Google Business Profile Categories: Choosing the Right Ones
How to pick primary and secondary categories that match your services.
Business Profile categories describe what a business does. The primary category is the single most important field for local ranking. This guide covers how to choose primary and secondary categories. See Google Business Profile Optimization for the full reference.
Choosing the primary category
The primary category should describe the core service precisely. Google explains how categories affect ranking in its Business Profile help. Choose the most specific category available — 'Plumber' is better than 'Contractor' if plumbing is the core service.
Secondary categories
Secondary categories add specificity. Add categories for additional services you offer, but do not add categories for services you do not offer — this creates a mismatch between the listing and the business.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Choose the most specific primary category | Choose a broad category to cast a wide net |
| Add secondary categories for real services | Add categories for services you don't offer |
| Update categories when services change | Leave outdated categories in place |
Primary sources
- How Google ranks local results — Google Business Profile Help (accessed 2025-01-15)
- Business Profile categories — Google Business Profile Help (accessed 2025-01-15)