Free GBP Masterclass: Get More Customers from Google Maps

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is live right now. Customers are finding it, judging it, and choosing between you and a competitor – often in seconds. There’s a big difference between just showing up and standing out, and that gap is costing you customers.

Most businesses set up their profile once and move on. Meanwhile, there are dozens of optimization opportunities sitting untouched – reducing your visibility and leaving potential customers on the table.


TL;DR: Map Labs’ free GBP Masterclass teaches you exactly how Google Business Profile works, what actually moves the needle, and how to turn your profile into your highest-performing marketing asset. No fluff, no guesswork – just the step-by-step strategy we’ve used with 10,000+ businesses.

🎓 Enroll in the FREE Masterclass


What is the GBP Masterclass

Over the last 10 years, the Map Labs team has worked with over 10,000 businesses across a variety of industries – restaurant, automotive, healthcare, real estate, legal, and more – helping them generate more visibility and more customers from Google and Apple Maps.

The GBP Masterclass is built on everything we’ve learned so far – a foundation of proven strategies to help you get more out of your GBP. It covers everything from the basics of your profile to the more advanced features most businesses never touch – each one with a direct and measurable impact on your visibility.


What It Covers

After auditing tens of thousands of Google Business Profiles over the years, we’ve learned exactly where the biggest opportunities are and what gaps show up almost every single time. This Masterclass shows you everything from initial profile setup to fine-tuning optimizations for maximum channel results.

High-level, here’s what you’ll learn:

  • Location Information – Categories, Hours & Attributes

Categories are the single biggest ranking factor on Google Maps – and the most commonly misconfigured. Most businesses set them once and never revisit them. A single unanswered attribute can prevent you from showing up for an entire category of searches – and most businesses don’t know it’s happening.

We’ll show you how to choose the right primary category, when to add additional categories (and when not to), how opening hours affect your rankings, and why completing every attribute matters more than most businesses realize.

  • Menus & Services

This section is often where the most visibility is being left on the table. If your services are incomplete or your menu is outdated, it can directly damage your search performance. If you don’t manage your menu, Google and customers will fill the gaps – and it’ll be wrong.

You’ll learn how to write services that convert users and how Google indexes your menu keywords to determine what searches you show up for.

  • Photos & Posts

Google reads the objects and keywords inside your images. What you upload (and how often) both send signals that affect your visibility.

You’ll learn what content your audience actually wants to see when they land on your profile, and how to drive the engagement signals that move the needle.

  • Reviews

Responding only to negative reviews can actually make them more visible, not less. Responding to every review is a ranking factor, and consistency matters more than volume.

You’ll learn how to build a review strategy that works, and when it makes sense to automate.

  • Analytics

Ranking #1 for an ultra-specific long-tail keyword doesn’t mean you’re getting more customers. Direction requests, phone calls, and bookings are what actually correlate to revenue.

You’ll learn how to stop chasing rankings and start measuring what actually drives business results.


This is just a preview. The full Masterclass covers every section above in detail – with industry-specific best practices for setup, management, and optimization of your Google Business Profile. Each stage of setup and active profile management can make a measurable difference in your visibility.


The Results Look Like This

One restaurant group we worked with increased bookings by over 100% year over year – translating to $900K in incremental revenue tracked directly through their reservation integration. Another client connected a $250K contract back to a single lead from their Google Business Profile.

These aren’t outliers. This is what happens when a profile is fully optimized and actively managed.

Check out the Case Study here: Altamarea Group increased revenue by $907,257.22 at a single location with Map Labs


Ready to Get More Customers From Maps?

The free GBP Masterclass walks through every section of your Google Business Profile step by step – so you know exactly what to optimize and why.

Enroll now and turn your profile into your highest-performing marketing asset.

  • Have us do it with you – or for you.

If you want to take it a step further and have an expert from the Map Labs team look at your specific profile and walk you through exactly where the improvements and opportunities are, book a free GBP analysis. No commitment – use the insights with or without Map Labs.

If you choose to work with us, our professional services team offers coaching and full-service management – we’ll figure out together what’s right for your business.


Want to know more?

🎥 Watch “Why Maps Should Be Your Top Marketing Priority in 2026” below!

Special Hours on Google Business Profile

When a holiday weekend rolls around, your customers are already making plans—and they’re checking Google to see if you’re open. If your hours aren’t accurate, you’re not just missing out on sales; you’re risking bad reviews, broken trust, and lost traffic.

That’s where Google Business Profile’s Special Hours come in. Whether you’re closing for the Fourth of July, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or just changing hours for a one-time event—keeping your hours updated tells Google (and your customers) that your business is active, reliable, and ready.

In this guide, we’ll break down what Special Hours are, why they matter more than most businesses realize, and how to update them quickly; especially if you’re managing multiple locations.

Spoiler: there’s a much faster way than doing it one-by-one.


What are Special Hours?

Special hours on Google Business Profile allow you to specify temporary or exceptional operating hours for your business on specific dates, such as holidays or special events, that differ from your regular hours. These hours override your standard hours for those particular dates and help customers avoid confusion when they expect your business to be open or closed.

You can use special hours to indicate when your business will be open or closed for a short period, like a few hours or up to six consecutive days. Special hours are perfect for marking holidays, special events, or any other occasion where your business operates outside of its normal schedule. Special hours will be displayed on your Google Business Profile instead of your regular hours for the specific dates you’ve set.



Why Special Hours Matter

  • Rank Higher on Google

If there is a holiday coming up in your region, you must update your ‘holiday hours’ even if your hours are not changing for the holiday. This signals to Google that your business is active and has confirmed when you will or will not be open, allowing Google to display your GBP with confidence to consumers. Businesses that do not update their special or holiday hours will appear lower in search results than those that do.

  • Brand Image

Imagine making a reservation and arriving with your whole family, only to find the business is closed. This is not a good look for your brand and is guaranteed to create frustrated potential customers, especially if they have gone out of their way to visit your business. Keeping your special hours up to date ensures customers have accurate information, preventing wasted trips or negative reviews.

  • GBP is More Visible Than Your Website

Today, most customers make decisions directly on Google Maps, without ever clicking through to your website. This means your Google Business Profile is the first and often only touchpoint before someone visits your business. If your hours are out of date on GBP, it doesn’t matter that you updated them on your website—customers will likely not make it there.

  • Turn Interest into Action

Along with updating your special hours, use Google Posts/Updates to share your holiday offers, promotions, or closures. These posts show up directly in your profile and are a great way to communicate your unique offerings to potential customers during the holiday season. Check out these videos on how to use Google Posts!


How to Update Special Hours

Natively on Google Business Profile

On Google Business Profile native, you can set special hours through your Google Business Profile dashboard, typically by navigating to “Edit Profile,” then “Hours,” and then “Special Hours” or “Holiday Hours.”

Step 1: Click the “Edit Profile” tab on the home page of your GBP

Step 2: Click on the “Hours” tab at the top of the page.

This is where you’ll choose how your business hours appear on your Google Business Profile. Pick the option that best describes your current operating status.

Step 3: Set your day-to-day operating hours for each day of the week.

Add “More hours” if applicable

Step 1: Click the “More” Tab

Step 2: Scroll down to “Add more hours”

Set holiday and special hours

Step 1: Click the “More” Tab

Step 2: Scroll down to “Special Hours” and input the date of the holiday, and time you are open


Updating ‘Special Hours’ on Map Labs

Managing a single location?

Our software allows you to update Special Hours with just a few clicks. Visit the “Location Info” tab inside your Map Labs dashboard to easily manage your Regular Hours, More Hours, and Special Hours, all from one central page.

Bulk Updates on Map Labs

Map Labs makes it easy to update hours for a single location, but you can also bulk update dozens or even hundreds of locations in just a few clicks with our proprietary, industry-leading software. This bulk-hours feature is one of our most popular tools, saving time and reducing the chance of errors.

Step 1: Select locations you would like to update

Step 2: Choose what you would like to update in Bulk (in this example, special hours)

Step 3: Add your Special Hours and hit submit!

Whether you’re prepping for a holiday weekend or adjusting for a special event, Map Labs ensures your listings are up-to-date everywhere, all at once.


Get Started with Map Labs

Keeping your Google Business Profile “Special Hours” updated might seem like a small task, but it plays a big role in shaping how customers perceive your business—especially around holidays. In the fast-moving world of Maps Marketing, the details matter. When someone checks your hours and sees that you’re open, available, and reliable, that quick glance can be the difference between gaining a customer or losing them to a competitor.

In 2025, Google Maps isn’t just a navigation tool—it’s one of the most influential decision-making platforms for local commerce. Map Labs is powered by industry-leading proprietary software, built and continuously refined by a full-time, in-house development team dedicated to keeping us at the forefront of Google Maps Marketing. With over a decade of experience, we’re not just the #1 Maps Marketing software and service—we’re experts in a field we helped define.

But we offer more than just a tool. What sets Map Labs apart is our ability to pair powerful software with custom-built strategies, crafted by a team that’s spent 10+ years versed in the nuances of local search.

Did you know…

If your business wants to start leveraging the most powerful marketing channel available today, visit MapLabs.com to get started.


Want to know more? 

🎥 Watch ‘Why Every Business Needs Maps Marketing’ video below!

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