There is a small setting in your Google Business Profile that has a huge impact on your local SEO visibility: your business categories.
These categories are what tell Google exactly what you do. They are the main factor in deciding if you show up in Google Maps or the ‘Local Pack’ when someone searches for “plumber near me” or “best coffee shop”.
When you set up your profile, you have to choose one primary category. This is the most important one and should be your main business offering. After that, you can add up to nine additional categories to cover your other services.
Make no mistake, optimising your categories can make a massive difference.
Here’s how to choose the best ones for your business.
The best way to select your 2025 Google Business Profile Categories is to align them with your business goals. It’s a strategic decision, not a guess.
Before you choose, you need to determine the following:
A quick word of warning: “less is more” is often the best approach. Don’t just add ten categories for the sake of it. Be accurate, only list services you actually provide and stick to Google’s Guidelines. This will help you avoid any quality issues or a possible suspension.
A great strategy is to research the competition. Seeing what categories your top competitors are using is a brilliant way to find opportunities.
Here’s how to do it:
The extension will automatically show you all the categories (both primary and secondary) for any Business Profile in the results.
Before you select your Google Business Profile categories, make sure that you have reviewed Google’s Guidelines to ensure that you are using best practices when setting up your Google Business Profile.
This Google My Business category list is sorted alphabetically.
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