--- title: "Openness local ranking change (2023): what Google confirmed" url: https://seomadman.com/updates/openness-local-update-2023 section: updates language: en published: 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z author: Adam Hafez topics: ["Local SEO"] --- # Openness local ranking change (2023): what Google confirmed ## The short answer Google confirmed on 15 December 2023 that "openness", whether a business is open at the time of a search, had recently become a stronger local ranking signal for non-navigational queries. Google gave no date. Sterling Sky dated the change to about 1 November 2023 and named it the Openness Algorithm Update. Google said it might change. ## Key takeaways - Google's Search Liaison said openness had long been a local ranking factor and recently became a stronger signal. - The stronger signal applies to non-navigational queries, such as a service type, not a business name. - Google gave no start date; Sterling Sky dated the change to approximately 1 November 2023. - Sterling Sky named it the Openness Algorithm Update; Google did not name it. - Google advised businesses against listing themselves as open 24 hours to exploit the signal. ## What Google changed Google confirmed the change on 15 December 2023 through its Search Liaison account on X: "we've long used 'openness' as part of our local ranking systems, and it recently became a stronger signal for non-navigational queries." In practice, a local search for a type of business became more likely to show places that were open at that moment. Google explained the distinction in the same thread. Searching for a business name is navigational, because you want that particular business. Searching for a general topic, such as a family lawyer or a plumber, is non-navigational, and that is where openness now counted for more. ## When it rolled out Google gave no start date, only "recently." Sterling Sky, a local SEO agency, reported large ranking changes on 7 December 2023 and asked Google about them. It later wrote that its hourly rank tracker showed the change rolled out on approximately 1 November 2023, the date used on this page. The exact day is approximate. Google stated no completion date. Google did not name the change. Sterling Sky wrote that it "decided this update needs a name" and called it the Openness Algorithm Update. The label on this page follows that description. ## What is known about its impact Google published no figures. It said the signal "might change in various ways, as we continue to evaluate the usefulness of it." On 18 December 2023 its Search Liaison agreed that concerns raised by local SEOs, such as people planning ahead rather than searching for somewhere open right now, were good points being discussed with the team. ## What site owners should do - Keep your Business Profile hours accurate, including special hours for holidays. - Do not list false hours. Google's Search Liaison said he "wouldn't recommend businesses do this, given the ranking signal may continue to be adjusted." - Follow Google's local ranking help page, which says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. Openness is a local ranking factor, not a separate named system in Google's ranking systems guide, so there is no retirement status to report. ## How to check whether it affected you Look for a pattern by time of day: rankings that hold during opening hours and fall away when the business is closed. Business Profile performance data and rank tracking run at different hours show it best. For late 2023, Search Console no longer holds the data, since it keeps 16 months. The [Google Algorithm Updates timeline](/updates) lists the updates around it, including the November 2023 core update. ## Related updates - The [November 2021 local search update](/updates/november-2021-local-search-update) was the previous local change Google confirmed. - The [November 2023 core update](/updates/november-2023-core-update) began the same month. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is openness in Google local search? It is whether a business is open at the time someone searches. Google said it has long used openness in its local ranking systems, and that it became a stronger signal for non-navigational queries in late 2023. ### When did the openness change happen? Google did not give a date. Sterling Sky, whose hourly rank tracking caught the change, dated it to approximately 1 November 2023. Google confirmed it on 15 December 2023. ### Should I list my business as open 24 hours? No. Google's Search Liaison said he would not recommend businesses do this, because the ranking signal may continue to be adjusted. Your hours should be accurate. ### What is a non-navigational query? Google's Search Liaison explained that searching for a business name is navigational, since you want that particular business. Searching for a general topic, such as a type of service, is non-navigational. ## Sources 1. [Google SearchLiaison on openness as a local ranking signal](https://twitter.com/searchliaison/status/1735759183688147066) - Google SearchLiaison on X (primary) 2. [Google Confirms Local Search Algorithm Update For "Openness" Now Stronger Signal](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-confirms-local-search-algorithm-open-signal-36565.html) - Search Engine Roundtable 3. [Google Just Confirmed the Openness Algorithm Update](https://www.sterlingsky.ca/google-confirmed-openness-update/) - Sterling Sky 4. [Tips to improve your local ranking on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091) - Google Business Profile Help (primary)