How to choose your Google Business Profile categories

• Primary category: one, and the most important. Pick the most specific category that describes your core business: “Nail salon”, not “Salon”; “Emergency plumber” only if that’s truly your main business.
• Additional categories: for other things you really are, like a cafe that is also a bakery. Google says to use the fewest categories needed and not to add one for every product or service.

Google’s test: pick categories that finish the sentence “This business is a…”, not “This business has a…”. A hotel with a restaurant inside is a “Hotel”, not a “Restaurant”.

1. Search your main service and suburb on Google Maps, like “physio Subiaco”.
2. Open the top 3 businesses. Their category shows under the business name.
3. If most use the same category, it’s usually the right primary category for that search.
4. You can only choose from Google’s list. Start typing in the category box to see the options.

Quicker: our free Google Category Finder shows the categories the top 10 on Google Maps use for your search, and which ones you’re missing.

Some categories unlock extra options. Restaurants get menu, order and reservation links. Health and beauty businesses can show a booking button and services list. Hotels get amenities and class ratings. If you’re missing a feature you expect, check your primary category first.

1. Open your profile and choose Edit profile.
2. Next to Business category, choose Edit.
3. Change the primary category, or use Add another category and remove ones that don’t fit.
4. Save.

Google warns that adding or editing categories can trigger re-verification. Change one thing at a time and give it a couple of weeks before judging the effect. Details: Google’s category guidelines.

• Choosing a broad category (“Contractor”) when a specific one exists (“Electrician”).
• Adding categories as keywords for services you only do occasionally. List those as services instead.
• Changing your primary category often. It can unsettle rankings and trigger checks.
• Copying a competitor’s category when it doesn’t describe what you do. It won’t hold up.