Your primary category is one of the most important parts of your profile: Google says the categories you choose affect your local ranking. Changing it takes a minute, but Google warns that adding or editing a category may ask you to verify your business again, so decide before you click.
Step by step
- Pick the new category first. Choose the most specific category that describes what your business is (Google's guideline: "this business IS a", not "HAS a"). Our free Category Finder and business-type guides help; you can also see who uses each category.
- Go to your Business Profile (search your business name signed in, or open the Google Maps app → Business) and select Edit profile.
- Next to Business category, select Edit.
- In Primary category, start typing and choose from Google's list. You can't create your own category.
- Use Add another category for up to 9 additional categories; remove any that describe a department or service rather than the business.
- Select Save. Edits can take a few days to show, and Google may review them first. If you're asked to verify again, follow the on-screen steps.
What not to do
- Don't change the primary category back and forth to 'test' it: each edit can trigger review or re-verification.
- Don't add a category for every service. Google says use a few categories and describe the rest elsewhere (services, description).
- Don't add categories for a separately owned business inside yours (for example a café inside a gym). Google says it needs its own profile.
- Don't edit categories while waiting for a postcard verification code.
Google's official help on this
- Manage your business category (Google Business Profile Help)
- Edit your Business Profile (Google Business Profile Help)
- Guidelines for representing your business on Google (Google Business Profile Help)
Common questions
How many categories can I have?
One primary category plus up to 9 additional ones, per Google's 'Edit your Business Profile' help page. Fewer accurate categories are usually better.
Will changing my category hurt my ranking?
It can change which searches you appear for, which is the point. Nobody can promise a ranking result. Google says the categories you select affect local ranking, so pick the one that matches most of your work.
Do all my locations need the same primary category?
Google's edit help page says all locations of a business must share a primary category.
Honest note: This page summarises Google's own public help articles (linked above) plus common-sense checks. We are not Google and can't see inside your account, so we can't promise any outcome: Google alone decides suspensions, appeals, verification and rankings. Google changes its tools and wording often, so if anything here differs from what you see, follow Google's current help page.
Other profile problems
- Google Business Profile suspended or disabled: what to do
- Google Business Profile verification failed: what to try next
- Google Business Profile verification pending or stuck
- The category you want isn't in Google's list: what to do
- Service-area business vs storefront: hide your address or show it?
- Your business isn't showing on Google Maps: find out why
- Duplicate Google Business Profiles: how to clean them up
- Google Business Profile name rules (and why keyword-stuffing gets profiles suspended)
- Google reviews disappeared or not showing: why, and what you can do
- Someone else owns your Google Business Profile: how to request ownership
- Writing your Google Business Profile description (750-character limit)
- Your Google Business Profile edits aren't showing (or Google changed them)
- How to report a fake or unfair Google review (and when it can be removed)
- Add or remove an owner or manager on your Google Business Profile