Do Google Business Profile Hours Affect When You Rank in Local Search?
Google has stated that complete and accurate business information can improve local visibility, and that includes hours. It particularly matters when a searcher’s inquiry indicates they have an immediate need for a product or service.
That means inaccurate or incomplete hours can create more than a customer-service problem. They may also limit when your business is more likely to appear for certain local searches.
Google Uses Hours to Understand When Your Business Is Available
When users are looking for a product or service online, Google tries to match the searcher with businesses that fit their intent. Searchers clearly demonstrate an immediate or time-sensitive need when they use phrases such as:
- Plumber open now
- HVAC repair open tonight
- Restaurant open late
- Auto repair open Saturday
- Pharmacy open Sunday
- 24-hour locksmith
If your profile says your business closes at 5 p.m., Google has little reason to treat it as a match for someone searching at 7 p.m. for a provider that is ‘open now.’
This does not mean businesses that stay open longer automatically rank higher for every local search. However, hours can affect whether a business satisfies searches where availability is part of the query.
Google doesn’t publish its exact weighting formula, but Google Business Profile best-practice guidance does explicitly recommend keeping your business hours up to date.
Do Not List Hours You Do Not Actually Keep
It’s best not to goose your hours just to increase the chance that someone will call when you’re closed. People don’t like getting sent to voicemail, especially if they feel like they’ve been misled.
Research suggests nearly 80% of consumers will ultimately buy from or book service with the company that responds first. If someone has an active pipe leak or overflowing toilet in the middle of the night, they’ll be looking for a plumber who can respond right away. They’re probably not going to leave a message and hope that the first plumber they called will get back to them in the morning.
Consumers often remember which business met an immediate need and which didn’t, particularly in an emergency situation. Google may not check up on every business with a listing to confirm their hours are accurate, but there is a reputational risk to claiming you are open when you’re not.
Special and Holiday Hours Matter Too
Google allows businesses to set special hours for holidays and temporary schedule changes. Keeping those hours current can be important during periods when most businesses are closed and customers are specifically looking for the minority that are still open.
Those special hours are worth filling out, particularly for:
- New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Good Friday
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas Eve and Christmas
The holidays can suppress search volume for certain products or services, but those are also the days when searchers are more likely to add ‘open today’ to their search.
The reverse is also true. Businesses run the risk of alienating customers who waste time calling or traveling to a location simply because the person managing the business profile never updated the holiday hours.
Keep Your Hours Accurate Across Local Search
Business hours are not a shortcut to better rankings, and extending your hours will not automatically move your company above competitors.
However, Google does use hours to understand whether a business is relevant to time-sensitive searches.
If your business offers evening, weekend, holiday or 24-hour availability, making sure those hours are accurate can help you appear when that availability matters most.
If you are not sure whether your Google Business Profile is accurately supporting your local search visibility, contact REV77 to request a free digital marketing audit.
