Setting Up Your Google Business Profile For The Holidays

The holiday season is upon us, which means people will be searching for your business, or for what you offer. This time of year may also mean temporary, seasonal changes to how you operate your business. People will be searching with the intent to convert, whether it be to buy or send gifts, to make restaurant reservations or hair appointments, to finalize travel plans, or even to treat themselves to a cup of hot chocolate. In order to capitalize on this trend, businesses should optimize their Google Business Profile(s) and other local listings to drive revenue and keep customers well-informed.

Make sure your Key Business Information is correct.

The initial information that search engines and users understand about your business are its name, address, and phone number (known as NAP). Consistent NAP is used by Google to build trust and authority in search engine results pages (known as SERPs). Keeping the information consistent (or matching) on all your listings builds trust and authority, helping you rank higher in SERPs.

Your business’s NAP also gives customers easy access to the most important information about your brand. If a customer is searching for you, chances are they’re searching for the business name (or something similar to it). If a customer wants to know your business’s location, they’ll need to know your address so they can visit. If a customer needs to contact you, calling your business phone number can be the easiest and fastest way to get in touch.

Other important information to include on your Google Business Profile are your hours, website link, business category, and products or services. Inconsistent business information on your local listings can lead to frustrated customers and potentially lost leads. The holiday season is a great time to do a quick audit of your Google Business Profile’s, and other listings, relevant business information.

Set your Special Working Hours.

Does your business close early on Christmas Eve? Is your business opening late on New Years Day? If your business observes a specific Holiday in which your business is non-working, you’ll want to communicate that through your Google Business Profile. If you are expecting any service changes, it’s important to let your customers know, so they don’t show up when you’re closed. Keeping customers informed is key to avoiding frustration.

Setting special working hours in Google Business Profile is different from updating your hours. There is a specific section for updating this in Google Business Profile, in which you can clearly communicate your hours for a specific day, as opposed to your general daily working hours.

Update your Business Attributes Information in Google Business Profile.

Another important part of keeping customers informed is to make sure your Google Business Profile’s service options, attributes, amenities, health, and safety options are clearly marked on your profile.

Ensure accessibility for customers by identifying whether or not your business has a wheelchair-accessible entrance and/or a restroom. Notifying customers of health and safety regulations at your business can help them feel more comfortable and confident about visiting, so be sure to inform potential customers if masks or temperature checks are required. Check or uncheck your business’s highlights and offerings so customers know what to expect, and they can clearly see your unique selling points. If your business is offering curbside pickup or requires reservations this holiday season, selecting or deselecting those will help ensure a happy customer experience.

Highlight Specials & Sales Using “Posts.”

Google Business Profile posts are a quick and easy way to communicate to consumers. Google Business Profile posts are small “cards” that are showcased within the knowledge graph in SERPs when users search for your business.

Google Business Profile posts can highlight holiday sales or offers. These posts can also showcase a new or popular product and service. Post descriptions can contain up to 1,000 characters, leaving business owners with plenty of space for keyword-rich copywriting that engages users. Photos can be added to posts to increase engagement and a call-to-action button can also be added to drive conversions.

Common uses for Google Business Profile posts include but aren’t limited to, highlighting holiday menu specials, retail sales events, new product lines and brands, and COVID-19 updates. Posts can be a very creative way to communicate updates to consumers and individuals searching for your business.

Update Google Business Profile photos.

Take a few photos of your business when it’s empty. Upload high-quality photos of your holiday menu or offerings. Maybe there are some neat holiday decorations hanging up. Take photos of your staff members wearing masks, or of your outdoor dining set up, which might make customers feel safe, and more so keep them informed.

For more information or to get help on how to make sure your Google Business Page is set up for success this holiday season, contact us. Wishing you a warm and wonderful holiday season!