Last updated: February 2026
Google Business Profile categories are predefined business classifications that Google uses to understand what a business does and which search queries it should appear for. Every GBP listing must have a primary category and can optionally have up to nine secondary categories. Categories are the single most important relevance signal in the Google Maps ranking algorithm — choosing the wrong primary category can render months of other optimization work ineffective, while choosing the right one can produce immediate ranking improvements.
Google maintains a database of over 4,000 categories that is updated periodically. You cannot create custom categories; you must select from Google's predefined list. This guide covers everything you need to know about selecting, optimizing, and monitoring your GBP categories. For the full GBP optimization framework, see our Google Business Profile optimization guide.
How Do You Choose the Right Primary Category?
Your primary category should be the most specific, accurate description of your core business activity. This is the category Google weighs most heavily when determining which searches should trigger your listing. Here is a systematic process for selecting the optimal primary category:
Step 1: Identify Your Core Business Activity
What is the primary service or product your business provides? Not what you would like to rank for, not the broadest description possible, but the specific thing that the majority of your customers come to you for. A restaurant that primarily serves sushi should identify "sushi" as the core activity, not "food" or "dining."
Step 2: Search Google's Category List
In your GBP dashboard, start typing your core business activity in the primary category field. Google will suggest matching categories. Explore all available options. Compare the specific category to the broader one:
- "Personal Injury Attorney" vs. "Attorney" — the specific option is almost always better.
- "Thai Restaurant" vs. "Restaurant" — always choose the specific cuisine type.
- "Emergency Plumber" vs. "Plumber" — choose based on what most of your customers need.
- "Cosmetic Dentist" vs. "Dentist" — if cosmetic work is your primary focus, use the specific category.
Step 3: Validate Against Competitors
Look at what your top three to five ranking competitors use as their primary category. If all top-ranking businesses for your target keyword use "Personal Injury Attorney" and you are using "Law Firm," that category mismatch is likely costing you rankings. You can see competitor categories by viewing the page source of their GBP listing or using competitor intelligence tools.
Step 4: Test and Monitor
After changing your primary category, monitor your ranking changes over the next two to four weeks. If you see improvement for your target keywords, you made the right choice. If rankings decline, re-evaluate. In rare cases, the broader category may actually be better for your specific market — testing is the only way to know for certain.
How Should You Use Secondary Categories?
Secondary categories expand the range of queries your listing can appear for without diluting your primary category focus. Think of them as additional relevance signals that tell Google, "In addition to my primary business, I also offer these services." Here is how to maximize their value:
Selection Criteria
- Legitimacy: Only add categories for services you genuinely provide. Adding "Car Wash" to an auto repair shop that does not offer car washes creates false expectations and can lead to negative reviews.
- Demand: Prioritize categories that correspond to services people actually search for. Check search volume for category-related terms to gauge demand.
- Competition: If a secondary category has less competition than your primary category, it can be an effective way to rank for additional terms.
- Specificity: Use specific categories over broad ones, just as with your primary category.
Examples by Business Type
Dental Practice:
- Primary: Dentist
- Secondary: Cosmetic Dentist, Pediatric Dentist, Emergency Dental Service, Teeth Whitening Service, Dental Implants Provider
Law Firm (Personal Injury Focus):
- Primary: Personal Injury Attorney
- Secondary: Car Accident Lawyer, Workers Compensation Attorney, Medical Malpractice Attorney, Wrongful Death Attorney
Italian Restaurant:
- Primary: Italian Restaurant
- Secondary: Pizza Restaurant, Catering Service, Bar, Banquet Hall (if applicable)
Plumbing Company:
- Primary: Plumber
- Secondary: Emergency Plumber, Drain Cleaning Service, Water Heater Repair Service, Bathroom Remodeler (if applicable)
How Do Categories Impact Google Maps Rankings?
Categories impact rankings primarily through the relevance pillar of Google's local ranking algorithm. The relationship is direct and powerful — your category selection determines the initial filter Google applies when matching businesses to search queries.
Here is how the impact works in practice:
- Query matching: When someone searches "dentist near me," Google first identifies all businesses with "Dentist" as a primary or secondary category. If your primary category is "Healthcare Clinic," you are already at a disadvantage for that query.
- Ranking weight: Primary categories carry significantly more weight than secondary categories. A business with "Cosmetic Dentist" as its primary category will generally outrank a business that has it only as a secondary category for cosmetic dentistry queries, assuming other factors are equal.
- Feature access: Certain categories unlock specific features in your GBP listing. Restaurants get menu sections, hotels get booking integrations, and service businesses get service area options. These features provide additional optimization opportunities.
- Attribute availability: The attributes available in your profile (payment methods, accessibility options, service-specific options) depend on your categories. More relevant attributes mean more data for Google to match against queries.
Case study insight: When a multi-specialty medical practice changed its primary category from "Medical Clinic" to "Urgent Care Center" (which better matched its highest-volume search terms), it saw a 35 percent increase in local pack visibility within three weeks — with no other changes to the profile.
What Are the Most Common Category Mistakes?
These category mistakes are surprisingly common and can significantly undermine your ranking potential. Avoid all of them:
- Using a category that is too broad: Choosing "Attorney" when "Personal Injury Attorney" is available, or "Restaurant" when "Mexican Restaurant" exists. Always choose the most specific option.
- Choosing aspirational categories: Selecting categories based on services you want to offer rather than services you currently provide. Only use categories for active service lines.
- Adding too many irrelevant categories: Stuffing your listing with tangentially related categories in hopes of ranking for more terms. This dilutes your relevance signal and can confuse Google about what your business actually does.
- Ignoring secondary categories entirely: Only setting a primary category and leaving secondary categories empty misses a significant opportunity to expand your query coverage.
- Never reviewing or updating categories: Google adds new, more specific categories regularly. A category that did not exist when you first set up your profile may now be the perfect primary category. Review available categories at least annually.
- Copying competitor categories blindly: Using the same categories as a top-ranking competitor without considering whether those categories accurately describe your business. Categories must truthfully represent your services.
- Not understanding category hierarchy: Some categories are subsets of others. If your primary category is "Thai Restaurant," you do not need "Restaurant" as a secondary category — it is implicit. Use your secondary category slots for genuinely different service lines.
How Can You See What Categories Competitors Are Using?
Understanding your competitors' category strategy gives you valuable intelligence for optimizing your own. Here are the methods for discovering competitor categories:
Method 1: GBP Listing Inspection
Search for your competitor's business name on Google. Click on their Google Business Profile listing. The primary category is usually visible near the top of the listing, below the business name. This method only reveals the primary category — secondary categories are not displayed on the public listing.
Method 2: Google Maps Source Code
For a more technical approach, search for the competitor on Google Maps, open their listing, and view the page source. Search the source code for "category" to find both primary and secondary categories. This method reveals the full category set.
Method 3: Competitor Intelligence Tools
The most efficient method is using a tool like GBP Rank Tracker's competitor intelligence feature, which automatically extracts and displays all categories for competing businesses. This allows you to compare your category strategy against multiple competitors side by side.
Method 4: GMB Everywhere Browser Extension
Browser extensions designed for GBP analysis can overlay category information directly on Google search results and Maps. Install one, search for your competitors, and their full category list appears alongside their listing information.
Once you have gathered competitor category data, look for patterns. If all top-ranking competitors use a specific primary category, that is a strong signal about what Google considers relevant for your target keywords. If a competitor is ranking well with a category you have not considered, evaluate whether it legitimately applies to your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many categories should I have on my Google Business Profile?
Most businesses should have one primary category and three to five secondary categories. There is no benefit to having more categories unless they all legitimately represent services you provide. Having one or two highly relevant categories is better than having eight categories where half are a stretch. Quality and accuracy matter more than quantity.
Can I change my primary category without losing rankings?
Changing your primary category will affect your rankings, but the impact can be positive or negative depending on whether the new category is a better match for your target queries. If you are switching to a more specific, accurate category, you will typically see improved rankings for your core terms within one to three weeks. If you are experimenting, note your current rankings before making the change so you can revert if needed.
Does Google add new categories regularly?
Yes, Google updates its category database several times per year, adding new categories and occasionally removing or merging existing ones. New categories tend to be more specific versions of existing broad categories. It is worth checking for new categories quarterly, as a newly added specific category could be a better fit for your business than the broader category you have been using.
Can two businesses at the same address have the same primary category?
Yes, two separate businesses at the same address can share a primary category, but this is unusual and may trigger additional verification from Google. More commonly, businesses at the same address have different primary categories (for example, a dentist and an orthodontist sharing office space). If two truly separate businesses with the same category share an address, they will compete against each other for the same queries, with proximity providing no differentiation.
Should I change my primary category for seasonal businesses?
Frequently changing your primary category is not recommended as it can confuse Google and cause ranking instability. If your business is truly seasonal (for example, a tax preparer who does bookkeeping in the off-season), use your primary year-round service as the primary category and add the seasonal service as a secondary category. If the seasonal service is your primary revenue source, use it as the primary and accept that relevance for secondary services may be lower.
Do categories affect Google Ads for local campaigns?
Yes, your GBP categories influence which searches trigger your Local Search Ads and Local Services Ads. Google uses your category information to match your ads to relevant queries. Having accurate, specific categories helps ensure your ads appear for the most relevant searches and not for unrelated queries, improving both your ad relevance score and your return on ad spend.