How To Change Primary & Secondary Google My Business Categories
Whether you’re making optimizations or business goals have changed, you may want to change your primary and secondary Google My Business (GMB) categories. Because these categories have a strong impact on rankings, it’s important to get them right.
Here’s how to change primary and secondary Google My Business categories:
- Sign in to Google My Business
- Select your listing in Google Business Profile Manager
- Navigate to the Info section (on the left hand side)
- Click the edit button next to the primary category
Pro Tip: You can perform a complete Google My Business audit using this template and checklist, and view the complete list of Google My Business categories online.
Sign in to Google My Business
To change your primary and secondary business categories, you’ll need to sign in to Google My Business with the email used to manage your listing.
Once signed in, you’ll the see Google Business Profile Manager dashboard…
Select your listing in Google Business Profile Manager
If you have multiple listings or location groups, you’ll see a screen like this…
If you just have a single Google My Business listing (now called Google Business Profile), you’ll automatically be taken to the listing and can move on to the next step.
Select your listing in Google Business Profile Manager
Once you’re viewing your listing, go to the Info section using the navigation on the left hand side.
Click the edit button next to the primary category
Here you find your primary Google My Business category (and secondary categories if applicable).
To make changes, select the edit button icon…
Afterwards, you’ll be able to search categories and make updates to your primary and secondary GMB categories.
Pro Tip: You can use this guide to learn how to find competitor categories and use that information to inform your own category selection.
Many businesses have products or services that are relevant to multiple categories. You’ll want to choose the primary category that encompasses your main products / services and is most applicable to your target keywords. Afterwards, you can select additional or secondary categories that might be relevant to other services.
For example, a general practice law firm might have additional that encompass specific practice areas like Divorce lawyer and Employment attorney. Similarly, a plumbing company is likely to have Plumber as their primary category and Drainage service as their secondary category.
No matter your niche, these categories should align with business goals and reflect the target keywords.
Once done, you should be well on your way to ranking.
Happy SEO-ing 🙂