Google Business.Site Discontinued 2024 FREE Website Blogger Workaround

Where’s My Google Business Website Gone? June 2024

Google Business Profiles will cease the business.site feature for companies without a website on March 1st, 2024. This article was first published on 11th February 2024, updated on 14th February, edited on 20th February, shared on socials on March 1st, 2024

On 1st March 2024, websites made with Google Business Profiles will be turned off and customers visiting your site will be redirected to your Business Profile instead. The redirect will work until 10 June 2024.

FREE WIX website and Google Blogger Alternative DIY Build At Home Small Business

 

There has been some social media chatter about Google buying Squarespace domains, as per this Google update. In this statement, Google suggests paid alternatives for the disappearing business.site feature, and all of the urls – except one – directly link out to the respective platforms.

Can you see the loooong tracking link which only exists when you click the ‘Squarespace’ link? Sneaky G, we can see what you’re doing here, it’s not a direct link, it’s a self-serving money spinning link. Google Sites is completely free – this should have been highlighted!

“On 15 June 2023, Google entered into a definitive agreement with Squarespace, through which Squarespace intend to purchase all domain registrations and related customer accounts from Google Domains. Now that the transaction between Google and Squarespace has closed, you’re a customer of Squarespace. Google Domains will no longer offer new domain registrations. Until your domain(s) are migrated to Squarespace, a process that will happen in the next few months, you can continue to manage your existing domain(s) at Google Domains. If you wish to purchase a new domain now, try Squarespace. This is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase from Squarespace, Google may earn a commission.”

Download your Google Business Data and Photos Not Uploaded To Library

 

Domains that end with business.site and negocio.site will be removed from the website field on your Business Profile in March.

• While the name “Google Meu Negócio” is relatively recent, the underlying functionality it provides has been available under different names and forms for much longer. Here’s a breakdown:
• 2010: Google Places for Business launched, allowing businesses to manage their presence on Google Maps and search results. This included adding basic information, photos, and responding to reviews.
• 2015: Google Places for Business rebranded as “Google My Business,” expanding features like website creation, messaging with customers, and analytics.
• 2023: Google My Business rebranded as “Google Business Profile,” focusing on simplicity and core functionalities.
• Therefore, the “Google Meu Negócio” name specifically debuted in 2015, but the basic functionalities it offers have been available since 2010 under the earlier name “Google Places for Business.”

‘Other than that, your Business Profile won’t be affected. When customers visit your website made with Google Business Profile, they’ll be redirected to your Business Profile instead.’

♨ ‘Errr, hang on Google, you just said above “The redirect will work until 10 June 2024.” so many businesses will be affected, right?

If you don’t have a website made with a Google Business Profile, the changes discussed in this article won’t affect you. But if you do have a business.site website, this will affect you if you only upload photos to your posts/updates, and NOT add them to your library too:

So, I asked Gemini Bard and here was the output:

• Discontinued: Only the website creation functionality within Google Business Profile, which generated domains with “.business.site,” is shutting down. ❌
• Still available: Your business photos uploaded to your Google Business Profile are completely separate from the website creation feature and will remain accessible and publicly viewable. ✅

No alternative platform needed: You don’t have to migrate your photos to Google Blogger or any other platform to keep [your photos] displayed on your Google Business Profile. These are specifically for your library. Remember, although your photos directly uploaded to the profile remain accessible, it’s crucial to proactively guide potential customers to where they can find your current information and offerings after the “.business.site” discontinuation.

You can also use the FREE Google.sites option, whichever paid or free platform you use, you can avoid losing all of your Google images uploaded as Post updates by downloading your data.

Now it’s time to combine them both as Websites made with Google Business Profiles will be switched off soon. Redirects will stay in place until June 2024 when there will be a 404 missing page warning like this:

Alternative to Local Google Business Profile business.site for FREE – Step By Step Guide

For those that prefer to listen to instructions, I’ve used an extra long AI prompt for this AI driven video.

I’m loving your local business and I can help you with a free alternative to a Google created website as the feature is now being discontinued. I’ve been using Google Blogger for decades, and know Google Business from a sole trader perspective.

Google business.site Discontinued, Blogger FREE Workaround How To Guide

The instructions below won’t work for Google Sites, this article is to help you with Google Blogger (formally known as Blogspot).

I’ve also published a step-by-step WIX free website guide in my Medium account.

There’s links to all the Google accounts you’ll be using, all you need for your Google Business Profile (GBP, formerly known as GMB Google My Business) are the following things:

1. A Google account – This can be a gmail account, or any other email which owns the Google account (yup, it’s a thing)
2. Unique content that is not AI copy and paste, and not already available in the public domain online. This is VERY important, avoid copying and pasting at all times!
3. A selection of your business images, logo, photos etc. It’s great for SEO if you can change the image file names to your brand name of: 2-4 services or product ranges and your business local geographic area(s)**

**Read more below for Google Image Metadata – Easy SEO

How to: Create your free Business Profile website directly on Google

So, first of all, sign in to your Google account and visit https://www.blogger.com/ and create your brand name address to start.

Here’s one from blogspot of my local client back in 2017 (retired 2024) and it’s anonymised.

Google business site website Maps GBP GMB 2024 discontinued

Creating a blog with Blogger is a straightforward process, even if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. Remember to save your changes as you go along, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different themes and settings until you find a look that you love.

Building this simple website should be fun, so take your time and if you get stuck contact me with your questions and I’ll happily reply. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

Sign Up for Google Blogger (Formally Blogspot)
Once you have your Google account, navigate to blogger.com.Sign in with your Google account details. You may be asked to confirm your profile; you can use your Google profile or create a limited Blogger profile.

Create a Your Free Website Blog address (or URL)
After signing in, you’ll be prompted to create a new blog. Click on the “Create New Blog” button. A window will appear asking for the title of your blog and a domain name. Remember to replace “[Your Blog Name]” with the actual name of your blog throughout the process.

Pick a Catchy and Unique Name:
Your blog’s title should be catchy, memorable, and give an idea of what your blog is about. Type this title into the “Title” box. The address (or URL) will be the web address where people can find your blog. It needs to be unique, and Blogger will check to see if your chosen address is available. If it’s not, it will suggest available alternatives.

Choose a theme and a template:
Google Blogger will show you a selection of themes you can choose for your blog. A theme is a pre-designed template that determines how your blog looks. Scroll through the options and select one that you feel suits the content and tone of your blog.

Personalise Your Blog to Your Brand:

• After selecting a theme, click on the “Customise” button to enter the Blogger Theme Designer.
• Here you can change your theme by personalising the layout, adjusting widths, changing the background, adjusting colours, fonts, and more.
• To add upload and images or change the header, look for the “Layout” section in the Blogger dashboard. Here you can add gadgets or edit existing ones, like the header, where you can insert your blog’s name and a tagline if you have one.
• Create Your First Post – This is the link to use in Google Business Profile
• Go back to the Blogger dashboard and click on the “New Post” button to start writing your first blog post.You’ll be taken to an editor where you can compose your post, add images, and format your unique content that you’ve already written in advance.
• When you’re happy with your post, click on the “Publish” button to make your post live on your blog.
• Once you’ve published your post, you can view your blog by clicking on the “View Blog” button at the top of the Blogger dashboard.

Now you can share on socials, upload the URL to your Google Business profile (over write the business.site) and tell all of your friends about your success.

Questions? Come and chat if you’re at Brighton SEO this year, or book a quick telephone chat in my calendar.

Do you want to rock Google Image search? It’s time to embrace the power of metadata! By providing clear, accurate, and relevant information within your images, audio, and video files, you’re setting yourself up for success in the ever-evolving search landscape.

Google Image Metadata – What’s New for SEO’s and Unique Images Online?

Exciting updates have arrived in the world of image metadata, promising better results for both you and your audience. I’ll give you an example, my images could be renamed on my PC as “Freelance SEO UK Digital Project Manager Remote Photo Nina Payne” and in the Alt tag it will be similar so they show up on Google image searches.

The biggest change? Google’s getting smarter about understanding and utilising data within images, including titles and geolocation. This means they’re going beyond just file names and alt text to truly grasp the content of your image.

More relevant image searches: Users will be bombarded with visuals that truly match their intent, leading to increased engagement and traffic for your content. With improved image ranking by tweaking and planning your image metadata with relevant keywords and accurate information, you’re giving your visuals a fighting chance to climb the ranks.

Also for YouTube and MP4 Video SEO, plus MP3 files and Music or Podcast optimisation

The focus on metadata isn’t limited to pictures. Google’s also paying closer attention to the information tucked away in audio and video files:

MP3 files: Those familiar ID3 tags containing artist and track details? They’re now playing an even bigger role in organising your music for search engines. MP4 files: Get ready for enhanced video indexing thanks to Google’s enhanced and improved MP4 movie file metadata.

Titles, creators, and other details will be used to understand your videos better, making them more discoverable. Here’s a 2024 Video series to watch:

Learn more about YouTube Video SEO and Google Search Console Viewport fixes in my earlier blog post or let’s work together and kick start with hiring me:

Check out my 30 Day SEO Booster bespoke service. I’m a small business champion and my SEO Blog features articles written by myself for well over a decade. I do not accept sponsored articles, although I do support my clients with Case Studies on Magento, WordPress and Shopify.