Displaying accurate, up-to-date business hours on your WordPress website is crucial for driving traffic, leads, and sales in 2023.
With close to 50% of all Google searches having local intent [1], highlighting your physical location‘s opening times taps into high-value searches from customers ready to visit your store or restaurant.
In this detailed guide, we‘ll cover:
- Key local SEO and user benefits
- Choosing the best business hours plugins
- Step-by-step setup directions
- Tips to display hours effectively
Let‘s dive in on properly showcasing your opening hours in WordPress.
3 Reasons Why Displaying Hours is Essential
Here are the top reasons why you should add your business hours prominently in WordPress:
Ranks higher in local SEO searches
According to Moz, Google factors "Online Hours" signals into local ranking algorithms [2]. Accurately displaying open hours helps improve your local SEO and map rankings.
Drives foot traffic and phone calls
By showcasing opening times on store location pages, business hours plugins make it easy for nearby searchers to visit or call your physical store.
WPForm‘s small business survey found 87% of customers use online hours to plan in-store visits [3].
Builds credibility and trust
Prominently displaying your hours makes your business seem reliable and transparent to new visitors.
If hours info is missing or inaccurate, it can raise doubts about your legitimacy.
With proof that highlighting opening hours attracts customers and boosts SEO, let‘s explore the plugin options.
Choosing the Best Business Hours Plugins
There are two great options when choosing a business hours plugin:
1. Yoast SEO (Free)
The hugely popular Yoast SEO plugin offers basic business hours functionality for free in its Local SEO section:
Pros:
- Free to get started
- Easy to configure hours
- Auto-generates schema markup
Cons:
- Limited design customization
- Less robust than paid plugins
2. RankMath SEO Pro ($99/year)
For more advanced features, RankMath SEO Pro is the best premium choice:
Pros:
- Multiple locations supported
- Custom styling options
- Special holidays
- Google API integration
Cons:
- Paid membership required
Based on 87% of businesses operating just one location [4], the free YoastSEO plugin offers ample features for most users.
For multi-location enterprises or premium presentation needs, RankMath SEO Pro provides greater customization.
Next, let‘s walk through exactly how to setup business hours in WordPress.
Step-by-Step Guide to Installing Business Hours
The specific steps to activate hours in WordPress depend slightly depending on your chosen plugin.
Here is an overview using both Yoast SEO and RankMath as examples:
Install and activate the plugin
Use the Plugins > Add New section to find and install your selected hours plugin.
Configure your hours
In the plugin‘s local business section, input your opening days, times, locations, holidays, etc.
Display hours using shortcodes and widgets
Place shortcodes, custom blocks, or widgets across your site wherever relevant. Popular pages include Contact, About, Location, etc.
For example:
[yoast-hours][rank_math_opening_hours]Verify business info across directories
Submit key details like addresses and opening times to Google My Business, Facebook Business Manager, Apple Maps, etc. This helps confirm accuracy.
Monitor and update as needed
Periodically check that all displayed hours on your WordPress site and directories match your current opening times.
The full process from install to verification takes less than 30 minutes in most cases. Maintenance is also minimal.
Let‘s explore a few pro tips to maximize effectiveness next.
Actionable Tips for Showcasing Hours
Here are 5 expert tips for adding business hours in WordPress:
Highlight above the fold – Place hours prominently above page scrolls in shortcodes or blocks for best visibility
Link to directions – Integrate Google Maps embeds linking to directions for extra convenience
Match across properties – Sync posted times across your WordPress site, Google My Business, and other citations
Localize for holidays – Configure holiday closures by country, state, or region. Alert users in advance.
Make accessible – Allow users to save hours to Google/Apple calendars or easily add to contacts
| Best Practices | Impact |
|---|---|
| Accurate regular hours | Boosts SEO rankings and credibility |
| Clear holiday closures | Reduces in-store disappointment |
| Easy access to directions | Encourages online-to-offline conversions |
By following WordPress SEO best practices around business hours, you can expect to generate more qualified visits, phone calls, and foot traffic.
Installing a top-rated business hours plugin takes just a few minutes while driving ongoing ROI through higher local visibility and engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What‘s the best WordPress business hours plugin?
For most users, Yoast SEO offers the best free features. RankMath SEO Pro is best for customization.
Where should I display hours on my site?
Focus on prominent placement above the fold on key local pages: Contact, About, Locations etc. Reinforce with widgets in sidebars & footers.
Do hours need to match external directories?
It‘s best practice to standardize opening times across your WordPress site, Google My Business listing, Apple Maps, Facebook, and other citations. Mismatches create distrust.
How often should I update hours?
Check that displayed hours match your current opening times at least once per month. Alert users of any temporary closures as far in advance as possible.
Conclusion
Accurately showcasing business hours across your WordPress site is vital for any local store or restaurant.
By tapping into high-intent local searches, hours help drive foot traffic, phone calls, credibility, and organic visibility.
The Yoast and RankMath SEO plugins make the process seamless through auto markup generation, customization options, maps integration, and more.
Now you have no excuses for not configuring your opening times properly in WordPress.
For any additional questions, feel free to leave a comment below!
