Google Shutdown — March 2024

Google Killed Its Free Website Builder.
Here's What to Do Next.

In March 2024, Google shut down the free website included with every Google Business Profile. Millions of small businesses lost their online presence overnight. ChilledSites is the best replacement — AI-built in 60 seconds, from £29/year.

Build My New Website
Live in under 60 seconds
Custom domain included
Proper SEO from day one
Just £29/year — no monthly fees

The End of Google's Free Website

Google quietly pulled the plug on one of the most-used free website tools for small businesses. Here's the full timeline of what happened — and why your business can't afford to be without a real website.

2017 – 2023
Google offered a free website with every Business Profile
When you claimed your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), Google automatically built a basic website for you — hosted at business.site. It was simple, not very customisable, and not great for SEO, but it was free and better than nothing for millions of small businesses worldwide.
March 1, 2024 — Shutdown begins
Google turns off the builder
Google officially stopped serving the free business.site websites. Traffic to those URLs began redirecting to the business's Google Business Profile page instead — a temporary measure. Businesses received emails warning them to migrate, but many missed the notification or assumed Google would keep the redirects running forever.
June 10, 2024 — Redirects cut off
Even the redirects stopped working
After June 10, 2024, even the temporary redirects were removed. Any links to a business.site address now return a 404 error. Businesses that never sorted an alternative are now completely invisible online — no website, no links, no presence beyond their Google Business Profile listing.
Now — What you need to do
Get a proper website that you actually own
The silver lining: the Google-built websites were never good enough anyway. They couldn't rank well on Google Search, couldn't be customised, and weren't owned by you. Now is the time to build a real website that drives actual traffic, converts visitors, and won't be taken away by a platform decision.

Your Google Profile Isn't Enough

A Google Business Profile is essential for local map results — but it can only do so much. Here's what you're missing without a real website.

Without a website, you lose...

Rankings for searches that aren't purely local — "how to" queries, service pages, blog content that builds trust over time. You also lose the ability to tell your full story, list every service in detail, capture leads with contact forms, and give customers a place to refer others to.

With a real website, you gain...

A permanent home on the internet that you own and control. Google rewards websites with proper SEO signals — meta tags, page speed, mobile optimisation, structured data. A good website turns Google Business Profile visitors into enquiries and customers.

Google Profile limitations

You can't rank for long-tail keywords. You can't host detailed service descriptions, portfolios, or case studies. You can't run a blog that builds organic traffic. You can't add custom contact forms, booking systems, or email capture. Everything depends on Google — and as we've just seen, Google can change the rules at any time.

Website + Google Profile = best results

The most visible local businesses use both together. Your Google Business Profile handles map pack listings and reviews. Your website handles organic search rankings, detailed service information, and lead conversion. Link your new website URL in your Google Profile to strengthen both signals at once.

Everything Google's Builder Never Was

ChilledSites builds a complete, professional website from a single sentence description — in under 60 seconds. No templates. No drag-and-drop. Just describe your business and get a real website.

AI Built in 60 Seconds

Type one sentence about your business. Our AI generates a complete, professional multi-page website with real copy, professional design, and proper SEO — instantly. No design skills needed.

Built for Google Search

Every website comes with clean semantic HTML, auto-generated meta titles and descriptions, mobile-first layout, fast loading speeds, and schema markup — the exact signals Google uses to rank sites.

Your Own Domain

Connect your custom domain (yourbusiness.co.uk) so you own your web address permanently. No more business.site URLs that vanish when a platform shuts down. Your domain, your asset.

Mobile-First Design

Over 60% of local business searches happen on mobile. Every ChilledSites website is fully responsive and loads fast on any device — a key Google ranking factor and user experience requirement.

Contact Forms Built In

Every website includes working contact forms so visitors can reach you directly. Lead notifications go straight to your inbox. No plugins, no third-party services, no monthly fees for forms.

AI Editor for Easy Updates

Need to update your opening hours, add a new service, or change your messaging? Just tell the AI what to change in plain English. No code, no complex page builders — changes take seconds.

Transparent Pricing

£29/year for everything. No monthly billing. No hidden fees. No "premium" features locked behind a higher tier. Hosting, domain connection, forms, and AI edits are all included in the annual price.

Fast, Reliable Hosting

Hosted on global CDN infrastructure — your website loads fast from anywhere in the world. SSL certificate included. 99.9% uptime. No worrying about servers, security updates, or maintenance.

Traffic Analytics

See how many people are visiting your website, where they're coming from, and which pages are most popular. Built-in analytics help you understand what's working so you can grow with confidence.

Your New Website in 3 Steps

From nothing to live website in under 5 minutes. No technical knowledge required.

1

Describe Your Business

Type one or two sentences about what you do, who you serve, and where you're based. The AI uses this to build your entire website — including copy, layout, and SEO structure.

2

Review and Refine

Your website appears in seconds. Browse through every page and use the AI editor to tweak anything — change colours, update copy, add services — until it's exactly right.

3

Go Live on Your Domain

Connect your custom domain (or register a new one), click publish, and your website is live. Add the URL to your Google Business Profile to strengthen your local SEO immediately.

ChilledSites vs the Alternatives

Most website builders cost far more and take far longer. Here's how ChilledSites compares.

Feature ChilledSites Wix Squarespace GoDaddy
Annual cost (basic plan) £29/year £120+/year £144+/year £100+/year
AI website generation ✓ Full site in 60s ~ Partial ~ Basic
Custom domain included ~ Year 1 only ~ Year 1 only ~ Year 1 only
Contact forms included
Built-in SEO tools ✓ Auto-generated ✓ Manual ✓ Manual ~ Basic
AI editing (plain English)
Mobile-first responsive
Time to live website Under 5 minutes Hours to days Hours to days 1–2 hours

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about replacing your Google Business website.

Yes. Google officially shut down its free Google Business Profile website builder on March 1, 2024. Sites that were live began redirecting to the Google Business Profile page. On June 10, 2024, even those redirects stopped. Any links to a business.site address now return a 404 error. If you had a Google-hosted website and haven't replaced it yet, you currently have no website at all.
ChilledSites is purpose-built for small businesses who need a professional website fast. It builds a complete, multi-page website from a single text description in under 60 seconds using AI. You get proper SEO, a custom domain, contact forms, fast hosting, and AI editing — all for £29/year. It's significantly better than what Google's free tool ever offered, at a fraction of the cost of traditional website builders.
Your Google Business Profile is excellent for appearing in map pack results when someone searches for a nearby business. But it cannot rank for non-local keyword searches, host detailed service pages, run a blog that builds organic traffic over time, capture leads with forms, or give customers a complete picture of your business. A real website works alongside your Google profile — linking the two actually strengthens your local SEO and makes you more visible across all Google surfaces.
Under 60 seconds to generate the website from your description. Add another few minutes to review the content, make any edits using the AI editor, and connect your custom domain — and you can realistically be fully live in under 10 minutes. Compare that to days or weeks with traditional website builders, or thousands of pounds for a web designer.
Yes. Every ChilledSites website is built with proper on-page SEO from day one — semantic HTML structure, auto-generated meta titles and descriptions specific to your business, mobile-first responsive design, fast page load speeds, SSL security, and structured data markup. These are the technical foundations Google rewards with higher rankings. The AI also writes real, relevant content for your business rather than generic filler, which helps with organic search over time.
ChilledSites costs £29/year — that's everything included: hosting, domain connection, contact forms, AI editing, and analytics. Wix starts at around £10/month (£120/year) for a basic paid plan. Squarespace starts at £12/month (£144/year). GoDaddy Website Builder starts at £8–9/month. ChilledSites is 4–5x cheaper than the next option, with no monthly billing surprises and no features hidden behind higher tiers.
Absolutely — and you should. Once your ChilledSites website is live on your custom domain, log into your Google Business Profile dashboard and add your website URL to the website field. This creates a direct link between your Google listing and your website, strengthening your local SEO signals and giving customers a proper destination to learn more about your business before contacting you.

Get the Website
Google Should Have Given You

Don't let a platform decision leave your business invisible online. Build a real website that you own, that ranks on Google, and that works for your business 24/7.

Build My Website Now

From £29/year · No monthly fees · Live in under 60 seconds