Diwali week brings a surge of local searches: sweet shops near me, salon open today, gift shop, electronics store, restaurant for family dinner. For many customers, your Google Business Profile is the first thing they see. If your timings are wrong, your photos are old or your phone goes unanswered, they move on to the next result in seconds.
Dhanteras falls on 6 November 2026 and Diwali on 8 November. Take fifteen minutes this week to run through this checklist.
1. Hours (3 minutes)
- Check your regular hours are still correct.
- Add special hours for every festival day your timings change: Dhanteras, Choti Diwali, Diwali, Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj.
- If you offer delivery or takeaway, check those hours too.
2. Contact details (2 minutes)
- Call the number on your profile from another phone. Does it ring, and does someone answer?
- Check the website link opens the right page.
- Make sure the map pin is on your actual entrance, not the middle of the road.
3. Photos (3 minutes)
- Add two or three fresh photos of your decorated shop, festive stock or team.
- Make sure there is a clear photo of your shop front, so first-time visitors can find you in a crowded market.
- Use real photos, well lit, without heavy filters.
4. A festive post (3 minutes)
- Publish an update with your festival timings and a greeting.
- If you have a festive offer, create an Offer post with clear dates and terms.
- Keep phone numbers out of the post text and image.
5. Products and services (2 minutes)
- Add your festive items, such as gift boxes, hampers or festive packages, with real photos.
- Remove anything you no longer offer.
6. Reviews (2 minutes)
- Reply to any reviews still waiting for a response.
- Remind your team to ask every customer for an honest review during the festive week. It is one of the busiest weeks of the year, so it is a natural time for reviews to come in.
- Keep your review link, QR code or NFC card at the counter.
Bonus: check your description and categories
If you have time, read your business description once. Does it still describe what you offer? Is your primary category the one that best describes your business? These don't need changing often, but a quick look before a busy season is worthwhile.
What not to do in a hurry
- Don't add "Diwali Sale" or keywords to your business name. It breaks Google's guidelines and can get your profile suspended right when you need it most.
- Don't change your address, name or main category during the festive rush unless you really must. Big edits can trigger re-verification.
- Don't mark your business "temporarily closed" for a single holiday. Use special hours instead.
After Diwali
Once the festival is over, check that your special hours have ended and your normal timings are showing, let your offer post expire, and post a thank-you update. Then look at the reviews from the festive week and reply to every one.
Fifteen minutes now saves a lot of missed calls and wasted trips for your customers during the busiest week of the year.
Let us get your profile ready
Our Google Business Profile management service handles festival hours, posts, photos and review replies for you, every day of the season. Book a free profile check before Dhanteras and we'll make sure your profile is ready.