Google Business Profile
The free business listing that powers a company's presence in Google Maps, the local pack and business panels, renamed from Google My…
LocalGBP categoriesPrimary category
Business categories
The classification assigned to a Google Business Profile, with one primary and up to nine secondary categories, strongly determining which searches it can appear for.
In full
The primary category carries the most weight and should describe what the business principally is, not what it aspires to rank for. Google maintains a fixed taxonomy that changes over time, so periodic review is worthwhile, and category availability varies by country. Choosing a category that does not match reality risks both poor relevance and suspension.
Example
A practice changes its primary category from 'Dentist' to 'Cosmetic dentist' and its pack visibility shifts toward cosmetic queries and away from general ones.
Related terms
Local pack
A map with typically three local business listings shown for queries with local intent, drawn from Google Business Profile data rather…
Local SEO
Optimising a business's visibility for geographically constrained searches, across both the map pack and localised organic results.
Proximity
The physical distance between the searcher and a business, one of the three factors Google names for local ranking and often the most…
Reviews and review velocity
Customer ratings and written reviews on a business profile, along with the rate at which new ones arrive, contributing to local prominence…