Get More Local Customers: Optimise Your Google Business Profile Category

Struggling to get your business found on Google? Your Google Business Profile (GBP) category could be the problem.

Many small business owners set their category once and forget about it – without realising that a small tweak could significantly boost their rankings and customer enquiries.

When people search for businesses like yours, Google uses your primary GBP category to determine whether your business is relevant to their search.

But here’s the catch – choosing the wrong category can bury your business in search results, while the right one can bring in more traffic, leads, and sales.

In this post, we’ll break down why your GBP category matters, how to pick the best one, and which free tools you can use to spy on competitors’ categories so you can stay ahead.

If you’re not optimising this crucial setting, you could be missing out on customers who are actively looking for your services.

Understanding Google Business Profile Categories

Primary vs. Secondary Categories: What’s the Difference?

Google Business Profile categories help Google understand what your business offers and match it with relevant customer searches. There are two types of categories you can assign to your business:

• Primary Category: This is the most important category and should accurately reflect your main service or product. It has the greatest impact on search rankings and visibility.
• Secondary Categories: These provide additional context about your business and can help it appear for a broader range of searches, but they do not carry as much ranking weight as the primary category.

How Categories Influence Search Rankings and Customer Discovery

Your selected business category directly affects where your business appears in Google’s search and Google Maps results. Google uses this information to determine if your business is relevant to a user’s search query. A well-chosen category can improve your visibility in:

• Local search results on Google Maps and Search
• Google’s Local Pack (the top three businesses shown in search results)
• Voice searches on Google Assistant
• Google Business Profile features such as booking buttons and menus

The Risks of Choosing the Wrong Category

Selecting an incorrect or overly broad category can hurt your business by:

• Reducing your chances of appearing for relevant searches
• Attracting the wrong audience, leading to fewer conversions
• Lowering your visibility in Google’s ranking algorithm
• Giving competitors an edge by allowing them to rank higher for relevant keywords

To maximise your visibility and attract the right customers, it’s essential to carefully research and select the most accurate primary category for your business.

The Impact of the Primary Category on Local SEO Ranking

How Google Uses Your Primary Category to Determine Ranking Relevance

Google’s ranking algorithm relies on your primary category to understand what your business does and match it with relevant local searches. When users search for services or products in their area, Google scans business profiles and prioritises those that best align with the search query.

Your primary category is one of the strongest ranking signals for local SEO. It helps Google:

• Determine if your business should appear in Google’s Local Pack (the top three results in local search).
• Decide when to show your business in Google Maps results.
• Improve the relevance of your business for industry-related searches.

If your primary category is too broad or inaccurate, you may struggle to appear for searches that are most relevant to your business.

Why Niche-Specific Categories Attract More Qualified Leads

Businesses that select highly relevant, niche-specific categories often attract higher-quality leads. Instead of appearing in general searches where competition is fierce, they rank for more targeted searches, increasing their chances of converting potential customers.

For example:

• A business listed under “Divorce Lawyer” instead of the more general “Lawyer” will attract people searching for legal help with divorce, leading to more relevant inquiries.
• A restaurant specialising in vegan food will benefit more from “Vegan Restaurant” rather than just “Restaurant,” helping them reach the right audience.

Case Study: The Power of an Optimised Google Business Category

One case study showed that a plumbing business previously listed under “Contractor” switched its primary category to “Plumber”. Within 60 days, the business saw:

• A 35% increase in Google search impressions.
• A 20% increase in website visits from Google Business Profile.
• A 25% boost in phone calls from customers finding them in search results.

This demonstrates how a simple category change can significantly impact local rankings and customer inquiries.

By carefully selecting the right primary category, your business can improve its local search presence and attract more qualified leads, ultimately increasing conversions.

Strategies for Selecting the Right Primary Category

Be Specific: Choose the Most Accurate Category

When selecting your primary category, accuracy is key. Google provides a list of predefined categories, so it’s important to pick the one that most precisely describes your business.

For example:

• If you own a pet grooming business, choose “Pet Groomer” instead of the broader “Pet Services.”
• A business selling second-hand books should opt for “Used Book Store” rather than the general “Book Store.”

Being too broad can dilute your visibility and place you in search results that don’t align with what your business actually offers.

Consider Your Business Focus

Your primary category should reflect your main product or service. If your business offers multiple services, ask yourself: What is the core service or product I want to be known for?

For instance:

• A café that primarily sells coffee should select “Coffee Shop” rather than just “Restaurant.”
• A legal practice that specialises in family law could choose “Divorce Lawyer” over “Law Firm.”

Choosing the right primary category ensures your business is found by the right audience, improving conversion rates.

Analyse Competitors to Identify the Best Category

One of the easiest ways to determine the best primary category is to research your top competitors. Look at businesses that rank well in your industry and location. If they are consistently using a specific category, it’s a strong indicator that it works well for search visibility.

You can use free browser extensions to reveal competitors’ GBP categories, such as:

• GMB Everywhere: Displays primary and secondary categories directly in Google search results.
• Pleper – Google My Business Tools: Provides detailed insights into GBP categories and competitor analysis.
• GMBspy: Quickly reveals a competitor’s primary and secondary GBP categories.

Use Google’s Auto-Suggestions

When adding or updating your Google Business Profile category, Google provides auto-suggested categories based on what people commonly search for. Take advantage of this feature to ensure your business aligns with customer search habits.

By using these strategies, you can ensure that your business is categorised correctly, improving your local SEO performance and attracting the right customers.

How to Identify Your Competitors’ GBP Categories (Using Free Browser Extensions)

One of the best ways to choose the right primary category for your Google Business Profile is to analyse what successful competitors in your industry are using. If businesses that rank well in your area consistently use a particular category, it’s a strong indicator that Google sees it as relevant for search visibility.

In the previous section, we introduced three free browser extensions that can help you uncover the primary and secondary categories used by top-ranking businesses. Below, we’ll explain how each tool works and how to use them for competitor research.

Tool #1: GMB Everywhere

• What it does: GMB Everywhere displays the primary and secondary categories of any Google Business Profile listing directly in search results.
• Why use it? It allows you to quickly scan multiple competitors and identify patterns, helping you choose the best category for your business.
• How to get it? You can install the GMB Everywhere Chrome Extension for free.

Tool #2: Pleper – Google My Business Tools

• What it does: Pleper provides a detailed analysis of GBP categories, including category suggestions and insights into what competitors are using.
• Why use it? It helps businesses make data-driven decisions when selecting categories by providing competitor comparisons.
• How to get it? Download it from Pleper’s website.

Tool #3: GMBspy

• What it does: GMBspy is a lightweight tool that reveals the primary and secondary GBP categories of any competitor’s listing.
• Why use it? It’s a quick and easy way to see how competitors categorise their businesses, helping you fine-tune your own listing for better rankings.
• How to get it? Install GMBspy for Chrome.

Using these tools, you can gain valuable insights into how your competitors structure their Google Business Profiles. By identifying the most commonly used and highest-performing categories in your industry, you can make informed decisions that improve your local search visibility.

Steps to Update Your Primary Category

Once you’ve identified the best primary category for your business, the next step is to update it in your Google Business Profile.

Google makes this process simple, but it’s important to ensure you select the most relevant category to improve your local search visibility.

Step 1: Log into Your Google Business Profile Manager

Go to the Google Business Profile Manager and sign in with the Google account associated with your business listing.

Step 2: Navigate to “Edit Profile” > “Business Information”

Once logged in, select the business location you want to update. Then, click on “Edit Profile” and navigate to the “Business Information” section.

Step 3: Click on “Business Category” and Select the Most Relevant Option

In the business information section, locate the “Business Category” field. Click on it, and Google will provide a dropdown menu with predefined category options. Start typing your desired primary category, and Google will suggest the closest matches.

Choose the primary category that most accurately represents your core service or product. If necessary, you can also add additional categories to provide more context about your business.

Step 4: Save Changes and Monitor Performance

After selecting the appropriate category, click “Save”. Google may take a few hours or up to a few days to reflect the changes in search results.

To measure the impact of your category update:

• Track changes in your Google Business Profile Insights, focusing on search impressions, website clicks, and phone calls.
• Monitor your rankings in Google’s Local Pack and Maps results.
• Use competitor analysis tools like GMB Everywhere to ensure your category choice aligns with top-ranking businesses in your industry.

Pro Tip: Adjust Your Category as Your Business Evolves

If your business expands its services or shifts focus, it’s important to update your primary category accordingly. Google allows businesses to modify their categories at any time, so regularly reviewing and adjusting your category can help maintain strong search visibility.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Choosing the right Google Business Profile category is crucial for local search success, but many businesses make simple mistakes that limit their visibility. Avoid these common pitfalls to ensure your business is properly categorised and reaching the right audience.

Choosing an Overly Broad Category

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is selecting a category that is too generic. While broader categories may seem like they cover more ground, they actually reduce your chances of ranking for the most relevant searches.

Examples of broad vs. specific categories:

• ❌ “Store” → ✅ “Clothing Store”
• ❌ “Restaurant” → ✅ “Italian Restaurant”
• ❌ “Marketing” → ✅ “Digital Marketing Agency”

Being specific helps Google better understand your business and match it with users searching for your exact services.

Ignoring Category Updates

Google frequently updates and modifies its list of available business categories, adding new options and removing outdated ones. If you don’t periodically review your category selection, you may be missing out on a better-suited category that can improve your search rankings.

How to stay updated:

• Check your GBP settings every few months to see if new category options are available.
• Use tools like Pleper to track changes in Google’s category database.
• Monitor competitor listings to see if they have updated their categories.

Neglecting Secondary Categories

While your primary category carries the most weight, secondary categories help expand your reach and improve visibility for related services.

Example of effective primary and secondary categories:

• Primary Category: “Dentist”
• Secondary Categories: “Cosmetic Dentist,” “Emergency Dental Service,” “Teeth Whitening Service”

Adding relevant secondary categories ensures that your business appears in a wider range of search queries without diluting your primary category focus.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can ensure your Google Business Profile is fully optimised, improving your local search visibility and attracting more qualified customers.

Maximise Your Local Visibility with the Right Category Choice

Your Google Business Profile category is one of the most important factors influencing your local search rankings.

Selecting the correct primary category ensures that your business is accurately represented in search results, helping you connect with the right customers.

To stay competitive:

• Regularly review and refine your categories to ensure they align with your business focus and Google’s latest updates.
• Use free tools like GMB Everywhere, Pleper, and GMBspy to analyse competitor categories and optimise your own.
• Monitor your Google Business Profile Insights to track the impact of category changes on search visibility and customer engagement.

By taking a strategic approach to category selection, your business can improve its local rankings, attract more qualified leads, and ultimately drive more conversions.

Don’t leave your GBP category to chance. Take five minutes right now to log into your profile, review your primary category, and compare it with your top competitors using GMBspy or Pleper.

This simple step could be the key to more leads and higher search rankings.