{"id":6895,"date":"2026-02-13T12:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T12:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/?p=6895"},"modified":"2026-02-20T11:06:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T11:06:16","slug":"do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends-6895\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Still Need a Website? Google Says It Depends"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Google\u2019s Search team says the website is not obsolete in 2026, but it is no longer the automatic answer. In a new episode of its Search Off the Record podcast, Google\u2019s Martin Splitt and Gary Illyes argue that whether you need a website depends entirely on what you are trying to achieve, who you want to reach, and how much control you want over your content, services, and business.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-6896\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-13-134841-300x187.png\" alt=\"Do You Still Need a Website in 2026? Google Says It Depends\" width=\"300\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-13-134841-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-13-134841-1024x639.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-13-134841.png 1540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the latest episode of Search Off the Record, Martin Splitt and Gary Illyes from Google\u2019s Search Relations team take on a claim that resurfaces every few years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The claim is that the web is dying and that apps, social platforms, and AI chatbots have replaced the need for websites altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their conclusion is more restrained than the headline-grabbing versions of that argument. Websites are still relevant, but they are no longer mandatory by default. The answer depends on context, audience, and intent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IM3UAX3MhnI&amp;t=1s\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IM3UAX3MhnI?si=C5ywSegA88JrV0rs\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\"><\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends-6895\/#the-%e2%80%9cweb-is-dead%e2%80%9d-claim-keeps-coming-back\" >The \u201cWeb Is Dead\u201d Claim Keeps Coming Back<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends-6895\/#ai-chatbots-still-depend-on-websites\" >AI Chatbots Still Depend On Websites<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends-6895\/#discovery-still-favors-open-publishing\" >Discovery Still Favors Open Publishing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends-6895\/#control-ownership-and-flexibility-remain-strong-advantages\" >Control, Ownership, And Flexibility Remain Strong Advantages<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends-6895\/#when-a-website-may-not-be-necessary\" >When A Website May Not Be Necessary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends-6895\/#low-barriers-still-matter\" >Low Barriers Still Matter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends-6895\/#what-this-means-for-creators-and-businesses\" >What This Means For Creators And Businesses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends-6895\/#making-the-choice-in-2026\" >Making the Choice in 2026<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"the-%e2%80%9cweb-is-dead%e2%80%9d-claim-keeps-coming-back\"><\/span><b>The \u201cWeb Is Dead\u201d Claim Keeps Coming Back<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Splitt and Illyes note that the web has been pronounced dead multiple times before.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first major wave followed the rise of smartphones and native apps. Later came voice assistants, which promised to replace screens with spoken answers. Now the conversation has shifted again, driven by large language models and conversational AI.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each wave changes how people interact with information, but none has removed the web itself. Apps often rely on web content under the hood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voice assistants and chatbots still draw heavily from published online material. Even when users do not realize it, websites remain the source layer beneath newer interfaces.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"ai-chatbots-still-depend-on-websites\"><\/span><b>AI Chatbots Still Depend On Websites<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A central theme of the discussion is how AI fits into the picture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today\u2019s chatbots and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/how-ai-overviews-ai-featured-snippets-are-transforming-search-results-1796\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI overviews<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> feel like a new way to consume information, but Splitt points out that most of their knowledge comes from web content. Books and other sources play a role, but the web supplies the broad coverage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is also a concern about what happens if knowledge gathered through AI conversations never flows back into public web content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If information remains locked inside models, it risks becoming harder to verify, reference, or share widely. For now, the web continues to act as the public record that AI systems learn from.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"discovery-still-favors-open-publishing\"><\/span><b>Discovery Still Favors Open Publishing<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another reason websites continue to matter is discovery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Search engines, content feeds, and recommendation systems help people find ideas they did not know to ask for.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Splitt shares an example of learning about a printing technique through a mix of AI summaries and traditional search results, which ultimately led him to multiple websites.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This type of exploration works less reliably inside one-to-one chatbot conversations. Websites provide stable reference points that can be linked, revisited, and shared. They allow information to be discovered without requiring users to ask the perfect question.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"control-ownership-and-flexibility-remain-strong-advantages\"><\/span><b>Control, Ownership, And Flexibility Remain Strong Advantages<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the clearest arguments for websites is control. On a website, creators decide how content is presented and how it is monetized. Promotions, long-form articles, tools, calculators, and interactive services are all easier to run outside the constraints of social platforms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social networks excel at distribution and reach, but they also impose rules, moderation policies, and algorithmic filters. A website functions as a home base that cannot be hidden by a feed ranking change or limited by platform features.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"when-a-website-may-not-be-necessary\"><\/span><b>When A Website May Not Be Necessary<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The podcast also acknowledges cases where a website adds little value.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some businesses operate entirely through social platforms or messaging apps and do so successfully. In earlier user studies, Google observed small businesses in regions like Indonesia running profitable operations without standalone sites.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mobile games offer another example. Many high-revenue games rely on advertising and app store listings rather than websites. In those cases, a site may exist only for legal pages or not at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"low-barriers-still-matter\"><\/span><b>Low Barriers Still Matter<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Splitt emphasizes one quiet strength of the web. Sharing a link has a very low barrier. Users do not need to install anything, choose a device ecosystem, or commit storage space. Visiting a website feels lightweight compared to downloading an app and creating an account.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That ease still matters in 2026, especially for new projects trying to attract first-time users or explain unfamiliar ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-this-means-for-creators-and-businesses\"><\/span><b>What This Means For Creators And Businesses<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For content creators, businesses, and developers, the message is not to abandon websites or to build one out of habit. The real task is to define the goal clearly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the aim is broad visibility, long-term discovery, service delivery, or full control over presentation and monetization, a website remains a strong choice. If the goal is to reach a specific audience that already lives on one platform, social or app-based approaches can work just as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"making-the-choice-in-2026\"><\/span><b>Making the Choice in 2026<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are a few grounded considerations that can help creators and businesses decide whether a website is the right tool for their goals today.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start by identifying where your audience already spends time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decide whether you need tools, services, or long-form content.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consider how much control you want over monetization and visibility.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use social platforms for reach, but avoid relying on them as your only home.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treat a website as a foundation, not an obligation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Key Takeaways<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Websites are a choice, not a requirement. Their value depends on what you need to achieve and where your audience already is.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Websites remain the core source for search results and AI systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discovery across search, feeds, and AI still leads users to websites.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Websites give creators greater control than social platforms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The need for a website depends on purpose, audience, and use case.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Google\u2019s Search team says the website is not obsolete in 2026, but it is no longer the automatic answer. In a new episode of its Search Off the Record podcast, Google\u2019s Martin Splitt and Gary Illyes argue that whether you need a website depends entirely on what you are trying to achieve, who you want [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6896,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google","category-seo"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Do You Still Need a Website? Google Says It Depends - Stan Ventures<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Google\u2019s Search team explains why websites still matter and when social platforms or apps may be enough.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/do-you-still-need-a-website-in-2026-google-says-it-depends-6895\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Do You Still Need a Website? 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