Is the Independent Site Dead in 2026? Google's Own Team Gave a Surprising Answer

Hi everyone, this is Neo.

A topic just blew up the SEO community. It started when Google’s Search Relations Team, on their podcast Search Off the Record, threw out an existential question:

“Do you even need a website in 2026?”

A few years ago, that wasn’t even a question. You can’t run a business without a website, right? But now, with AI search, TikTok Shop, and Instagram Checkout on the rise, a lot of owners are wavering: why am I busting my ass building a site, maintaining it, doing SEO — when I could just sell on social media?

Google’s two big names — Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt — debated it for a full 28 minutes. Their conclusion wasn’t a simple “Yes” or “No.” It was — “It depends.”

That’s fascinating. Today I’m breaking down what Google’s official stance really means — and how Chinese sellers running overseas independent sites should navigate 2026.

1. Why Does Google Say “It Depends”?

On the podcast, the Google team didn’t push a “websites over everything” line. Instead, they honestly listed scenarios where you can thrive without a website.

1. You Can Get Rich “Borrowing the Hen to Lay Eggs”

Gary Illyes cited a Google user study in Indonesia. Many merchants there have no website at all — they run purely on social networks (Instagram, WhatsApp) and still achieve impressive sales and retention.

True — if your business runs on private traffic or your customers all live in WhatsApp groups, reaching them directly through social media may beat herding them to a website.

2. Trust: A Bad Site Loses to a Good Social Profile

Martin Splitt dropped a truth bomb:

“I’d rather have a carefully curated, trustworthy social media presence than a badly made website.”

It’s like this: instead of opening a shabby, buggy street-corner shop, rent a nice counter in a busy mall (the social platform). An independent site that’s slow, ugly, and clunky doesn’t just fail to convert — it actively drives customers away.

3. The App and Gaming Logic

For many mobile game companies, the website is just a prop for hosting “privacy policy” and “terms of service” — the real business lives in the App Store.

2. But for Us, a Website Is Still a “Must”

Google gave plenty of reasons you can skip a website. But as a Chinese seller going deep on overseas markets — B2B or B2C — I believe: giving up your independent site means giving up your future moat.

The Google team also acknowledged the website’s core advantages that nothing else replaces — the very things we depend on:

1. Data Sovereignty: Your Land, Your Rules

On social platforms, you’re a tenant. Account banned, algorithm changed, platform shut down — your entire accumulation can vanish overnight. On your own site, you’re the landowner. User data, transaction records, content assets — all in your hands. In 2026, with privacy rules tightening everywhere, first-party data is priceless.

2. Monetization Control

Platforms always want their cut: commissions, ad fees, hidden deductions. An independent site has build costs, sure, but no middleman skimming the spread. You set your pricing and promos freely — your margins are your own.

3. Unlimited Functionality

Social storefronts are standardized. But if you sell B2B machinery, you need a complex spec calculator; if you do custom gifts, you need a 3D online preview tool. Complex features like these only come together properly on your own site.

4. The “Feeding Source” for AI

This is the point I care about most. Today’s AI (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) has to “learn” somewhere. Where? The open web. If your information is locked inside Facebook groups or WeChat chats, AI can’t reach it. In the AI search era, a well-structured, content-rich website is the prerequisite for AI to “know” you and recommend you.

Even Gary Illyes finally conceded:

“If you want as many people (and AIs) as possible to access your information or services, then in 2026, a website is still the way to go.”

3. Neo’s Take: The New Role of Independent Sites in 2026

Since we still need a website, how do we build one that doesn’t fall behind?

I believe the role of the website has changed. It used to be the starting point of traffic (SEO pulling people in). Now it’s the endpoint — where trust lands and conversion happens.

1. For B2B Sellers: Your Site Is a “Digital Showroom”

Stop stuffing keywords. Your website should be a top-performing salesperson on duty 24/7.

  • Trust: real factory videos, team photos, customer case studies.
  • Content: deep white papers and solution pages written around industry pain points.
  • Service: live chat, after-sales support docs.

2. For B2C Sellers: Your Site Is a “Brand Flagship Store”

Social media plants the seed; your independent site harvests the sale.

  • Experience: blazing load speeds, frictionless checkout.
  • Community: let users leave reviews on your site, build a membership program.
  • Story: tell your brand story properly — something short-form social video can rarely do justice to.

4. Summary

Back to the opening question: do you still need a website in 2026?

The answer: Yes — but not just a website.

You don’t need just a cold URL. You need a digital hub that connects every channel.

  • Use social media to reach.
  • Use marketplaces to distribute.
  • But always use your independent site to retain and convert.

Don’t put all your eggs in someone else’s basket. In an era full of uncertainty, owning a website that’s entirely yours is the surest investment there is.