One of the most overlooked aspects of local search optimization is the category you assign to your business in Google Business Profile (GBP). While your business name, address, phone number, and hours are obvious details, your category quietly drives how and when your profile appears in Google Search and Maps. Choose wisely, and you’ll attract the right customers. Choose poorly, and you may find yourself invisible in critical search results.
What Are Google Business Profile Categories?
Google requires every business to select a primary category that best describes its main offering. This is the anchor that tells Google what your business is fundamentally about. You may then add up to nine secondary categories to cover additional services or offerings.
For example, a dealership might set its primary category to Car Dealer but also add Used Car Dealer, Auto Repair Shop, and Auto Parts Store as secondaries. A dental practice might set Dentist as primary while adding Cosmetic Dentist or Pediatric Dentist to capture specialized services.
Why Categories Are So Important
Choose the fewest number of categories it takes to describe your overall core business.
Google
With over 3,700 categories available, the challenge is not a lack of choice… it’s making the right one. Your chosen categories directly impact:
- Search relevance: Google uses categories to match your profile with search queries. If you run a coffee shop but mistakenly choose Cafe without adding Coffee Shop, you may miss a portion of search traffic.
- Discovery vs. direct traffic: Categories help you appear in discovery searches where customers are browsing, not just when they already know your business name.
- Attributes and features: Categories unlock specific GBP features. For example, a restaurant can add menus, while a hotel can show booking links.
- Competitive positioning: Selecting the right categories ensures you appear alongside your competitors when prospects are considering their options.
Because categories can be changed, many businesses benefit from periodically revisiting their choices to reflect new services or market shifts.
Google Business Profile Categories List
To help businesses understand the scope of GBP categories, we built a simple tool. It breaks categories into three tiers:
- Primary: The broad industry grouping
- Subcategory: A more focused branch within the industry
- Specific: The exact Google category you can apply
By clicking through the selections, you can see just how many options exist and how they fit together. This makes it easier to plan your profile setup (or a client’s) without getting lost in the long dropdown list inside Google’s dashboard.
How to Use This Tool
- Start by browsing the Primary list. This gives you a sense of the high-level industries Google recognizes.
- Select a Subcategory to see which branches are available within that industry.
- Review the Specific options to find the exact category (or categories) that match your business.
- Once you’ve identified the proper set, log into your Google Business Profile dashboard and update your primary and secondary categories.
Best Practices for Choosing Categories
Categories are more than labels in Google Business Profile. They’re signals that directly influence your visibility, discoverability, and ability to attract new customers. By exploring the full range of options and strategically selecting the right mix, you give your business a significant edge in local search.
- Always lead with accuracy. Your primary category should be the one that describes your business most clearly, not the one you think has the most search volume.
- Use secondaries strategically. Add categories that reflect real services you provide, but don’t overload your profile with tangential ones.
- Check competitors. See which categories local competitors are using—especially those ranking well—and use that insight to refine your own choices.
- Revisit often. Google updates its categories regularly. Make reviewing them part of your local SEO checklist.
I hope our little tool makes the exploration process easier—and may even reveal opportunities you didn’t realize Google supported.
Download Google Business Category CSV
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