Your main category may say exactly what you are, like "Dosa restaurant". But many people search a simpler word, like "restaurant". If you do not show for that simple word, keep your main category and add the simple word as an extra category.
Lakshmi runs a small dosa place in Chennai. Her main category on Google is "Dosa restaurant". That is right, and she is proud of it.
Her cousin was visiting. He searched "restaurant" on Maps, standing two lanes away. Three places came up. Lakshmi's was not one of them.
When he searched "dosa", she was there.
This is an example, with a made up name and business.
What Pulse looks at
Pulse searches Google Maps near your business in two ways:
- with the word for your own kind of business, like "dosa restaurant",
- with the simple, general word, like "restaurant".
If you show for the first and not for the second, your results say so. The step reads like this: keep your main category, and add the general one as an extra.
Fix it yourself
- Open your Business Profile. You can search your business name on Google while signed in.
- Tap Edit profile. Find Business category.
- Leave your main category as it is. It is the first one.
- Tap to add another category. Pick the general one, like "Restaurant" or "Cafe".
- Save.
- After a few days, open your listing. Check that the new category shows too.
Add only what you really are. Lakshmi serves full meals, so "Restaurant" is true for her. For more on choosing categories, read choosing the right category on Google.
A few warnings
Do not swap your main category. The step is to add one, not to change the main one. Changing the main category can make Google ask you to verify your listing again.
Do not add categories you do not offer. Customers who come for it may leave unhappy.
Keep the list short. A few true categories are better than many loose ones.
Common questions
Is an extra category as strong as the main one?
Google decides how it uses each one. The main category says what you are. An extra one says what else you are.
Will I show up for the simple word now?
Nobody can promise that. Category is one thing Google looks at. See what else helps you show up nearby.
The general category is not on Google's list.
Pick the closest true one. Then describe the rest in your services list.