Your category tells Google what kind of business you are. If it is wrong, people who search for what you really do may never see you. Pick one main category that says exactly what you are, add extra ones only for what you really offer, and check it again this week.
Priya runs a small yoga studio above a sweet shop. Morning batches, evening batches, and a weekend class for older people.
When her nephew made her Google listing, he picked "Gym". It sounded close enough.
One day a new student said, "I searched yoga classes near me. Three other studios came up. I only found you because my friend told me."
Priya searched the same words on her own phone. Her studio was not there. On Google, she was a gym. And people who want yoga do not search for a gym.
How many people had searched for a class like hers, and walked into someone else's studio?
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How categories work
Your Google listing has two kinds of category:
- One main category (Google calls it the "Primary category"). This is the big one. It says what you are. Google often shows it under your name on Maps.
- Extra categories. These are for other things you also do. You can add a few.
You cannot type your own words. You pick from Google's list. So you need to find the name on that list that fits you best.
Step 1: say what you are in one line
Write one short line, the way a customer would say it. "A yoga studio." "A dental clinic." "A tailor shop." "A mobile repair shop."
Not what you hope to be. What a customer walks in for.
Step 2: see what shows up near you
- Open Google Maps on your phone.
- Type what a customer would type, like "yoga classes near me" or "mobile repair near me".
- Look at the first few places that come up. Under each name you will often see their category.
- Write those down.
If the places that show up for your search all use one category, and you use a different one, that is a clue.
Step 3: pick your main category
From Google's list, choose the one that matches your one line best. Be exact. A category like "Yoga studio" is better than "Gym". "Dentist" is better than "Health".
Keep it to what you really are. Do not pick a bigger or busier category just because you think more people search for it.
Step 4: add extra categories, carefully
Add an extra category only if you really offer it, every week, to anyone who walks in. Priya also runs meditation sessions, so a meditation category could fit. She has no gym machines, so "Gym" should go.
A few true extras are better than many loose ones.
Step 5: change it on Google
- Sign in with the Google account that manages your listing.
- Open the Google Maps app and go to your business. On a computer, go to business.google.com.
- Tap Edit profile.
- Find Business category.
- Change the main category. Add or remove extra ones.
- Tap Save.
Google may check the change before it shows. Sometimes it asks you to confirm your business again. It can take some time, so keep an eye on your email and the app.
What "fixed" looks like
- Your main category says exactly what you are.
- Every extra category is something you really offer.
- Ask a friend to search your shop name on Maps. The word under your name matches what you do.
This does not promise you a top spot. It tells Google the truth about you, so you have a fair chance to show up for the right search.
Two warnings
Do not pick categories you do not offer. It can confuse customers, and they may leave a bad review when they find you do not do it.
Do not change it again and again. Every change can be checked. Pick well once, then leave it.
Common questions
Can I have two main categories?
No. Only one main category. Use extra categories for the rest.
I cannot find my exact business on the list.
Pick the closest one. Then use your description and services to explain the rest in your own words.
My listing was made by someone else.
Open your shop on Google Maps and tap Suggest an edit. It is better to claim the listing, so you control it.
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