend on Meta's algorithm or a Maps pack that can shift overnight.
What Google Business Profile is good at
- Showing hours, phone, and service area in Maps and local results
- Collecting Google reviews — still one of the strongest local trust signals
- Photos, posts, and Q&A that prove you are active
- Winning near-me and emergency queries when the profile is complete
Industry playbooks for home services in 2026 still put GBP near the centre of local visibility — including how AI Overviews describe local businesses. Incomplete profiles (thin categories, no services, stale hours) get skipped.
What a website does that GBP cannot
- Explain services in plain language with pages Google and AI Mode can quote
- Show proof (projects, process, FAQ) beyond a review snippet
- Rank for non-Maps searches: website cost, maintenance, Wix vs managed, your trade plus city
- Own the URL on vans, invoices, and Preferred Sources clicks
- Keep working if Facebook or a Maps competitor outranks you this month
When you can wait on a full site
- You just started and need calls this week — finish GBP, photos, and review replies first
- Your only work is word-of-mouth in one neighbourhood and you answer every call
- You already have a thin site that lists phone, services, and area — improve it before rebuilding
When waiting costs you jobs
- Competitors show a clear site in the local pack while you show only a Maps card
- You want to show up for service + city searches, not just near-me
- You are tired of Facebook-only leads that vanish when the boost stops
- You need a homepage preview before someone hires a $3,000–$8,000 agency build
That last case is where Web Maintained Care fits: custom build included from $129 CAD/month, homepage preview before you pay, three-month starter, then month-to-month. GBP stays yours; we build the site so Google and AI tools understand the same business.
Practical order for a busy owner-operator
- Claim and complete Google Business Profile (categories, services, hours, photos).
- Reply to every Google review you already have.
- Make NAP identical on GBP, site (when you have one), and major listings.
- Add a real website — or a Care plan with the build included — so Maps is not your only page.
- Keep Preferred Sources and useful guides for people who already trust you.
For London-area pricing context, see website cost in Canada and DIY vs traditional agency vs Care.