How to Prepare Your Google Business Profile for the 2025 Holiday Season

Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing potential customers see when they search for local businesses during the holiday season. An outdated or incomplete profile can cost you foot traffic and sales at the most critical time of year. Here is what to update now, before the rush begins.

Update Your Holiday Hours Immediately

This seems obvious, but it is the number one mistake local businesses make during the holidays. Customers who show up to a closed store because your GBP showed regular hours will not come back — they will go to a competitor.

Google now lets you set special hours well in advance for major holidays. At minimum, update hours for:

Halloween (October 31)
Thanksgiving (November 27)
Black Friday (November 28)
Small Business Saturday (November 29)
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Do not wait until the week before each holiday to update hours. Set them all now. Google can take 24-48 hours to process changes, and you do not want incorrect hours showing during your busiest days.

Add Fresh Photos and Videos

Profiles with recent photos get significantly more engagement than those with outdated images. Take 15 minutes this week to:

Update your storefront photo if you have added any seasonal decorations or signage
Photograph new products or services you are offering for the holiday season
Add team photos — customers like to see the people behind the business
Upload a short video (30 seconds or less) showcasing your holiday inventory, seasonal menu, or gift options

Google reports that businesses with more than 100 photos receive 520% more calls than the average business. You do not need that many, but adding 5-10 fresh images makes a real difference.

Create Google Business Profile Posts

GBP posts appear directly in your listing and give you a way to communicate promotions, events, and updates. During the holiday season, plan to post at least once a week covering:

Holiday promotions and sales with start and end dates
Gift guide suggestions relevant to your products or services
Event announcements if you are hosting anything in-store
Extended hours or special shopping events like Small Business Saturday

Posts expire after seven days, so consistency matters. Set a weekly reminder to publish a new one.

Optimize Your Business Description for Holiday Searches

Review your business description and make sure it includes terms customers are likely to search for during the season. If you sell gifts, mention “holiday gifts” or “gifts for [your niche].” If you offer services, mention holiday-specific offerings like “holiday catering” or “holiday party planning.”

Do not keyword stuff — keep it natural and readable. But make sure the seasonal terms are present so your profile surfaces for relevant searches.

Respond to Every Review

Review response rate becomes even more important during the holidays when potential customers are comparison-shopping between local businesses. Respond to every review — positive and negative — within 24 hours if possible.

For negative reviews, respond professionally and offer to resolve the issue offline. For positive reviews, thank the customer specifically and mention something personal about their experience when you can.

Monitor Your Profile with Search Tools

Use Semrush to track how your local search visibility changes throughout the holiday season. Monitoring your rankings for key seasonal terms helps you understand what is working and where you may need to adjust your strategy.

Start Today, Not Next Month

The businesses that perform best during the holiday season are the ones that prepare early. Spending an hour this week updating your Google Business Profile puts you ahead of the majority of local competitors who will scramble to make changes at the last minute — if they make them at all.