The holiday season is approaching, and for many businesses, that means busier schedules, changing hours, seasonal promotions, and customers searching for places to shop, dine, or book services. While business owners are preparing their storefronts, inventory, and marketing campaigns, one important part of their online presence can easily be overlooked: their Google Business Profile.
Your Google Business Profile helps customers find important information about your business directly through Google Search and Maps. From checking your operating hours to getting directions, calling your business, or reading reviews, customers often rely on your profile before deciding whether to visit or make contact.
As October comes to an end, now is a good time to review your profile and make sure the information customers see is accurate and up to date. A few simple updates can help reduce confusion, improve the customer experience, and prepare your business for the upcoming holiday season.
1. Update Your Holiday Business Hours
One of the most important things to review before the holiday season is your business hours. During November and December, businesses may extend their hours, close on certain holidays, or operate on a different schedule. If your Google Business Profile displays incorrect hours, customers could arrive when your business is closed or assume you’re unavailable when you’re actually open.
Google allows eligible businesses to set special hours for holidays and other temporary schedule changes. These hours can be added in advance, making it easier to prepare for upcoming dates. For step-by-step instructions, visit Google’s official guide on how to set special hours for your Business Profile.
Before November, review your regular business hours and consider whether you’ll need special hours for Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or New Year’s Day. For businesses that operate by appointment or provide services at customer locations, make sure your listed availability accurately reflects when customers can reach you. Keeping your hours updated is a simple way to set clear expectations and avoid unnecessary frustration during an already busy season.
2. Double-Check Your Business Information
Holiday shoppers and customers often want quick answers. They may be comparing several businesses, looking for directions, or trying to contact someone before making a decision. That’s why accurate business information matters. Take a few minutes to review your Google Business Profile and confirm that your business name, phone number, website, address or service area, and other relevant details are correct. If you’ve recently changed locations, updated your phone number, or modified the services you offer, make sure those changes are reflected on your profile.
It’s also important to follow Google’s Business Profile guidelines when making updates. Your business name should represent your actual business name, and your address or service area should accurately reflect how your business operates. Avoid adding promotional keywords to your business name or making unnecessary changes simply to improve visibility. Accurate information is more valuable than trying to make a profile appear optimized through misleading details.
3. Refresh Your Business Photos
Photos give potential customers a better idea of what to expect from your business. For a retail store, that might mean showcasing seasonal merchandise or a decorated storefront. For a restaurant, it could mean highlighting seasonal menu items or updated dining spaces. Service-based businesses can share relevant photos of their work, team, equipment, or completed projects.
Before the holiday season begins, review the photos associated with your Google Business Profile. Consider whether they accurately represent your business today. If your storefront has changed, your services have expanded, or you have new products worth showcasing, updated photos can help communicate those changes.
Seasonal photos can also make your profile feel more current and relevant to customers preparing for holiday activities. However, there’s no need to upload photos simply for the sake of adding content. Focus on clear, authentic images that genuinely represent your business. Google’s photo guidelines should also be followed to help ensure uploaded images are appropriate and accurately reflect the business.
4. Review Your Business Categories and Services
Your primary business category is one of the most important pieces of information on your Google Business Profile because it helps describe what your business does. As businesses prepare for the holidays, some may introduce new services, expand their offerings, or adjust what they provide to customers.
This makes October a useful time to review your categories, services, and other relevant profile details.
Your primary category should accurately represent your core business. Additional categories should only be selected when they genuinely describe other aspects of your operations.
For eligible businesses, the services section can provide additional details about what customers can expect. For example, a cleaning company may offer residential cleaning, deep cleaning, and move-out cleaning. A salon may provide haircuts, coloring, and styling services. These details help customers understand what your business offers without needing to search through multiple websites or make a phone call. Keep in mind that categories should not be changed simply to target seasonal keywords. Your selections should continue to reflect your actual business.
5. Pay Attention to Customer Reviews
Customer reviews can influence how potential customers evaluate a business, especially when they’re comparing options during the holiday season. Before November, take time to review your recent feedback and consider whether there are customer questions or concerns that need attention. Responding to reviews can show customers that your business is engaged and values their experiences. Positive reviews offer an opportunity to thank customers, while critical feedback can provide useful insight into areas that may need improvement. When responding to negative reviews, remain professional and avoid sharing private customer information. The holiday season may also bring an increase in customer interactions, creating opportunities to request genuine feedback.
Businesses can encourage customers to leave honest reviews through Google’s supported review link or QR code options. However, offering discounts, gifts, or other incentives in exchange for reviews is against Google’s policies.
Reviews should reflect authentic customer experiences rather than attempts to influence ratings.
It’s also worth monitoring your review count and recent feedback periodically. If you notice unexpected changes, document what you’re seeing and review Google’s guidance before assuming your profile has been penalized. For additional information, read our article on why Google reviews are disappearing in 2026 and what business owners should know about missing reviews.
6. Share Relevant Holiday Updates
The holiday season often brings announcements that customers may find useful, including seasonal offerings, upcoming events, special promotions, and changes to business operations. Eligible businesses can use Google Business Profile posts to share updates, offers, and events directly through their profiles. For example, a local boutique might share information about a holiday shopping event. A restaurant could announce a seasonal menu, while a service-based business might highlight appointment availability before the end of the year. These updates can help communicate timely information to people viewing your profile.
However, Google Business Profile posts should not replace the core information on your listing. If your business hours change, update the appropriate hours field rather than relying only on a post. Similarly, changes to your phone number, address, or services should be reflected in the relevant profile sections. Keep posts accurate, relevant, and consistent with Google’s content policies. Not every business needs a holiday promotion. If you don’t have seasonal announcements, there’s no reason to create unnecessary posts.
7. Check Your Google Business Profile Performance
Before the holiday rush begins, take a moment to review how customers have been interacting with your Google Business Profile. Google Business Profile Performance provides eligible businesses with information about certain customer interactions and how people discover their profiles. Depending on the available metrics, you may be able to review searches, website clicks, calls, direction requests, and other interactions. These insights can help you better understand how customers engage with your business.
For example, a business receiving frequent direction requests may want to double-check its address, map pin, and holiday hours. A service-based business receiving calls may want to make sure its phone number is correct and someone is available to respond during listed business hours. It’s important to remember that performance metrics don’t tell the entire story. A change in impressions or interactions doesn’t automatically mean your profile has a problem, and Google Business Profile optimization doesn’t guarantee a particular ranking. Instead, use the available information to identify practical improvements and better prepare for customer needs.
Why October Is a Good Time to Prepare
Waiting until the holiday season is already underway can make it more difficult to catch outdated information or unexpected profile issues. Reviewing your Google Business Profile in October gives you time to check your information, prepare special hours, refresh relevant content, and address potential problems before schedules become busier.
It also gives business owners an opportunity to think about the customer experience. If someone discovers your business through Google Maps, can they quickly find what they need? Are your hours accurate? Does your profile reflect your current products or services? Can customers easily contact you? These may seem like small details, but they can make a meaningful difference in how customers experience your business online.
Preparing for the holidays is just one part of maintaining a strong online presence. Learn more about why your Google Business Profile matters more than ever in 2027 and how it supports your long-term local visibility.
The Bottom Line: Prepare Your Business Before the Holiday Rush
The holiday season can be an important time for businesses, but preparing your Google Business Profile doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with the basics: accurate business hours, current contact information, relevant photos, appropriate categories, and genuine customer reviews. From there, consider whether seasonal updates or performance insights can help you better serve your customers. A well-maintained Google Business Profile isn’t just about appearing in search results. It’s about giving potential customers reliable information when they’re deciding where to shop, visit, or request services.
At GBP Beacon, we believe Google Business Profile management should begin with accuracy, compliance, and a positive customer experience. If you need additional guidance, you can learn more about our Google Business Profile optimization services. Taking a little time to review your profile now can help your business enter the holiday season feeling more prepared.