Google My Business + Website: How Local Businesses Get Found
Got a Google profile but no website? Or the other way around? Here's why you need both, and how to combine them to own local search.
Picture this: someone in your city needs exactly the service you offer. They pull out their phone, open Google, and type "barber Osijek" or "plumber near me." Within three seconds they see three results with star ratings, phone numbers, and a button for directions. That's Google's "Local Pack," and if you're not in it, you might as well not exist.
Many business owners in Croatia have a Google My Business (GMB) profile but no website. Others have a website but never set up a GMB profile. The truth is you need both. Together they work as a team. Alone, each one loses half its power.
What Is Google My Business and Why Is It a Free Gift You're Ignoring
Google My Business is a free tool that lets you manage how your business appears on Google Search and Google Maps. When you set it up properly, your profile displays:
- Business name, address, and working hours
- Phone number and website link
- Photos of your space and work
- Customer reviews with ratings
- Business category
This is the first impression most customers have of your business. Before they call you, before they visit your website, they look at your GMB profile. If it's empty, outdated, or nonexistent, that first impression works against you.
Setup takes 15 minutes. Verification (usually via a postcard to your address) takes about a week. And the result is permanent visibility for people who are actively searching for exactly what you offer.
Why a GMB Profile Alone Is Not Enough
A GMB profile is great for quick information: hours, phone number, reviews, directions. But it has limitations that a website solves.
You can't tell your story. GMB gives you a few sentences for a description. A website gives you room to show your portfolio, explain your process, introduce your team, and build trust that a short profile cannot.
You don't control the platform. Google can change rules, remove features, or suspend your profile without explanation. Your website is yours. You're not renting space on someone else's platform.
You can't target specific services. If you're a carpenter who builds kitchens, wardrobes, and decks, GMB gives you one category. On a website, each service can have its own page that ranks separately on Google.
No conversion path. A GMB profile offers a call button or directions. A website offers contact forms, work galleries, pricing, testimonials, and clear calls to action that turn visitors into customers. That's exactly what we build with our web design and development services.
Why a Website Alone Is Not Enough
On the flip side, a website without a GMB profile misses a massive visibility channel.
The Local Pack dominates mobile search. When someone searches for a local service on their phone, Google first shows a map with three results. Below that are organic results. Most people never scroll past the map. Without a GMB profile, you can't appear in that section.
Google Maps is the second largest search engine for local services. People open Maps directly, not just Google. Without a GMB profile, you don't exist on Maps.
Reviews build trust faster than anything. 20 five-star reviews on Google are worth more than the prettiest website. People trust other people. A GMB profile is the only place where Google considers those reviews for ranking.
How to Combine Them for Maximum Impact
The real power comes when your GMB profile and website work together. Here are concrete steps:
1. Link GMB to Your Website
In your GMB settings, add a link to your website. Google uses that link as a relevance signal. If your site has quality content about the services you offer in your city, your GMB profile ranks better.
2. Use Identical Information Everywhere
Your business name, address, and phone number must be identical on your GMB profile, website, Facebook, and everywhere else. Google cross-references this data. If it differs (e.g., "5 King Street" in one place and "King St. 5" in another), it confuses the algorithm and lowers your ranking.
3. Add Local Keywords to Your Website
Your site needs natural references to your city and services: "hair salon in Osijek," "dentist Osijek," "web design Osijek." Don't overdo it. Google recognizes spam. But one sentence like "We provide web design services for businesses in Osijek and the surrounding area" goes a long way.
4. Actively Collect Reviews
After every satisfied customer, ask for a review. You can send them a direct review link (GMB generates this automatically). 10 reviews is better than zero. 30 is better than 10. Every new review signals to Google that you're active and relevant.
5. Add Photos Regularly
GMB profiles with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to the website according to Google's own data. Add photos of your space, your work, your team. Not stock photos. Real ones.
Local SEO in Croatia: The Current Landscape
Most small business owners in Croatia still don't use local SEO consciously. That's actually good news for you, because competition is low.
In larger cities (Zagreb, Split, Rijeka) the situation is changing. More businesses are optimizing their profiles and websites. But in cities like Osijek, Zadar, Dubrovnik, Pula, and smaller towns, the playing field is still wide open.
A business owner who sets up a GMB profile today, connects it with a quality website, and starts collecting reviews can be the top result in their city for their category within three months. No paid ads. No big budgets. Just consistency.
The Bottom Line: Two Free Tools, One Big Result
Google My Business is free. A website is a one-time investment. Together they give you visibility that paid ads can't buy: trust, presence in the Local Pack, and a page that converts visitors into customers 24 hours a day.
If you have one but not the other, today is the day to fix that. If you have neither, start with a GMB profile (15 minutes of work), then invest in a professional website to back it up.
Need help building a website that works hand-in-hand with your Google profile? Get in touch. At Opus Studio, we build websites optimized for local search from day one. Check out our recent projects for inspiration.