Map Labs’ Founder and President, Evan Oder, shows businesses how to set up and optimize their Apple Business listing and turn Apple Maps users into customers.
Today, Map Labs launched Apple Maps 101, a free course onMap Labs Universitycovering the second-largest local search platform in the world: Apple Maps.
Apple Maps is a growing marketing asset, and Apple is investing heavily in it. This year, Apple launched Apple Business with new brand tools for Apple Maps, including ads in the U.S. and Canada. This is a big opportunity for local businesses, and most aren’t paying attention.
Apple Maps 101 walks you through how to claim, complete and optimize your Apple Maps profiles in eight short, practical sections, to turn Apple Maps users into customers.
It’s the biggest untapped opportunity in local search.
Apple Maps is the default maps app on every iPhone, so every time an iPhone user looks for a coffee shop, a dentist or a tire shop nearby, whether in Maps, in the home screen search bar or through Siri, the results come from Apple Maps listings. Those are customers, with their phones in hand, choosing where to go next. That audience is bigger than most marketers expect: in Map Labs’ research, Apple Maps generates 25x more business visibility than Yelp on average.
Most businesses set up a Google Business Profile and stop there. Their Apple Maps profiles sit unclaimed, incomplete or out of date. Across the thousands of profiles Map Labs has analyzed over the years, the same gap shows up every time: real visibility left behind on Apple Maps.
That gap is your advantage. While competitors ignore Apple, the businesses that show up with accurate hours, fresh photos, active showcases and strong ratings win the customer. Maps Marketing doesn’t stop at Google. Map Labs was one of the first to integrate with Apple Business because the opportunity is that important.
What You’ll Learn
Apple Maps 101 covers why Apple Maps deserves a place in your marketing strategy, how to get your locations set up the right way and the essential optimizations that drive real-world results. You’ll also see how Apple Maps features for businesses compare to Google’s.
The course walks you through eight sections on Apple Maps fundamentals:
Why Apple Maps: How Apple Maps stacks up against Google and Yelp, and why now is the time to get ahead.
Claiming Your Place Card: Getting your locations into Apple Business correctly, from account setup to verification.
Location Information: The core details customers and Apple rely on, plus Apple-specific features like “Good to Know” and action links.
Apple Showcases: What they are, how they work and how to use them to stand out from competitors.
Photos: How they work on Apple Maps, from owner-uploaded vs. third-party content to Apple’s photo requirements.
Reviews & Ratings: How ratings and reviews work on Apple Maps and how to start building native reviews.
Measuring Results: Which metrics are worth tracking, Apple-specific insights and what they tell you about your customers.
What’s Next on Apple: Where Apple Business is going and how to get ahead of it.
Each section is short, practical and built on the same playbook Map Labs uses for its own clients. By the end, you’ll have a complete, accurate Apple listing and a clear plan to get the most out of it.
Learn From the Founder of Map Labs: Evan Oder
Evan has spent 15 years in local search marketing, building Map Labs into the trusted partner of 10,000+ businesses. After analyzing and growing thousands of business profiles across Google and Apple, he’s seen firsthand how much visibility businesses leave behind on Apple Maps. Now, he’s bringing all that experience into Apple Maps 101, teaching every section himself.
Start Winning Customers on Apple Maps
Apple Maps 101 is completely free and available now on Map Labs University. Every day your Apple Maps listings sit incomplete, customers in discovery mode pick someone else.
Want experts to run it for you? Map Labs Professional Services pairs industry-leading software with a dedicated strategy team that completes, publishes and measures your Google and Apple Maps profiles every month. Talk to the Map Labs team.
About Map Labs
Map Labs is the #1 Google & Apple Maps Marketing software and service for multi-location businesses. Map Labs goes beyond just tools and accurate reporting. We deliver strategy, support and execution that drive real-world results. Over 10,000 world-leading businesses are growing with Map Labs’ custom maps marketing strategies and industry-leading software. Learn more at MapLabs.com.
If you’ve ever searched for a business on Google Maps or Google.com and seen a little box pop up with its hours, address, photos, and reviews – that’s a Google Business Profile.
It’s one of the most important marketing assets available to local businesses, and yet most don’t take full advantage of it.
So, what exactly is it, where does it show up, and how do people use it?
TL;DR: A Google Business Profile is a free listing that shows your business on Google Search, Google Maps, and in AI local searches, often before a customer sees your website. Google decides which profiles show up based on relevance, distance, and prominence.
What we cover:
What a GBP is and where it appears
How Google decides which profiles show up
How your GBP powers AI local searches
How customers use it to choose a business
What is a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free listing that businesses can create and manage on Google. It gives potential customers all the key information about your business – like your name, location, hours, website, phone number, and photos – right inside Google’s search results and on Google Maps.
Whether someone is searching for your brand directly or just looking for a service you offer (e.g. “restaurant near me”), your Google Business Profile is what shows up first – before your website, Instagram, or other third-party platforms like Yelp.
Your GBP also allows you to show up before any other website, at the top of search results, in what’s called the “Map Pack.”
This is the block of local results with a short list of Google Business Profiles on one side and a map of nearby businesses on the other. Each listing shows details like the business’s rating, number of reviews, price range, category, address, and a photo, so customers can compare their options quickly. From there, they can open the map fully or click “More places” to expand the list and see more businesses that match their search.
It’s one of the most valuable spaces on the results page, and what shows up in it comes straight from each business’s GBP.
Customers often decide right there, judging a business by its photos (including ones other customers upload), its rating, and how close it is, without ever clicking through to a website. That’s why your GBP isn’t something you set and forget.
Where Does It Appear?
Your Google Business Profile appears in two main places: Google Search and Google Maps. Now, you can also see it (or its information) in AI local searches.
Google Search When someone searches for your business or a related keyword with local intent, your Google Business Profile shows up at the top of both desktop and mobile Google search results.
Google.com on DesktopGoogle.com on Mobile
Google Maps Your Google Business Profile also appears in Google Maps app search results. When people search for businesses in the area, Google Maps results are shown based on distance (how far you are from the searcher or the location of their search), relevance (how well your profile matches the search), and prominence (how well known your business is, including your reviews and rating).
Google Maps App
AI Local Searches Your GBP information also shows up in AI-powered searches. In Google Search, AI Overviews can recommend the same businesses that appear in the map pack. And when someone asks Gemini for a recommendation, it searches Google Maps and pulls business information straight from Google Business Profiles. We’ll cover this in more detail below.
AI Overview on Google (left) and Gemini App (right)
Your GBP Powers AI Local Searches
More and more, people are leaning towards zero-click search, asking AI platforms – like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude – to help them find a business instead of scrolling through results. When it comes to local searches, Gemini has a big advantage over others because Google owns the data. When someone asks Gemini to find a restaurant, store, or service, it pulls information straight from Google Maps, including addresses, descriptions, websites, ratings, opening hours, photos, and reviews. That’s the same information that lives on your GBP.
Ask Maps
Google Maps now has its own AI feature too. Ask Maps, launched in March 2026, lets people ask questions conversationally and get recommendations drawn from information on over 300 million places and reviews from Google Maps users. This makes the information on your Google Business Profile more relevant than ever as people rely on AI to make their purchasing decisions.
What Can You Use It For?
An optimized and well-managed Google Business Profile lets you:
Show up for local searches (“coffee near me”, “best dentist Toronto”)
Share your hours, address, phone number, and website
Promote updates like special offers or seasonal announcements, using the Posts feature
Upload photos and videos to showcase your space or products
Collect and respond to customer reviews
Add booking or ordering buttons (for restaurants, spas, etc.)
It’s like having a mini-website that lives inside Google’s ecosystem – but it’s faster, more visible, and completely free.
How Do Customers Use It?
Most people don’t bother going to a business’s website anymore – especially when they’re on their phone.
Instead, they:
Search on Google.com, Google Maps, or ask an AI assistant like Gemini
Scroll through the Google Business Profiles shown in local search results
Check the hours of a business they’re interested in
Call you directly from the listing
Click for directions
Look through your reviews
Judge your business based on your photos
Book a service or place an order – right from the Google Business Profile
It’s fast. It’s easy. And in most cases, your Google Business Profile is the only place a customer looks before deciding to visit, call, or skip.
GBP is your most powerful marketing asset for attracting customers who are nearby and ready to buy.
Make Your Google Business Profile Work for You
If you’re a local business and you haven’t created, claimed, or optimized your Google Business Profile, you’re missing out on free traffic, footfall, and visibility. Claiming and optimizing your profile tells Google your business is reliable and up to date, which makes it more likely to show up in search results.
Not sure where your profile stands?
Start with a free GBP Analysisto see how your Google Business Profile is performing today. When you’re ready to grow, our Professional Services team offers Coaching and Full Service plans to help you get the most out of it.
New feature, available now to every Map Labs software customer, makes a 100% review response ratio realistic for multi-location businesses.
Map Labs, the #1 Maps Marketing software and service, today launched AI Review Responses, a new software feature that writes a personalized reply to every customer review in a business’s own brand voice. The feature is live now for every Map Labs software customer.
Reviews are the part of Google Business Profile (GBP) most businesses miss. A 100% response ratio puts a business in the top 1%. Yet for multi-location brands, replying to every review across every location takes hours each week, and most teams fall back on copy-and-paste templates that customers recognize instantly.
AI Review Responses fixes that. Before it writes a word, it studies a business’s past review replies: the tone, the phrases the team uses, how they say thank you, and how they handle a complaint. The result is a reply that sounds like the business’s best team member wrote it. Not a template. Not a generic ChatGPT answer.
AI Review Responses in Map Labs Software
Every reply:
Matches the brand’s voice and stays within its guidelines.
Responds to what the customer actually said.
Is written fresh for that review, never recycled from the last one.
Reads like a person wrote it, because it’s built on how the team already writes.
Teams review the reply, click to post, and move on. What used to take hours every week now takes minutes.
Your private information stays private
AI Review Responses only uses information that is already public.
Your Google reviews are public. Anyone can read them. The replies you’ve already posted are public too. Anyone can read those as well.
That’s all AI Review Responses looks at. It does not look at your private business information, your customer data, or your internal files. It never sees them, and it never saves them.
Public information goes in. A reply goes out. Nothing private is ever involved.
How AI Review Responses works in Map Labs software
Availability
AI Review Responses is available now to all Map Labs software customers. Log in to Map Labs to start replying to every review in your brand voice today.
About Map Labs
Map Labs is the #1 Google & Apple Maps Marketing software and service for multi-location businesses. Map Labs goes beyond just tools and accurate reporting. We deliver strategy, support, and execution that drive real-world results. Over 10,000 world-leading businesses are growing with Map Labs’ custom maps marketing strategies and industry-leading software.
Right now, someone is looking at your Google Business Profile (GBP). They’ve never heard of you, and they’re deciding between you and the place two blocks away.
What tips the scale? Often, it’s what’s happening today. Happy hour is on. There’s a weekend brunch special. First-time haircuts come with a discount. New patients get a special offer. Your auto shop is running a car wash event this afternoon.
Google posts put those offers, events, and updates directly on your listing in Google Search and Google Maps, in the micro moment a customer is making their choice. Your profile tells customers who you are. Posts tell them why to choose you today.
Recurring posts keep those messages live without the manual work. Set the schedule once, and your most important offers publish on repeat.
TL;DR: Google posts are short updates, offers, and event notices that appear directly on your Google Business Profile. Recurring posts keep your profile active, signal to Google that your business is open and engaged, and drive the calls, clicks, and visits that turn a profile view into a customer.
Publishing posts by hand takes time most teams don’t have. That’s why Map Labs has powered recurring posts through its proprietary software for more than 10 years. Set your schedule once, and your posts publish automatically on the cadence and rules you choose, so your team saves time while the right message keeps reaching a new audience every day.
What we cover:
What Google posts are, and how recurring posts work
Why repeating content works on GBP
How to put your best selling points in front of more people
Posts Are Dynamic
A post is dynamic content published directly on your Google Business Profile. Events, offers, general updates. Whatever is true about your business right now.
On the Google Maps app, most profiles have a tab called “Updates.” On desktop, or if you are just googling a business, scroll down on the profile to find them – “from the owner.” Google gives you three formats: updates, events, and offers. None of them ranks better than the others, but events and updates tend to show more prominently than offers, so that is where we point most businesses.
Recurring posts are how you keep your posts going without having to set them up time and again. You write the content once, choose when it runs, and it publishes on schedule, whenever it is most relevant.
Say you run happy hour Monday through Friday, four to seven. At 4 p.m. Monday, a post goes up saying happy hour is on. Then again Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday.
A restaurant can run the whole day this way. Breakfast from eight to eleven. Lunch from eleven to two. Happy hour at four. Dinner. Late night. Everything resets the next morning. This is a great way to keep your profile active and relevant.
You might be thinking there is no way repeating the same content over and over works. Marketers are constantly having to find new ways to say the same thing. So why is this different, and why does it work?
Why Repetition Works on Maps
Repeating yourself is bad manners on social media. Post the same thing every day on Instagram, and people unfollow you.
That’s because your social followers already chose you. Every post lands in the feed of someone who knows your brand, so you have to keep finding new ways to say the same thing just to hold their attention.
Your Google Business Profile works the opposite way. 80% of Google Business Profile views come from a non-branded (discovery) search. Most people looking at your profile right now never searched specifically for you. They searched for what you sell. They don’t know your name, your hours, or why you’re different from the competitor down the street.
For them, it’s the first time.
So the post you published on Monday isn’t a repeat on Tuesday. It’s reaching new people who have never seen it, and who are deciding where to go right now. Even loyal customers won’t know about every event or offer unless you show them.
Consistent posting does two things. It shows people what makes you different in the micro moment they’re choosing, and it keeps your profile active and relevant.
Posts appear newest first, so your latest one sits at the top of your profile where it gets seen. The longer it sits there, the less it does for you. A post from this morning says your business is alive. A post from three months ago says nobody’s home. Recurring posts keep something current at the top of your profile, every day, without anyone on your team lifting a finger.
Your Best Selling Points Are Buried on Your Website
Look at your Google Business Profile. Your hours, phone number, website, photos, and categories each have a designated field. But what about everything that doesn’t? The offer that changes every week? The detail that makes you different from every competitor on the map?
Now look at your website. That’s where those details live. Fully licensed and insured. Every electrician has 10 years of experience. Locally owned and operated for 50 years. First-time customers get $100 off. There’s no pre-determined GBP field for these details, so they end up buried on a website most customers never visit.
Your Google Business Profile gets 10x more views per month than your website. It’s your most visible landing page. So why are your best selling points missing from it?
That’s exactly what posts fix. If it matters to your customers and there’s no field for it on your profile, put it in a post.
Set the Calendar Once, Stay Visible Every Day
We’ll never tell you Maps Marketing is set-it-and-forget-it. Recurring posts are the one exception. If you run the same happy hour, trivia night, or weekend special every week, write the post once, set the schedule, and get that time back. Map Labs publishes it on repeat, so your profile stays current automatically.
Recurring posts running on daily and monthly schedules inside the Map Labs software.
At Map Labs, our proprietary, industry-leading software was the first purpose-built tool to let businesses capitalize on recurring posts, and for over 10 years it was the only one. Here are some questions that frequently come up.
Will recurring posts create duplicate content on my profile?
No – old posts get deleted before the new one publishes, so you never stack duplicates.
How often can recurring posts publish?
Cadence runs daily, weekly, or monthly.
Can you run recurring posts across multiple locations?
Yes! In Map Labs, you can publish recurring posts in bulk across as many locations as needed.
Your Profile Is Being Seen Every Single Day. Make Sure It’s Converting Views into Customers.
Recurring posts are one feature. The businesses that get the most out of Google Maps profiles are using all of them, and most profiles have more growth potential than businesses realize.
Map Labs clients use recurring posts to make sure the right offer shows up at the exact moment someone’s deciding where to go, and that’s the kind of detail that makes us the #1 Maps Marketing software and service.
You can get started with a free Google Business Profile Analysis. Our team of experts will look at your profile, show you what’s missing, and tell you exactly where the opportunities are. No cost, no commitment.
Get Your Free GBP Analysis
Stop letting your best information sit on a page nobody visits. Start putting it in front of your customers when they’re actually deciding.
Map Labs has audited more than 10,000 businesses over the years, and almost none of them were getting full value out of their Maps profiles. Not because their teams weren’t working hard, but because nobody told them what the channel actually rewards.
We know what it rewards. Below are the five moves we’d make first to maximize your profile performance – the same ones we use to turn visitors into customers.
TL;DR: Your Google Business Profile is the easiest win in local marketing – the highest-traffic, highest-intent page your business already owns. Most businesses set them up once and move on, leaving customers (and growth) on the table. This post walks through five simple ways to fix that, with no extra budget or resources.
What you’ll learn:
Who’s actually on your profile (and why)
How to show up in more searches
What moves the needle the most on your profile
Why replying to every review matters
And the metrics you should be paying attention to
Why most businesses leave growth on the table
Many businesses overlook their Google Mapsprofile for one simple reason: you can win on Maps by default. People are already finding you; they can get to your business. That makes it look like the profile is handled, doing its job – so you move on to the things that feel like they need more work: social, ads, your website.
But there’s a big difference between being found and being chosen. The profiles that just “work” are usually the ones with the most growth still sitting in them, unnoticed. That’s the opportunity: real growth, waiting to be turned into more customers.
Here’s how to make sure you’re not just found, but chosen.
1. Know who’s actually on your profile
Most assume that the people landing on their GBP are already sold, just looking for directions or hours.
But think about how you actually use Maps. How often do you open it already knowing exactly where you’re going? Most of the time, you know what you need: a coffee shop, a dentist, a place for dinner, but not who you’re choosing yet. And the times you do know? If a profile looks empty and vague, do you still trust that business?
Most of the people landing on your profile – around 75% – are in discovery mode. They typed “coffee near me” or “urgent care near me,” and they’re deciding between you and everyone else that showed up in that search.
So your profile isn’t a confirmation screen for people who already picked you. It’s where they decide if they pick you (or don’t).
The real measure isn’t “are people finding me?” You already know they are. It’s “when they find me, do they choose me?“
You can’t answer that until you know who’s showing up and why. Map Labs pulls real search data from Google, so you can see exactly what people are searching when they land on your profile, and build everything else around it.
This is the foundation. Everything below works better when you know who’s showing up.
🎥 Watch the video below to learn more about your Maps audience:
2. Fix your categories
Categories are the number one ranking factor, and your primary category carries about twice the weight of every additional category combined with it. It’s the single most consequential field on your profile, and it’s the one most businesses get wrong.
Your primary category decides which searches you’re eligible for. Change a profile from dentist to restaurant and the searches Google shows you for change completely. That’s why it matters so much. Not because the right category floats you to the top, but because it decides which races you’re entered in.
So pick your primary for reach, not for how perfectly it describes you. Most people searching Google haven’t decided what they want yet. “Restaurant” gets searched far more than “Mexican restaurant.” “Laundry” gets searched more than “laundromat.” Run your options through Google Trends, compare search interest over the last few years, and set the highest-volume category that still describes your business as your primary category. Then use the other nine to get specific.
You get 10 categories total, one primary and nine additional. Most businesses use one or two. Every relevant category you add is another set of searches you can show up for. A dentist who adds cosmetic dentist, teeth whitening service, and emergency dental service becomes visible to people they were missing entirely.
🚨 Only add categories you could actually win. If someone searching that term saw your profile, would they choose you? If yes, add it. If not, leave it. Categories you can’t convert won’t help you, and they can make you look less relevant for the ones that count.
Not sure which categories fit your business? That’s exactly the kind of thing our team of experts can identify in our free GBP Analysis.
3. Add photos, posts, and complete your menus and services
Once your categories are right, this is where you extend the gap between you and the competition.
Here are the three things that move the needle most:
Photos – fresh, plentiful photos give someone a reason to choose you over the listing next to yours with three blurry shots from 2019. Google also reads the objects and keywords in your images, so what you post (and how often) signals freshness and shapes how visible your profile is.
Posts – publish consistently. Every post tells Google that your profile is active, and gives customers more reasons to pick you today: offers, happy hour, whatever sets you apart. You can even set recurring posts so your profile stays fresh without the manual work.
Menu and services – not just filled in, but complete and accurate. List every service you offer and every item, with descriptions. This is what someone scans right before they decide, and half-built menus lose the sale. Plus, when you don’t manage your menu, Google or customers can fill the gaps, and if they add the wrong information, it can hurt your business.
Don’t just check the box – get the most out of it. Most profiles are technically complete and still forgettable. The businesses that win treat every detail on their profile as a chance to be the obvious choice the moment a customer is comparing.
4. Generate and reply to reviews – all of them
Everyone knows reviews matter. More reviews, more trust. So getting them comes down to one thing: asking. Most businesses are just afraid to. But the people who love you will leave a review if you ask, and it won’t change how they feel about you. Ask consistently, ask close to the experience, and you’ll get them.
Here’s the part almost everyone misses: responding to reviews is a ranking factor. Response ratio and response time are baked into how Google sorts and surfaces your reviews – and most businesses skip it entirely.
And there’s a trap in how they skip it. They only reply to negative reviews, because those feel urgent. But since replying to a review can boost how prominently it shows, replying only to the bad ones can push them to the top of your reviews section, making a great business look like they have more negative reviews than they actually do.
So, the rule is simple: reply to every review. Positive, negative, neutral. Old ones and new ones. A five-star reviewer wants to know you saw them. A future customer wants to see you’re paying attention. Aim for a 100% response rate – it’s a signal to the algorithm and to every person reading before they decide.
🎥 Learn how to respond to reviews in the video below:
5. Measure what actually matters
You can’t improve what you don’t measure, and businesses are often measuring the wrong thing: where they “rank.” But rank tracking is an outdated and unreliable way to measure profile performance. It moves constantly, it’s different for every searcher, and it never tells you whether anyone actually did anything.
Actions tell you that. Direction requests that become foot traffic. Phone calls that turn into leads. Bookings, reservations, website clicks. Those are the moments your profile earns you a customer, and they’re what you should be watching closely.
The average profile converts about 5% of its views into actions. A well-optimized one hits 10% or more. That gap is the opportunity: the same traffic you already have, twice the customers, just by making the profile better at converting the people already looking.
Optimize for actions instead of rankings, and the results show up in the real world. Arc’teryx grew direction requests 42% across 75 locations with Map Labs, from 281,000 to 399,000 over a six-month period compared to the same six months a year earlier. That number isn’t an arbitrary (and inaccurate) ranking. It’s people walking through the door.
🎥 See how Arc’teryx turned Maps optimization into real store visits:
None of these five changes require a bigger budget or another hire. They’re not about building something new; they’re about getting more out of the most valuable asset you already own.
Because that’s what your Google Business Profile is: your highest-traffic, highest-intent landing page. It gets around 10x more views than your website. More customers act on it than any social channel – with 200x more engagement than your social channels. And most businesses are running their Maps profile at a fraction of what they could.
You wouldn’t leave your best landing page half-built. Why leave your profile that way?
That’s how you turn the easiest win in local marketing into your biggest one.
🎥 Watch the video below to understand why your profile is your highest-performing landing page:
Not sure where to start? We’re here to help
You don’t have to figure it out alone. Map Labs can show you exactly where your profile is leaving customers behind: the categories you’re missing, the ones you’re invisible for, and the actions you’re not converting.
Get started with a free Google & Apple Maps Analysis – our team will show you what’s working, what’s missing, and where your growth is hiding.
Get Your Free GBP Analysis
Want to learn it yourself? Our free GBP Masterclass walks you through every part of your Google Business Profile step by step.
Either way, you’ll walk away knowing how to turn your easiest marketing win into your biggest one.
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 traffic that goes somewhere else.
That’s where Google Business Profile’sSpecial Hours come in. Whether you’re closing for the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, 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.
TL;DR: Special Hours override your regular business hours for specific dates on GBP – holidays, events, one-off closures. Confirm them even when your hours aren’t changing. Google recommends it, and confirmed hours are a trust signal to both Google and your customers.
What we cover:
What Special Hours are and when to use them
Why confirming them protects your visibility and reputation
How to set them on Google Business Profile
How to bulk update across multiple locations
What are Special Hours?
Special Hours on Google Business Profile let you set temporary or exceptional operating hours for your business on specific dates, such as holidays or special events. These hours override your main 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. They 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 main hours for the specific dates you’ve set.
💡 If you’ll be closed for seven or more days in a row, or for a length of time you can’t predict, you should mark your business as Temporarily Closed instead.
Why Special Hours Matter
Here are four reasons Special Hours matter more than most businesses realize:
Rank Higher on Google
If there is a holiday coming up in your region, you should update your ‘Special Hours’ even if your hours are not changing for the holiday. Google recommends confirming your hours for specific holidays even when they match your regular schedule, as it makes it clear for customers that your hours are accurate. It also signals to Google that your business is active and has confirmed when you will be open or closed, allowing it to show your profile with confidence. In our experience, businesses that don’t update their Special Hours will often 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 will frustrate customers, especially if they have gone out of their way to visit your business. Keeping your Special Hours up to date ensures customers have the most accurate information, building trust and preventing wasted trips or negative reviews.
YourGBP is More Visible Than Your Website
Most customers today 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 your profile, it doesn’t matter that you updated them on your website – customers will likely not even make it there. So keeping them up to date where people are actually looking is what gets customers through your door.
💡 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 (and throughout the year). Check out these videos on how to use Google Posts!
How to Set Your Hours and Special Hours
Natively on Google Business Profile
On the main Google Business Profile page, you can set special hours through your GBP 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.
💡 Keep in mind that Special Hours only show up in your GBP if your business hours are set as “Open with main hours.”
Step 3: Set your day-to-day operating hours for each day of the week.
Add “More hours” if applicable
Step 1: In the “Hours” section under “Edit Profile”, find “Add More Hours.”
Step 2: Choose the type of “More Hours” that fit your business offerings.
Step 3: Select the days and hours that apply, then click save.
💡 If you have more than one type of “More Hours,” you must set them separately for each type.
Set Holiday and Special Hours
Step 1: Under the “Hours” section, scroll to find “Special hours” and select the edit (pencil) icon.
Step 2: Choose the date.
Google suggests upcoming official holidays, so you can click “Review” to confirm one. To enter a date yourself, click “Add a date.”
💡 The holidays Google suggests are based on your business location, so your list will look different depending on your region.
Step 3: Set your hours for that date and click save.
Uncheck “Closed” and enter your open and close times, or leave “Closed” checked if you’re shut for the day.
Updating ‘Special Hours’ on Map Labs
New in Map Labs: automatic holiday hours. Your business’s Special Hours are now confirmed automatically on your Google and Apple Maps profiles, so customers will never see unconfirmed hours on a holiday.
If your holiday hours are different from your regular hours, our software allows you to update Special Hours with just a few clicks.
Visit the “Location Info” tab inside your Map Labs dashboard to manage your Regular Hours, More Hours, and Special Hours, all from one central page.
Bulk Updates on Map Labs
Need different Special Hours across dozens or even hundreds of locations? You can bulk update them all with our proprietary, industry-leading software. The 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, 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 2026, 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 – and hands-on help when you want more than software. With Coaching and Full Service, we can train your team or run your profiles for you, backed by 10+ years mastering the nuances of local search.
Your Google Business Profile is your most visible landing page – make sure you’re getting the most out of it. Get a free GBP Analysis and our team of experts will show you exactly where your opportunities are.
Get Your Free GBP Analysis
🎓 Want to keep learning how to optimize your profile yourself? Our free GBP Masterclass walks through every section of your Google Business Profile step by step.
If you’re running a local business and want new customers to find you, Google Business Profile is your single most important marketing asset.
Whether someone’s searching “coffee near me,” “24/7 vet,” or “best gym in Los Angeles,” Google pulls up a list of options based on proximity, relevance, and completeness of profile. If your business isn’t showing up – or if your GBP looks incomplete, outdated, or generic… chances are you’re getting skipped.
A Google Business Profile isn’t just a digital listing. It is your most visible landing page. This is where people check your hours, call you, request directions, browse photos, and read reviews – all without ever visiting your website.
TL;DR: Your Google Business Profile is your digital storefront on Google. If it’s not optimized, you’re leaving extra revenue – and customers – for your competitors to grab. We walk you through each step to set up and optimize your GBP.
Step 1: Go to Google Business Profile Manager
Head to google.com/business and click “Get Started,” you’ll be prompted to log in with your Google account (preferably one tied to your business).
Step 2: Enter Your Business Name
Start typing your business name. If it shows up, it may already exist on Google (especially if customers have previously left reviews), and you can request to claim it. If not, proceed to create a new profile.
💡 Tip: Be consistent. Use the exact same business name you use on your storefront signage, website, and other directories.
Step 3: Choose Your Business Type
If customers visit your physical location, select “Local store”. This ensures your business shows up on Google Maps.
If you’re a service-area business (like a mobile groomer or cleaning company), select “Service business” and you’ll be able to list your service areas instead.
If you are an online retailer, click “Online retail”, and you will be prompted to enter your website domain.
Step 4: Choose a Business Category
This step is critical – your primary category determines which types of searches your business can show up for.
Start typing what you do (e.g., “restaurant,” “dentist,” “auto glass repair”) and select the most accurate option. You can add additional categories later, but the primary one carries the most weight.
💡 Avoid guessing. Choose the category your ideal customer would search for when looking for a business like yours.
Step 5: Enter Contact Information
Add your address (if you have one).
Add your phone number and website URL (if you have one). This will make it easy for customers to call or click directly from your Google Business Profile.
Step 6: Verify Your Business
Verification options vary by business location and industry, but when verifying your business, you will be presented with the following options:
Postcard: Google mails a code to your business address
Phone: Some businesses can verify instantly via automated call or text
Email: Less common, but sometimes available
Enter the code once it arrives, and your Google Business Profile will go live.
Step 7: Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Once verified, don’t stop there. Fill out everything else to increase your chances of showing up in relevant searches:
Business hours (and holiday hours)
Photos of your storefront, products, team, and/or menu
Business description that is clear, concise, and keyword-aligned
Attributes like “Wheelchair accessible,” “Outdoor seating”
Q&A section (answer customer questions)
Review requests (start asking happy customers to leave reviews)
A complete profile doesn’t just show up more often – it gets chosen more often.
In 2026, local search isn’t about your website but your Google Business Profile. This is what shows up when customers are ready to act: to call, visit, book, or buy. It’s where they read reviews, see photos, and make split-second decisions.
Getting your profile right from the start is one of the easiest and highest-impact steps you can take for local visibility.
What Next?
Creating your Google Business Profile is just the first step – winning on Google Maps takes ongoing strategy.
This isn’t a “set it and forget it” asset. It’s a high-intent marketing channel where customers are nearby and ready to buy. To stand out and drive real foot traffic, your Google Business Profile needs to be optimized, updated, and actively managed.
Map Labs helps businesses show up ahead of the competition – and get chosen by the customers who matter most.
If you’re setting up or reclaiming your Google Business Profile (GBP), verification is a critical step.
Google offers video verification as the fastest and most reliable way to verify your business profile. But there’s a catch: your video can be rejected if you don’t follow Google’s instructions precisely.
Here’s a quick, step-by-step breakdown of how to get your business verified successfully via video:
1. Use the Google Maps App
You must log into the Google Maps app (not desktop) using the same account that manages your Google Business Profile. This is the only way to initiate video verification.
✅ Double-check you’re logged into the right Google account on your phone.
2. Record the Video “Live”- No Uploads Allowed
Google does not accept pre-recorded or edited videos. The recording has to be done live within the app. Once you’re in the right account and click “verify,” you’ll be prompted to begin recording.
3. Keep It Under 2 Minutes
Keep your video concise. You only need to prove that your business is real and located where you say it is. The ideal video length is a minimum of 30 seconds and a maximum of90 seconds, but keeping the video under two minutes is essential.
4. Start with Signage and Location
Begin the video by showing your business signage and physical location. Make sure your address or street names are clearly visible when possible.
If you are located inside a large commercial building, showing the entrance with clear signage to your suite or floor is all that is necessary.
📍 The most crucial thing to remember is you are validating to Google what your business looks like in the real world.
5. Choose Your Orientation – And Stick to It
Start filming either vertically or horizontally, but do not switch once the recording has begun. Changing orientation mid-video can cause your submission to be rejected.
6. Do Not Flip the Camera Around
Don’t turn the camera to show your face or provide live narration. Keep the focus on the business location, signage, and relevant surroundings.
7. Skip the Story – Just Show the Essentials
Avoid excessive talking or storytelling. This isn’t a pitch. Just record the essential visuals: signage, front door, street view, and surrounding area.
8. Use a High-Resolution Camera
Google compresses video files during upload. If you use an older phone or a low-resolution camera, the video may become too blurry for Google to verify your location properly.
Be Seen Where it Matters Most
Video verification is the fastest and most reliable way to activate your Google Business Profile – but only if it’s done right. Treat it like proof of location, not a brand story. Stay focused and follow the format, and you’ll avoid delays or rejections.
Verification is the first step in your Maps Marketing journey. Map Labs can help support you every step of the way, from verification to optimization and long-term management. Contact us today to get started.
The launch closes a gap most marketing teams don’t realize exists. For over a decade, Google has been the center of Maps Marketing strategy. Apple Maps has been building a real, measurable audience the entire time, and almost nobody has been managing it.
Apple Maps Isn’t Optional Anymore
Here’s what the data shows: Apple has 60% smartphone market share in North America. Every one of those iPhones opens to Apple Maps by default. That makes Apple Maps the second-largest local search platform in the world, bigger than Yelp, bigger than TripAdvisor, bigger than Bing.
Map Labs’ research puts real numbers behind it: Apple Maps generates 25x more business visibility than Yelp on average, with some markets seeing that gap stretch as high as 50x. And in a growing number of cases, businesses are seeing more direction requests come from Apple Maps than from Google. (Map Labs LLC, 2026)
Businesses that haven’t claimed and optimized their Apple Maps presence are handing customers to their competitors. Apple Business puts you in control of your place card on Apple Maps, including hours, photos, contact details, and promotions, the same way Google Business Profile does on Google. Every unclaimed location is a missed opportunity to reach customers who are already searching.
One Platform, Both Maps
With this launch, Map Labs customers get:
Consistent listings across Apple Maps and Google Maps, the two platforms that drive 95% of local searches.
Bulk management at scale – update hours, photos, and promotions across hundreds or thousands of locations at once.
Optimization for growth – the same category, attribute, and content strategy that drives results on Google, applied to Apple.
Real-world performance insights – taps, engagement, searches, calls, and direction requests, reported the same way Map Labs already reports Google performance.
Support is available across all three Map Labs service levels: Softwarefor teams who want to manage it themselves, Coaching for teams who want strategy and direction, and Full Service for teams who want Map Labs to handle execution end-to-end.
Current Map Labs customers can upgrade their accounts to add Apple Maps management today. Businesses not yet on Map Labs can start with a free Apple Maps analysis or a free 14-day trial of the software.
Map Labs is the #1 Google & Apple Maps Marketing software and service for multi-location businesses. Map Labs goes beyond just tools and accurate reporting – delivering strategy, support, and execution that drive real-world results. Over 10,000 world-leading businesses are growing with Map Labs’ custom maps marketing strategies and industry-leading software.
This Full Service offer is available exclusively to businesses with 10+ locations and is limited to one claim per business. Spots fill quickly and often book out weeks in advance.
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