News Summary

• Your Google Business Profile isn't a directory listing anymore.
• If you're not actively feeding Google fresh signals every week, you're losing ground to competitors who are.
• Being open when users search is now the No.
• 5 local pack ranking factor.
• Respond to every review request within 24 hours while the experience is fresh, not just a batch courtesy of a reputation management company.
• Don’t treat your hours as a set-and-forget field.
• Audit them quarterly, set special hours for holidays before the holiday arrives (not after), and consider whether your current hours are costing you visibility during high-intent search windows.