GMB Categories is one of the topmost ranking factors. Getting this correct will make a big difference for your ranking and traffic. In this article we go through how you can go about selecting the most relevant categories and services for your business.
It is very important you have more relevent and many categories. Google allow 1 primary category and 9 secondary categories. Here are some of the reasons you should do this:
Adding all relevant categories can help Google identify what your business is about. This way Google can get your GBP to a wider audience.
You will rank better with search terms that matches those particular categories.
There is a strong positive correlation between having more categories and ranking better.
All categories don't have the equal traffic. So finding the categories with good traffic and using that can greatly improve your traffic.
Some primary categories allows you add add services, so having those will help you provide additional information to Google.
Updating categories is one of those things where a fixed amount of work initially can provide a big increase in traffic during the life time of the GBP.
In this article, we help you with finding the best GMB Categories for your business and provide you data to make this informed decision. We also go through services you can add if your business is allowed to have services.
What are the best categories if you are a Photo shop?
These are two methods by which you can find the best GMB Categories and Services for your business.
Please note that Method 1 provides raw data while Method 2 shown below provides very interactive and precise data. Click here to go directly to Method 2: Go to Method 2.
Method 1:
In method one, just use the data provided here to find the best GMB Categories and Services for your business.
Here are list of other catgeories you can add if you are a Photo shop.
Category list for Photo shop:
Photo shop
Photography Studio
Camera Store
Photo Restoration Service
Photo Lab
Photography Service
Graphic Designer
Digital Printing Service
Passport Photo Processor
Wedding Photographer
Portrait Studio
Commercial Photographer
Aerial Photographer
Use these criteria to decide if one or more of the above can be added to your GMB. Please go through the above list with these criteria:
Relevance: Ensure the category closely matches your products or services.
Specificity: Choose a category that is as specific as possible to your core business.
Search Volume: Look at how often users are searching for that specific category or related keywords.
Competition: Analyze the competition within that category. If it’s highly competitive, ensure you have a robust strategy to stand out.
Compliance: Be mindful of Google’s guidelines, as selecting an irrelevant category may lead to penalties.
Customer Expectation: Think from a customer's point of view. Does the category define what they would be looking for?
All categories mentioned above is not available in every country, so I would suggest manually trying out these categories in your countries.
Similarly, these are the services you can add to the services for the category mentioned above.
Here are the services available for each categories mentioned above:
Service list for Photo shop:
Photography studio:
Wedding Photography, Engagement Photography, Family Portraits, Newborn Photography, Maternity Photography, Senior Portraits, Headshots, Commercial Photography, Real Estate Photography, Event Photography, Sports Photography, Product Photography, Fashion Photography, Aerial Photography, Pet Photography, Boudoir Photography, Studio Rental, Lifestyle Photography, Architectural Photography, Food Photography, Couples Photography, Child Portraits, Car Photography, Travel Photography, Nature Photography, Underwater Photography, Street Photography, Wildlife Photography, Panoramic Photography, Fine Art Photography, Photo Editing, Photo Restoration, Album Design, Photography Workshops, Digital Printing, Canvas Printing, Framing Services, Photo Booth Rentals, Photo Slideshows, Photography Accessories, Custom Photo Gifts, Photo Scanning, Stock Photography, Visual Storytelling, Photojournalism, Social Media Content, Photography Consultation, Time-Lapse Photography, Astrophotography, Macro Photography, Drone Photography
Camera store:
Digital Camera Sales, DSLR Camera Sales, Mirrorless Camera Sales, Camera Accessories, Camera Lens Sales, Film Camera Sales, Instant Camera Sales, Camera Bags & Cases, Camera Tripods & Stabilizers, Drone Sales, Camera Batteries & Chargers, Memory Cards & Storage, Camera Flashes, Camera Cleaning Services, Photography Workshops, Used Camera Sales, Camera Rentals, Camera Repair Services, Photo Printing Services, Film Processing Services, Studio Lighting Sales, Camera Straps & Harnesses, Action Camera Sales, Mobile Photography Accessories, Online Store, Custom Photo Gifts, Camera Filters, Camera Remote Controls, Film & Negative Scanning, Camera Insurance, Photo Editing Software, Camera Financing, Camera Trade-Ins, Photo Restoration Services, Photography Books & Guides, Camera Screen Protectors, Camera Microphones, 360 Degree Cameras, Underwater Camera Sales, Camera Warranty Services, Photography Consultations, Photo Frames & Albums, Photography Studio Rentals, Camera Calibration Services, Camera Sensor Cleaning, Custom Camera Rigging, Camera Gimbals, Photography Props & Backdrops, Camera Monitors, Camera Extension Tubes
Photo restoration service:
Digital Photo Restoration, Vintage Photo Restoration, Physical Photo Repair, Color Correction Services, Black and White Photo Restoration, Torn Photo Repair, Water Damaged Photo Restoration, Photo Enhancement Services, Old Photo Retouching, Faded Photo Repair, Stain and Spot Removal, Image Recoloring Services, Photo Manipulation Services, Scratch Removal Services, Missing Parts Reconstruction, Glass Glare Removal, Family Photo Restoration, Historical Photo Restoration, Military Photo Restoration, Wedding Photo Restoration, Portrait Restoration Services, Album and Scrapbook Restoration, Custom Photo Framing, High-Resolution Scanning, Photo Archiving Services, Slide and Negative Restoration, Digital Image Recovery, Photo Collage Restoration, Photo Merging Services, Photo Aging Effects, VHS to Digital Conversion, Photo to Digital Transfer, Poster and Large Format Restoration, Image Cropping and Resizing, Film Photography Restoration, Photo Noise Reduction, Image Sharpening Services, Object Removal Services, Background Replacement, Photo Cloning Services, Photo Retouching Services, Real Estate Photo Editing, Product Photo Editing, Jewelry Photo Restoration, Automotive Photo Editing, Aerial Photo Restoration, Drone Photo Editing, Photo Art Transformations, Pet Photo Restoration, Photo Restoration Classes, Photo Editing Workshops
Photo lab:
Film Processing, Digital Photo Printing, Photo Scanning, Film Scanning, Photo Restoration, Passport Photos, Custom Photo Framing, Canvas Printing, Large Format Printing, Photo Enlargements, Photo Retouching, Photo Collages, Photo Mounting, Black and White Film Processing, Slide Scanning, Photo ID Services, Greeting Cards, Photo Books, Photo Calendars, Custom Photo Gifts, Poster Printing, Photo Mugs, Photo T-Shirts, Photo Pillows, Photo Coasters, Photo Keychains, Photo Magnets, Photo Stickers, Photo Ornaments, Photo Albums, Photo Puzzles, Photo Tote Bags, Photo Mousepads, Photo Phone Cases, Photo Invitations, Photo Announcements, Photo Thank You Cards, Photo Save the Dates, Photo Business Cards, Photo Water Bottles, Photo Wine Labels, Photo Birth Announcements, Photo Graduation Announcements, Photo Wedding Invitations, Photo Engagement Announcements, Photo Banners, Photo Buttons, Photo Wall Decals, Photo Wall Art, Photo Gallery Wraps, Photography Workshops
Photography Service:
Wedding Photography, Engagement Photography, Family Portraits, Newborn Photography, Maternity Photography, Senior Portraits, Headshot Photography, Event Photography, Pet Photography, Sports Photography, Real Estate Photography, Landscape Photography, Aerial Photography, Drone Photography, Commercial Photography, Fashion Photography, Product Photography, Corporate Photography, Architectural Photography, Editorial Photography, Food Photography, Automotive Photography, Travel Photography, Nature Photography, Wildlife Photography, Boudoir Photography, Fine Art Photography, Documentary Photography, Street Photography, Astrophotography, Underwater Photography, Macro Photography, Film Photography, Night Photography, Urban Photography, Candid Photography, Black and White Photography, Photo Editing Services, Photography Workshops, Photography Tours, Photography Classes, Photo Booth Services, Photo Restoration, Photo Printing Services, Canvas Printing, Custom Framing Services, Digital Photo Albums, Online Photo Galleries, On-location Photography, Studio Photography, Professional Photo Retouching, Photo Montage Services
Graphic designer:
Logo Design, Brand Identity Design, Website Design, Mobile App Design, Print Design, Packaging Design, Brochure Design, Business Card Design, Flyer Design, Poster Design, Infographic Design, Social Media Graphics, Motion Graphics, Video Editing, 3D Modeling, Animation, Digital Illustration, Typography Design, Magazine Layout Design, Book Cover Design, T-Shirt Design, Letterhead Design, Presentation Design, Album Cover Design, Email Template Design, Web Banner Design, UI/UX Design, Environmental Graphics, Vehicle Wrap Design, Signage Design, Tradeshow Booth Design, Newsletter Design, Menu Design, Catalog Design, Wedding Invitation Design, Greeting Card Design, Icon Design, Product Label Design, Pattern Design, Character Design, Storyboarding, Color Consultation, Art Direction, Design Strategy, Digital Marketing Materials, Adobe Creative Suite Training, Branding Consultation, Design Project Management, Copywriting, Photo Retouching, Photography, Custom Illustration
Digital printing service:
Custom Digital Printing, Wide Format Printing, Large Format Printing, Vinyl Banners, Retractable Banner Stands, Poster Printing, Canvas Printing, Wall Graphics, Window Graphics, Floor Graphics, Vehicle Wraps, Trade Show Displays, Custom Signs, Digital Signage, LED Lightbox Signs, Yard Signs, Real Estate Signs, Architectural Prints, Blueprint Printing, Engineering Prints, Menu Printing, Brochure Printing, Flyer Printing, Postcard Printing, Business Card Printing, Door Hanger Printing, Greeting Card Printing, Catalog Printing, Booklet Printing, Newsletter Printing, Annual Report Printing, Invitation Printing, Stationery Printing, Letterhead Printing, Envelope Printing, Presentation Folder Printing, Table Tent Printing, Label Printing, Sticker Printing, Decal Printing, Magnet Printing, Calendars, Photo Prints, Promotional Products, T-Shirt Printing, Apparel Printing, Embroidery Services, Direct Mail Services, Graphic Design Services, Finishing Services, Lamination Services, Mounting Services
All categories dont have the option to add services, so if you have this option only then add these services mentioned above. Also make sure first that these are services you offer before adding them. Add the one you think is relevant one after the other.
Method 2
The second and more easy way is to use our Category Finder Tool. The tool allows 5 free usages a month, so you can do this with the free plan.
The above is an interactive application which helps you find the following:
Find related categories.
Find search volume for these categories.
Find services inside these categories.
Easily compare trends on categories on Google Trends.
You can use the free version of the category Finder Tool to find this. Signup here: Category Finder Tool
The screenshot below shows how you can use this.
How to use the tool?
Here are the steps you need to follow to most effectively use the tool.
Screenshot shows the category finder tool.
Step 1: Navigate to the Category Finder Tool, where you'll be redirected to the signup page to create an account.
Step 2: Upon signing up, you'll land on the Category Finder Tool homepage. Here, enter the main category for your business, designated as '1' in the image above.
Step 3: After completing step 2, numerous categories will appear in section 2. Click on any to uncover more relevant categories, with the dark bubble displaying the keyword search count.
Step 4: At the category page's bottom, you'll find related services, or additional categories to include. By clicking the 'Compare on Google Trends' button, you can contrast these categories to analyze category comparisons and seasonal variations in keyword searches.
How to choose a Primary Category from a list of Categories.
Selecting the right primary category for your business in Google My Business is a crucial step in improving your local SEO performance. The primary category you choose should accurately represent the core service or product you offer. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you make the best choice:
Understand Your Business: Identify the central service or product your business offers. This will guide you towards the most fitting category.
Explore the GMB Categories: Explore the categories we provide you in Method 1 and Method 2. See which one of them is the most relevant for your business.
Check Keyword Search Volume: The number we provide in the dark bubble in Method 2 is the average monthly search volume. Make sure that the primary category you selected has enough search volume.
Seasonal changes: There are seasonal changes in search volume for some categories. For example an A/C mechanic won't have enough demand in winter and on the other hand a snow plough operator won't have much search traffic in Summer. So, that is why in method 2 you can search on Google trends to see how search changes with time.
Analyze Competitors: Look at what primary categories your successful competitors are using. This can give you insights into what might work for your business too.
Consider Customer Perspective: Think about the terms your customers might use to search for your services or products. Selecting a category that aligns with customer search behavior can enhance visibility.
Monitor and Adjust if Necessary: SEO is a constantly evolving field. Regularly review the performance of your selected category and be prepared to make adjustments if you find that it's not providing the expected results.
Conclusion:
Selecting the right categories in Google My Business (GMB) is crucial for your online success. Your choices in primary and secondary categories directly impact how your business ranks and who finds you.
In this article, we've shown you how to choose relevant categories and why they matter. Whether manually selecting from a provided list or using the Category Finder Tool, the aim is to align with your business's core offerings and customer needs.
Remember, the right categories help Google understand your business better, connecting you with a wider audience. Regularly review and adjust your selections to keep up with trends and demands. With careful planning and insight, your GMB profile can be a powerful tool in growing your business.
