Unlike huge corporations, small local businesses do not have the manpower to stay open 24/7, 365 days a year. Things happens! Some need to close for renovations, or their mom’s sick, or they’re finally taking that vacation before they lose their mind. The first question out of their mouth? “Will this mess up my Google rankings?”
Short answer: Yeah, it probably will.
But let me tell you why, and more importantly, what to do about it. I’ve watched enough businesses tank their local visibility to know this isn’t something you want to guess at.
One thing you have to remember: Google’s not your friend when you’re closed. They care about sending people to businesses that can help them right now. Today. This minute. If you’re closed, you’re useless to them. Simple as that.
The Great COVID Confusion of 2020
Back in 2020, when everyone was losing their minds and toilet paper was worth more than gold, Google told us marking businesses “temporarily closed” wouldn’t hurt rankings. Danny Sullivan tweeted it. We all breathed a sigh of relief.
That tweet? Gone. Deleted. Because that was pandemic rules, not real life.
During COVID, Google had to play nice. Can’t penalize every restaurant and gym on the planet for following health orders. But once things got back to normal, so did Google’s algorithm. Now, if you’re closed, you’re invisible. Just like the old days.
I watched this play out in real time with dozens of local businesses. The ones who understood the game survived. The ones who didn’t? Well, they’re still wondering why their phone stopped ringing.
Rankings Can Take a Hit
Here’s what I see happening now. Mark yourself temporarily closed, and within two weeks, your rankings start sliding. Not always dramatically at first. But give it a month and you’ll be wondering if Google forgot you exist.
I tracked this with a dental office that closed for three weeks to remodel. They went from dominating “dentist near me” searches to page two. Page two. Do you know what’s on page two of Google? Nothing. Because nobody looks there.
The Web20 Ranker crew ran some tests, too. Same results. Rankings disappeared faster than free pizza at a college dorm.
Why? Because Google’s job is connecting people with businesses that can help them NOW. You’re closed? Cool, they’ll show your competitor instead. The algorithm doesn’t care about your renovation timeline or your family emergency. It cares about serving useful results.
Temporarily Closed vs. Special Hours
This is where people screw themselves. They panic and hit “temporarily closed” when they should use special hours instead.
Temporarily Closed is for real closures. Weeks. Months. Major stuff. It tells Google you’re out of the game completely.
Special Hours is for short-term changes. Closing early for your kid’s recital? Taking a long weekend? Special hours. You’re still open, just different times.
To set special hours: Google Business Profile > Info > Add special hours. Pick your dates, set your times, done. No ranking penalty because you’re not actually closed.
I can’t tell you how many businesses I’ve saved from themselves just by explaining this difference. One bakery was about to mark themselves closed for a three-day equipment install. Special hours instead. Rankings never budged.
How to Minimize the Damage
Sometimes you really do need to close. Fine. But don’t be smart about it.
First, tell everyone. And I mean everyone. Email list, social media, website banner, sign in the window. Give them dates. Real dates. “Back soon” means nothing. “Reopening January 15th” means something.
Second, stay active on your listing. Answer questions. Respond to reviews. Post updates about what you’re doing. Show Google you’re still alive, just temporarily unavailable.
Third, update everything at once. Don’t just flip the closed switch. Update your hours, add closure notes, check your phone number. Consistency matters.
Fourth, plan your comeback before you close. Know exactly what you’ll do when you reopen. Have posts ready. Email drafted. Everything.
I helped a restaurant through a kitchen remodel using this approach. They lost some visibility, sure. But they came back strong because they never really left.
Marking Your Business Temporarily Closed
When you absolutely have to do it:
- Sign into Google Business Profile
- Select your location
- Click “Info”
- Find “Mark as temporarily closed”
- Select it
- Save
That’s it. You’re now invisible to most searches. Hope you know what you’re doing.
Getting Back in the Game
Ready to reopen? Move fast:
- Back to Google Business Profile
- Click “Info”
- Find “Reopen this business”
- Select “Open with main hours”
- Update your actual hours
- Save
Expect recovery to take time. I’ve seen it happen in a week. I’ve also seen it take two months. Depends on your market, your competition, and how well you executed the rest of the plan.
Watch Out for These Gotchas
Your Google Ads keep running. This one kills me. Businesses marking themselves closed while paying for ads, sending people to a dead listing. Check your campaigns, genius.
Reviews don’t stop. People can still find you and leave reviews while you’re closed. Had one client get three one-star reviews during renovation because people couldn’t understand why they were closed. Monitor and respond.
Google might close you permanently. This is the nightmare. If your information looks sketchy or people report you closed, Google might just mark you permanently closed. Good luck fixing that mess.
The Brutal Truth
Marking yourself temporarily closed on Google is like telling your best customers to call your competitor. Sometimes necessary, rarely smart.
I’ve guided hundreds of local businesses through temporary closures. The ones who plan ahead, communicate clearly, and work the system bounce back fine. The ones who just flip the switch and pray? They’re usually calling me six months later, wondering where their business went.
Need help navigating a closure without destroying your local visibility? That’s exactly what I do at Localseo.net. No magic bullets, just strategies that work.
Your rankings are too valuable to gamble with. Handle closures the smart way, or watch your competitors eat your lunch while you’re gone.