During the holidays, customers use Google to decide where to go and when. If your business hours aren’t correct, you may frustrate customers, create negative reviews, and lose revenue. Adding holiday hours to your Google Business Profile is easy to do.
Why Holiday Hours Matter More Than You Think
During holidays, customer behavior changes. People are shopping at different times and are checking hours at the last minute. Google is the first place many people look. If your profile shows “Open” when you’re actually closed, customers may drive to your location and be disappointed.
That miscommunication often turns into:
- One-star reviews mentioning “incorrect hours”
- Lost repeat business
- Reduced trust in your brand
Local businesses that list holiday hours offer a good customer experience, and customers are grateful.
SEO and Visibility Benefits
From an SEO perspective, keeping your holiday hours updated helps Google show your local business more often in search results. Accurate holiday hours improve your chances of appearing in local map packs.
Google shows local businesses with complete and current profiles.
How to Add Holiday Hours to Google Maps (Step-by-Step)
Adding holiday hours is easy in your Google Business Profile:
- Sign in to your Google Business Profile dashboard
- Select your business location
- Click Edit Profile → Business Information
- Choose Hours → Special Hours
- Add each holiday and specify whether you’re:
- Open with modified hours
- Closed all day
- Save your changes
Google will highlight these dates so your customers see them when searching.
Best Practices for Holiday Hours
To get the most value from this feature:
- Add hours at least 2–3 weeks in advance
- Include all major holidays
- Update immediately if plans change due to weather or staffing
- Match holiday hours across your website and social media
The Bottom Line
Adding holiday hours to Google is an easy way to improve customer experience. It stops customer frustration and helps your local business show up when customers are looking for it online.
Updated holiday hours can make a big difference for revenue this holiday season. Holiday hours may seem minor, but to customers deciding where to go, it is everything.
Ready to learn more about how your customers see you at the moment they decide where to shop? Book a strategy call and learn more about how you can capture more customers when it matters most.