Earlier this month Google released a new tool for small business owners. Within Google My Business, business owners now have the ability to create simple websites within minutes. Although limited, the new tool is considered a website builder and is aimed to help the 60% of small businesses world wide that do not yet have websites.
In order to qualify to build a site with in Google My Business you must have a verified Business Listing on Google. This process can be completed in minutes by verifying your business phone number with an automated call from Google.
It is free to build a site on the platform but there are limitations that have a large impact on SEO and potential organic rankings.
Some limitations include:
- Domain Name: The website builder will create a domain for you such as www.companyname.business.site In order to have a custom domain (such as .com or .biz) you must pay an additional fee.
- One Page Site: As of now there is no ability to build out a multi-page website within the website builder. This severely limits your ability to be found for multiple keywords and locations. If you are a business that offers multiple services, there may not be too much value using this tool.
- Limited design functionality: Within the builder you can’t add alt text, call to action builders, or schema mark up.
Overall this tool will help small mom and pops shop that need a starter website looking to market their website online. A full website will eventually be needed if you intend to take advantage of SEO and organic rankings for your company and services.