Christmas 2026 in Kumasi and Accra: Get Your Google Business Profile Ready Before December

Every December, Kumasi and Accra get busier. Kejetia and Adum fill up, Osu and the malls get crowded, and more people than usual pick up their phones to search for gifts, cakes, outfits, hair appointments and places to eat. Many of those searches end in Google Maps.

If your Google Business Profile isn’t ready, December traffic goes to the shop next door. The good news is that most of the preparation takes a few hours, and the best time to do it is now, before 1 December 2026. Here is the checklist we are running for our Local SEO clients this year.

1. Set Your Holiday Hours Now

Wrong opening hours are the fastest way to lose a festive customer. Someone drives across town, finds you closed, and leaves a one-star review.

Google Business Profile lets you add special hours for specific dates without changing your normal hours. Add them now for:

• Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day
• New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
• Any late-night shopping evenings you plan to open
• Days you close early for staff parties or stock-taking

Quick tip

Set special hours a few weeks early. Google sometimes asks owners to confirm holiday hours, and profiles with confirmed hours look more reliable to searchers.

2. Post Your Christmas Offers on Your Profile

Google posts show up on your profile in Search and Maps. They are free, and most of your competitors won’t use them. Plan a short run of posts from mid-November:

• An offer post with your main Christmas deal, such as a hamper price, gift wrapping or a bundle.
• An event post for late-night openings or a festive weekend.
• A product post for your best-selling gift items, with prices if you can.
• A reminder post a week before Christmas with last order or booking dates.

Our clients get daily geo-targeted posts as part of their monthly plan. If you are doing this yourself, aim for at least two posts a week through December.

3. Add Fresh Photos Before the Rush

People judge a business by its photos, especially when they are choosing between three shops in the Maps 3-Pack. Before December, add:

• Your shopfront with festive decorations
• New stock or seasonal menu items
• Your team, ready for the busy season
• The inside of your shop or salon, tidy and well lit

Take them on your phone at the shop. Real photos from the location work better than polished stock images.

4. Ask for Reviews in November

Reviews take time to come in, so start asking now. A business with recent, positive reviews looks safer to a December shopper who has never visited before.

• Ask happy customers in person, right after they pay.
• Send a short WhatsApp message with your review link.
• Reply to every review, good or bad, within a day or two.

Don’t offer gifts or discounts in exchange for reviews. It breaks Google’s rules and can get reviews removed.

5. Check Your Phone Number and WhatsApp

In December, missed calls are missed sales. Check that the phone number on your profile is the one someone will actually answer, and that your WhatsApp Business account is set up with quick replies for prices, opening hours and delivery questions.

Before 1 December	Done?
Special holiday hours added
At least two Christmas posts scheduled
Fresh festive photos uploaded
Review requests started
Phone and WhatsApp checked

Want It Done for You?

If December is your busiest month, the last thing you want is to be updating Google Maps between customers. Our Local SEO service covers daily geo-targeted posts, monthly geo-tagged photos, review responses and Local Search Grid tracking across Kumasi or Accra. It is $399 for the first month, then $199/month.

To have the work live before December, book in by early November. If you are also thinking about festive ads, our guide on Local SEO vs paid ads explains when a short ad campaign makes sense for a seasonal offer.

Get your profile ready for Christmas. Book a strategy call