Holiday posts on Maps changed
📍 Google Maps now spells out what merchants can't post, so rewrite your holiday store updates before November.
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📍 A Google Maps holiday calendar that stays inside the new rules
If your store's Google listing says "BLACK FRIDAY 40% OFF, CALL NOW," it breaks a rule Google spelled out this week. Search Engine Roundtable flagged the clarified Maps policy for merchants on October 6.
Business listings can't include time-bound promotions, pricing or direct calls to action. Posts can't include email addresses, phone numbers, social media links or links to unrelated websites. Offers and updates that aren't overly promotional are still allowed in posts.
Google's reasoning: contributions "should reflect genuine experiences or define a business's permanent identity."
So holiday offers belong in posts, and contact details belong in the profile's own fields.
Here's a calendar for retailers with stores.
This week: Clean the listing
Rewrite each business description as a permanent identity statement.
Before: "Holiday sale! 30% off all boots. Call today to reserve your size."
After: "Independent footwear store specializing in winter boots and fitted work shoes, with in-store sizing."
Remove prices, dates and "call now" style lines. Put phone numbers and hours in their dedicated fields.
November 1: Holiday hours
Use the special hours field for Thanksgiving, extended weekends and December 24. Shoppers checking hours on their phone see that field first.
Add a short post about extended shopping hours, with no phone number.
November 20: The Black Friday offer
One offer per post, stated factually, with dates and a link to the matching offer page on your own site.
Example: "Black Friday: 25% off winter coats, November 27 to 30. Details on our website."
Google doesn't define "overly promotional." In my judgment, one clear offer with dates is safer than stacked superlatives and capitals.
December 5: In-store services
Post about gift wrapping, personal shopping or extended fitting hours. Service posts give shoppers a reason to visit beyond price.
December 15: The pickup deadline
If you offer buy online, pick up in store, post the last day to order for pickup before December 24. That deadline drives late shoppers to the store instead of a competitor's faster delivery.
December 26: Returns and exchanges
Post your exchange window and what shoppers should bring.
For multi-location brands
Write each post once as a template and adapt it per store. Then audit every location's description, since local staff edits are the likeliest place for promotional language to creep back in.
Watch for rejections
Check post status weekly during the season. A rejected Black Friday post discovered on November 28 is a lost weekend. Start with your highest-traffic store. Use it as the model for every other location.
Partnership with Insense
Your BFCM Creator Calendar is Already Mapped
Still sourcing creators when your Black Friday ads should be running? Every delay leaves less time to test what actually sells before your biggest spending weeks.
Insense’s free BFCM + Q5 Creator Marketing Playbook gives marketers a week-by-week plan from September through January, so every creator campaign starts with a clear deadline and purpose.
Inside, you’ll find:
- A week-by-week August-to-January calendar showing when to secure permissions, test content, scale winning creators, and move into Q5.
- A practical creator scorecard using conversions, engagement quality, and reliability, so November budgets back proven performers over follower counts.
- Q5 action plan covering licence extensions, January creative, and the recommended 10–15% budget reserve for the lower-cost post-holiday window.
You’ll also get benchmarks for creator-handle ads, modular UGC testing, live shopping, hook rates, and creative volume, helping your team set measurable targets before spending rises.
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