Having a website is no longer optional. It is essential if you want your Google Business profile to truly work.

As a marketing professional who has worked with local businesses in Panama over the past few years, I can tell you this with complete certainty.

This is not theoretical advice or a trend. It is a key piece of local positioning, and today I will explain exactly why.

My experience with this (and what I learned)

I have worked on ad campaigns and positioning strategies for medical clinics, freelancers, and local businesses in Panama.

And although most of these businesses already had their Google profile set up, the problem was always the same:

• They didn’t show up in the top results

• They didn’t receive consistent calls

• They didn’t understand why, despite having everything “ready,” there were no results

When we analyzed it, their positioning was always in the red:

Always not receiving many calls, nor new clients from Google.

That’s how I noticed a clear pattern:

Businesses that didn’t have a website connected to their Google Business Profile simply weren’t ranking.

What happens when you connect your website to the Google profile?

The moment you place your domain in your business profile, Google begins to treat that site as your official source of information.

This is how Google can:

• Better understand what services you sell

• Associate the specific keywords that appear on your site with your business

• Confirm that you are a real and active entity

• Relate high commercial value searches to your profile, even if they’re not literally written there

How does this affect your positioning?

The difference is immense.

When your profile and your website are connected and optimized:

• Your business starts appearing in more specific searches

• Google shows you on the map for more combinations of services + location

• Improves algorithmic trust in your brand (what’s called Entity Authority)

• Your profile starts receiving more views, more clicks, and most importantly… more clients

Why is this so important in 2026?

According to the SEO 2026 Guide, the focus is no longer on “tricks” to deceive Google.

Now, everything revolves around becoming a useful, reliable, and specific source for the user.

And if you don’t have a connected site, you cannot:

• Control the narrative about your business

• Position the words that really matter to you

• Compete with other businesses that are indeed optimized

Google needs a clear source to understand who you are.

And that source is your website.

“But I already have social media, doesn’t that work?”

No. Social media doesn’t replace a website.

Instagram or Facebook are not structured for Google to read and understand what you do.

Plus, you cannot optimize a 150-character bio to rank in searches like:

• “psychologist in Panama for anxiety”

• “Japanese restaurant open Sunday in David”

• “divorce lawyer in central Panama”

While with a website, you can.

Professional recommendations if you’re starting out

✔ Create a simple but well-thought-out website

✔ Add clear sections by service

✔ Include the keywords your clients are really searching for

✔ Make sure to place your domain in your Google profile

✔ Ensure the site is mobile optimized (+80% of local traffic comes from customers searching on their phones)

And if you can, apply Schema markup (an essential piece of code) so AI and virtual assistants can automatically extract information from your website.

Conclusion

I’ve seen too many businesses with good service, good attention, and even good reviews... that remain invisible, simply for not having a website that supports their Google business profile.

Don’t make the same mistake.

Your website is not just a showcase. It’s the foundation that makes Google take you seriously.

And if Google takes you seriously, your customers will too.

Do you want us to help you create an optimized website that makes you appear in the searches that really matter?

Contact us at Fresa Marketing and let your business take its rightful place in Google’s results.