For immediate release · Optimized tier
Eye To Ad Media Flags Holiday Hours as the Most Common Fourth Quarter Local Search Failure
Businesses spend on fourth quarter advertising and then send customers to a locked door, because nobody updated the hours in eleven places.
At a glance
Eye To Ad Media has published fourth quarter local search guidance identifying incorrect holiday hours across listings as the most common avoidable failure of the season, and recommending businesses set special hours before the first holiday rather than after complaints arrive.
DENVER, Colorado — September 13, 2026
Eye To Ad Media has published fourth quarter local search guidance for small businesses, identifying incorrect holiday hours as the season's most common and most avoidable failure.
The agency's point is about proportion. Businesses spend meaningfully on fourth quarter advertising and then undo it with a free, five-minute fix nobody made.
"You can run a beautiful campaign and still send somebody to a dark building on December twenty-sixth," said Zachary Tye Wennstedt, founder and chief executive of Eye To Ad Media. "They don't come back and try again. They go somewhere that was open."
Where hours actually live
The agency notes that most owners update one place — usually their Google Business Profile — and consider the job done. Hours are typically attached to considerably more than that: other map services, directories, review platforms, social profiles, and the business's own website, which is frequently the last place anyone thinks to check.
A fourth quarter checklist
- Set special hours in advance for every closure date, rather than editing them one at a time
- Check the website footer and contact page, which routinely disagree with the listings
- Confirm hours on every directory and review platform the business appears on
- Decide what happens to inquiries during closures, and say so somewhere visible
- Check that any voicemail greeting reflects the actual dates
- If shipping or lead times change over the holidays, publish the cutoff rather than leaving customers to guess
The second failure
The agency identifies a related problem: businesses that close between Christmas and New Year and leave inquiries unanswered without saying they are closed.
"Closing for a week is fine. Everybody deserves that," Wennstedt said. "Closing for a week without telling anybody looks identical to going out of business."
Availability
The guidance is available at eyetoad.com.
Frequently asked
Why do holiday hours matter for local search?
Because a customer who drives to a closed business does not usually try again. Listing platforms surface hours prominently, and an incorrect entry sends people to a locked door during the period when they are most likely to be buying. It also tends to generate the kind of review that is difficult to answer well.
Where should holiday hours be updated?
Everywhere the business appears with hours attached: its Google Business Profile, other map and directory listings, review platforms, social profiles, and its own website. The website is frequently the one that gets missed because nobody thinks of it as a listing.
When should holiday hours be set?
Before the first holiday, not after the first complaint. Most platforms allow special hours to be entered in advance for specific dates, which means the whole season can be handled in one sitting rather than repeatedly.
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About Eye To Ad Media
Eye To Ad Media is a Denver, Colorado marketing agency founded in 2012, providing search engine optimization, AI search optimization, paid media and web development to businesses across the United States. The agency holds an A+ accreditation with the Better Business Bureau and carries a 5.0 average across 60 Google reviews.
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Media contact
Zachary Tye Wennstedt
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Eye To Ad Media
1001 Bannock St #660, Denver, CO 80204
Telephone: 1-800-481-8638
Email:
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