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How to Move a Google Business Website to WordPress (Complete Migration Guide)

Google’s Business Profile website builder is gone. This guide explains how to inventory the old site, rebuild it in WordPress, configure redirects, update your profile and listings, and verify that customers can still reach your business.
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Google Business Profile websites can no longer be used. Google shut down the website builder in March 2024 and ended its temporary redirect service on June 10, 2024. To keep a reliable web destination for customers, recreate the useful content in WordPress, publish it on a domain you control, and replace the website address in your Google Business Profile and every other place that links to the old site.

There is no normal WordPress-style export from the old profile-generated sites. The safest move is a documented rebuild: inventory the old content, map old URLs to new ones, use direct permanent redirects where you still control the old address, update Google and third-party listings, and test the new site before and after launch.

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What happened to Google Business Profile websites?

Google Business Profile websites were simple pages generated from information in a Business Profile. They were not full content-management systems with a downloadable database, theme files, or a WordPress-compatible export. The service was designed to display basic business information, not to provide a portable website project.

Google announced that customers would be redirected to the relevant Business Profile starting March 1, 2024. That transition was temporary and ended on June 10, 2024. Addresses commonly used by the service included business.site and, in some markets, negocio.site. After the transition, those addresses no longer provide a dependable website destination, so the business needs another site and a new URL in its profile.

WordPress is one replacement platform Google identified. Moving does not mean importing the old site automatically. Treat the work as a reconstruction based on the information you can recover from the old page, your current profile, saved marketing material, and any screenshots or cached copies you have.

What to collect before you build anything

Create a migration inventory first. It prevents small but valuable details—such as opening hours, service descriptions, or a booking link—from disappearing during the rebuild.

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Record the old site and every destination that used it

  • Write down the complete old business.site or negocio.site address, including any path after the domain.
  • List every visible page, section, button, phone link, directions link, booking action, contact form, social profile, and email address.
  • Note the business name, street address, service area, telephone number, opening hours, holiday hours, service descriptions, prices or starting rates, and accepted payment details that appeared on the page.
  • Save original text and screenshots if you can still view a cached copy or an internal preview. A screenshot is useful for confirming layout and wording, but do not copy outdated information without checking it.
  • Download image originals where you own the rights or have permission to reuse them. Record credits, licenses, and the file’s intended purpose.

Cross-check the Google Business Profile

Open the live profile in Google Search and Maps and compare it with your inventory. The profile may contain newer hours, categories, attributes, photos, services, or messaging settings than the old website. Mark each item as current, obsolete, or needing confirmation from the business owner. Keep the business name, address, phone number, and core service descriptions consistent between WordPress and the profile unless there is a legitimate reason to change them.

Find links outside Google

Search for the old address in ad campaigns, social bios, online directories, invoices, email signatures, QR codes, printed brochures, partner websites, and appointment systems. Make a second list of owners or administrators who can change each link. A redirect cannot fix a printed QR code or a directory listing that still displays an obsolete URL, so those references require separate edits.

Choose the right WordPress foundation

You need a domain, hosting, HTTPS, administrator access, backups, and a theme that can present the business clearly on phones and computers. You can keep an existing custom domain if it is still registered and under your control; otherwise register a new one that is short, pronounceable, and closely associated with the business.

Decision area Managed WordPress hosting Self-managed WordPress hosting
Technical work The host commonly handles core updates, server configuration, HTTPS setup, and some security tasks. You or your administrator handle updates, hardening, performance configuration, and server-level settings.
Control Convenient defaults, but plugin, server, and redirect options may be restricted. More control over plugins, caching, redirects, logs, and custom configuration.
Migration assistance Some plans include a migration service or guided setup; verify exactly what is included. Usually requires your own migration process or a separate professional.
Backups and restore Automated backups may be included; check retention, restore speed, and whether databases and uploads are both covered. You must configure reliable off-site backups and test a restore.
Redirect support Confirm that permanent server-side redirects and access to configuration are available. Direct control is usually available through the server, control panel, or redirect configuration.
Cost planning Budget for the domain, recurring hosting, backups, premium themes or plugins, and any migration labor. Budget for the domain, hosting, backup storage, maintenance time, and possible technical support.

Choose based on who will maintain the site, not only on the introductory hosting price. A small local business often benefits from managed updates and a simple editor. A team that needs custom integrations, advanced redirects, or complete server access may prefer self-managed hosting. In either case, confirm that the plan supports HTTPS, PHP and database versions required by the current WordPress release, staging or safe testing, and access to Search Console verification files or DNS records.

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Keep the first build lightweight

Install a maintained, responsive theme and only the plugins the site needs. A contact form, backup system, security controls, caching or performance tools, analytics integration, and SEO controls may be appropriate, but each additional plugin creates another update and compatibility responsibility. Compress images before uploading them, use descriptive filenames and alternative text, and avoid replacing a simple page with a heavy visual effect that slows phones.

Recreate the pages customers actually need

The old service may have been a single page, but WordPress gives you the option to organize information more clearly. Preserve the purpose of each old section while creating pages that are easy to find and share.

Home page

State what the business does, where it serves customers, and the next action you want a visitor to take. Put phone, directions, booking, or inquiry actions near the top and repeat the most important action after the main service explanation. Use the same business name and contact details shown in the profile.

Services or products

Create a separate page for each substantial service when customers search for or ask about it individually. Explain what is included, who it is for, service-area limits, preparation requirements, and how to request a quote or appointment. Do not create thin pages that contain only a sentence copied from the profile.

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Contact and location

Show the public address or service area, phone number, hours, email or form, parking or access instructions, and a map or directions link where useful. Make telephone numbers clickable on mobile devices and label any contact form fields clearly.

Required business information

Add privacy, accessibility, terms, licensing, guarantees, refund information, or other notices that apply to the business and its jurisdiction. Link these pages from the footer so they are available without cluttering the primary navigation.

Images and social proof

Reuse only images you can legally publish. Add captions or context where an image could otherwise mislead customers about the location, staff, equipment, or results. Reviews remain managed through the relevant platform; do not imply that a testimonial on your WordPress site is an official Google review unless it is accurately identified.

Build a URL map before changing links

A URL map is a simple table that connects each important old address to its intended WordPress replacement. It gives you a checklist for redirects, links, testing, and future troubleshooting.

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Old address New WordPress address Action
Old homepage New homepage Use a direct permanent redirect if the old address can still be controlled; otherwise update every external reference.
Old service section or page Closest matching service page Redirect directly to that service, not to an unrelated page.
Old contact or directions section Contact/location page Preserve the action visitors were seeking and test phone and map links.
Old address with no equivalent Most relevant existing page, only when appropriate Do not invent a page-specific destination. Remove or update obsolete links instead.

If the old site had only one page, a single homepage mapping may be enough. If it had distinct pages or paths, map each useful address separately. Avoid sending every old URL through a chain of intermediate URLs; Google recommends preparing the new site, mapping URLs, and using direct redirects because chains add latency and make diagnosis harder.

Step-by-step: move the site to WordPress

  1. Secure the domain and hosting. Register or retain the domain, point its DNS to the WordPress host, enable HTTPS, and create a separate administrator account for each person who needs access. Do not share one password among staff.
  2. Install WordPress in a private or staging location. Use a maintenance screen, password protection, or a staging URL while building. Make sure search engines cannot index an unfinished duplicate; remove that restriction before launch.
  3. Set the site identity and regional details. Enter the correct site title, tagline if needed, time zone, language, address, phone, and operating hours. Match the profile’s public information and document any intentional difference.
  4. Choose and configure the theme. Set typography, colors, navigation, footer, logo, and responsive behavior. Check the smallest practical phone width as well as a desktop screen.
  5. Create the core pages. Build the homepage, service pages, contact/location page, and any required legal or commercial pages. Use headings in a logical order, descriptive links, accessible contrast, and concise calls to action.
  6. Recreate forms and conversion paths. Configure a real destination for form submissions, confirmation messages, spam protection, phone links, booking links, and map directions. Submit test inquiries and confirm that the intended person receives them.
  7. Upload optimized media. Resize large photographs, use modern formats when supported, add alternative text, and verify that licenses or credits are recorded. Do not upload private customer information accidentally.
  8. Apply the URL map. Set the desired WordPress slugs before launch. For old URLs that you control, configure direct HTTP permanent redirects at the server or hosting layer. If control of the old service is gone, concentrate on replacing links in Google, ads, directories, social accounts, documents, and campaigns.
  9. Configure technical search settings. Set one preferred domain and HTTPS version, confirm canonical URLs, generate an XML sitemap, check robots.txt, and ensure important pages are indexable. Keep staging pages blocked until the production site is ready.
  10. Connect measurement and verification. Install analytics only after deciding what events matter, such as phone clicks, form completions, booking starts, and direction requests. Verify the domain or site in Search Console so you can inspect pages and monitor indexing.
  11. Publish and perform the external updates. Remove the staging barrier, confirm HTTPS, and then replace the website URL in the Google Business Profile. Update the profile’s name, address, phone, hours, services, and photos if any are outdated. Change ad landing pages, social bios, directory records, email signatures, booking systems, QR-code destinations, and custom-domain forwarding.
  12. Submit and monitor. Submit the production sitemap in Search Console, inspect the homepage and key service pages, and watch for crawl errors, 404 responses, redirect failures, indexing changes, unusual traffic drops, and unexpected profile edits.

Update the Google Business Profile correctly

In the profile management interface, edit the website field and save the new WordPress URL. Then view the public profile in both Google Search and Maps rather than assuming the edit is immediately visible everywhere. Google states that profile information is displayed across Search, Maps, and other services, and that owners can update information or suggest corrections.

Use the same review for business name, address, phone, hours, services, categories, attributes, photos, appointment links, and messaging options. A website move is a good time to remove obsolete links and make sure the primary action on the profile leads to the correct booking, contact, or service page. Keep records of the date and the final URL so another administrator can understand the change later.

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Launch testing checklist

Test from a signed-out browser and a phone on a mobile connection, not only from the administrator’s computer. Work through the following checks:

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  • Every production page loads over HTTPS without mixed-content warnings.
  • The layout, navigation, buttons, text size, forms, and images work on common phone and desktop widths.
  • Phone numbers open the dialer on mobile, email links use the intended address, and directions open the correct location.
  • Forms deliver to the right mailbox, show a useful confirmation, resist obvious spam, and do not expose personal data.
  • Booking, payment, chat, and social links open the intended service and preserve any required tracking or consent behavior.
  • Canonical tags point to the final URL, important pages are not blocked by robots.txt or a noindex setting, and the XML sitemap contains only production URLs.
  • Old URLs under your control return the expected direct permanent redirect and do not pass through several intermediate addresses.
  • There are no internal links to the old business.site or negocio.site address, staging hostname, temporary subdomain, or HTTP version.
  • Analytics records a test visit and the events that matter to the business, while cookie or privacy choices behave as intended.
  • Search Console inspection succeeds for the homepage and representative service and contact pages.

Common migration problems and fixes

The old address still appears in search results

Search indexes do not change everywhere at once. First confirm that your new site is live, crawlable, and linked from the profile and other authoritative listings. Keep a direct redirect where you still control the old URL, submit the new sitemap, inspect important pages in Search Console, and remove old links from directories and campaigns. Do not create duplicate pages solely to target an obsolete address.

Customers reach a 404 page

Check the URL map and server logs to identify the exact path. Add a direct redirect to the closest relevant page when the old destination had a clear equivalent. If no equivalent exists, update the referring listing or document rather than redirecting visitors to an unrelated page. Test with the exact URL, including capitalization and trailing slashes when your server treats them differently.

Redirects loop or pass through several hops

Inspect rules at the domain, hosting, caching, and WordPress-plugin layers. Keep one authoritative rule from the old address to the final HTTPS WordPress URL, remove conflicting rules, clear caches, and retest in a private browser. Redirect chains slow users and complicate crawling.

The profile shows the wrong website after saving

View the public profile in both Search and Maps, check for a pending edit or duplicate profile, and verify that the URL is complete and uses HTTPS. Review administrator permissions and any third-party profile-management system that may overwrite the field. If the information remains incorrect, use Google’s profile correction process and retain evidence of the intended URL.

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Traffic or inquiries fall after launch

Compare the timing of the decline with redirect errors, broken forms, accidental noindex settings, lost analytics tags, slower pages, or changed service wording. Inspect top landing pages and search queries rather than changing many elements at once. Restore the closest useful content, fix the conversion path, and monitor after each controlled change.

The site is slow on phones

Measure the heaviest pages, resize hero images, remove unused plugins and scripts, enable appropriate caching, and check hosting resource limits. Keep critical contact and booking actions visible even while performance work continues.

After the move: keep the replacement dependable

WordPress is an ongoing system, not a one-time file transfer. Set a maintenance owner and a schedule for core, theme, and plugin updates. Keep automated backups off the production server and periodically perform a test restore. Review administrator accounts, remove access for former staff, renew the domain and HTTPS certificate, and check that forms and booking integrations still work.

At least monthly, open the public profile, homepage, contact page, top service pages, phone links, directions, and booking flow. Review Search Console for indexing and crawl errors, analytics for unusual changes, and directory listings for old URLs. Update hours, holiday closures, services, photos, and accessibility information whenever the business changes. This routine prevents a successful migration from quietly becoming another broken customer path.

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