Are you making the most of your visibility on Google My Business by selecting the right business categories? Optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP) with the ideal categories isn’t just a minor detail—it’s a crucial step in ensuring your business shows up in the right searches and reaches your target audience effectively.
Importance of Selecting the Right Category
Selecting the correct primary and secondary categories for your Google My Business profile can help customers find you more easily and increase your local search rankings.
However, with so many options, how do you decide which categories suit your business best? This guide provides practical tips on choosing the best categories to boost your Google My Business account and get noticed by the right audience.
Importance of Selecting the Right Primary Category
The primary category is the most influential factor in determining where your Google business profile ranks in search results. However, finding the perfect fit for your Google My Business profile isn’t always straightforward. Some industries, like healthcare or HVAC services, may have multiple relevant categories, making the decision challenging. Observing the categories they’ve chosen gives you a strategic advantage, as you can see which categories are most effective for businesses similar to yours.
After identifying the primary category that competitors use, experiment with different primary categories on your Google My Business profile to assess which choice yields the best results. Remember to allow a few weeks after each category adjustment to gauge its impact on your search ranking accurately.
Secondary Category Optimization for GBP
While the primary category may significantly influence rankings, filling out the nine secondary category spots on your Google My Business account enhances your profile’s visibility. Using as many relevant secondary categories as possible can help you appear in a broader range of search queries.
To find effective secondary categories, RightChoice.AI provides an additional layer of insight by offering data on secondary categories that can further improve your Google My Business performance. Since Google periodically updates its list of categories, checking monthly or quarterly for new relevant categories is wise.
It’s also essential to consider regional differences. For instance, certain categories may be available in Australia but not in North America. Businesses operating in multiple countries should ensure they choose the most suitable categories for each region in which they operate.
Leveraging Pre-Defined Services to Enhance Visibility
Adding these services can boost your ranking. For example, categories like “Contractor” and “Handyperson” might seem similar but have unique services associated with each. When adding secondary categories, review and check any relevant services. RightChoice.AI’s tool is also helpful here, highlighting all associated services for each category you select.
Adjusting Primary Categories for Seasonal Relevance
Seasonal businesses can benefit from changing their Google My Business Company primary category to match seasonal demands.
For example, an HVAC company may switch its primary category from “air conditioning repair” in the summer to “furnace repair” in the winter. By proactively updating the primary category, Google My Business profiles can rank better for seasonally relevant searches.
For businesses offering seasonal attractions, like haunted houses, setting your google business profile primary category to “haunted house” a few weeks before Halloween can help you rank better in “haunted house near me” searches. Once the season ends, you can switch back to a core service category to maintain visibility.
Avoiding the Local Filter with Smart Category Choices
The Google My Business login filter can impact businesses with multiple listings at the same address. If categories overlap too closely, Google Business may reduce the visibility of one or both listings. To avoid this, ensure that each listing at the same address has distinct primary and secondary categories.
For instance, an infertility clinic with multiple listings (such as a main office and a specialist) might use “Doctor” for the main listing and ‘Best infertility doctor in dhaka’ or “emergency specialist” for individual practitioners. Local rank-tracking grids, such as those from RightChoice.AI help to verify that your listings are not filtering each other.
To overcome filtering by nearby businesses that you cannot control, try choosing a primary category that none of the competing listings use. This approach may prevent your profile from being filtered by competitor listings at nearby locations.
Enhancing Local Visibility for Multiple Listings
If you run a business where multiple listings at the same address are common—such as a real estate agency with numerous agents—choose unique categories for each agent’s profile. Avoid category overlap with the broker’s main Google My Business account listing, as this can improve the visibility of individual agents’ listings. Testing with local rank-tracking grids helps verify that these listings do not filter each other.
In highly competitive industries, it’s crucial to differentiate categories for each listing. Overlapping categories could inadvertently trigger Google’s local filter, reducing visibility. This is especially relevant in industries like real estate, where many agents may work out of the same office.
Verifying and Optimizing Your GBP for Increased Engagement
After optimizing your my business profile, ensure that all details, such as contact information and website links, are accurate. Consistency across business directory listing sites is crucial, as discrepancies may affect your profile’s search performance. Verify your Google Business Account and update it as needed to ensure a positive user experience for potential clients.
Maintaining a Consistent Strategy for Long-Term Success
Consistency is critical to maximizing the potential of your Google Business Profile Manager. Avoid making frequent changes to your primary or secondary categories, as Google needs time to register these adjustments. Test each update over several weeks to determine the most effective category combinations.
Regularly monitoring your Google My Business account insights is crucial, especially as its algorithms change. A consistent and well-planned approach to category selection keeps your business profile competitive in the local search arena.
Conclusion
Selecting the right categories for your Google My Business (GMB) profile is critical for standing out in local searches. Researching competitor categories and leveraging tools like RightChoice.AI can significantly boost your GMB profile’s visibility. These strategies maximise your profile’s effectiveness when paired with digital marketing efforts and Google Ads. Together, these steps transform your Google Business account into a powerful asset for driving customer engagement and growing your digital marketing in India.