How to Choose Google Business Profile Categories as a Contractor

Pick the fewest categories that accurately describe your main business, and make them specific. Google says categories should be representative of what you do and should not be used as keywords. Choose one that fits your main trade, then add extras only for work you really sell.

Categories are one of the few settings on your profile where less is better. Contractors tend to want to check every box that might bring a call. Google’s advice points the other way.

What does Google say about categories?

Google’s help pages say to choose the fewest categories needed to describe your business, to keep them specific and representative of your main business, and not to use categories as keywords. Google does not publish the full recipe for how categories affect results, so treat any promise that a certain category will “rank you” as a guess.

Two ideas to hold onto:

• Categories say what kind of business you are. They do not list every job you will take.
• Fewer, accurate ones beat many, loose ones. A profile that is clear about what it is gives a homeowner a quick, true answer.

How do you pick the main category?

Start from the work that pays your bills, not the work you could do.

1. List what you sell in a normal month.
2. Circle the type of work that brings in most of the revenue or that you want more of.
3. Open the category picker in your profile and type your trade in plain words.
4. Choose the option that matches that work most specifically.

The names in the picker change from time to time, so always trust what the picker shows over any list on a website. That includes this one. The table below shows what to search for, not exact wording.

Your trade	What to type in the picker
Roofer	roofing contractor, roof repair
Plumber	plumber, drain cleaning
HVAC	HVAC contractor, air conditioning, heating
Electrician	electrician
Landscaper	landscaper, lawn care
Painter	painter
General contractor / remodeler	general contractor, kitchen remodeler, bathroom remodeler
Tree service	tree service

When should you add extra categories?

Only when the extra work is real and something you would sell tomorrow. Use the two-question test on each candidate:

1. Would I send a crew out for this next week if someone called?
2. Would a customer reading this category expect to find that service from me?

If either answer is no, do not add it.

Imagine a roofing company that does replacements and repairs and also installs gutters when a customer asks. A main roofing category fits. An extra gutters category might fit if gutter jobs are a real part of the business. But a category for siding or windows, work they subcontract once a year, would send the wrong customers their way and muddy the profile.

What should not go in your categories?

• Keywords or phrases. Categories are not a tagline. Google says not to use them as keywords.
• Things you do not do. If a homeowner calls because of your listing and you turn them away, you spent time on a call you could not use.
• Work you subcontract rarely. Leave it out unless you truly offer it.
• Everything that is remotely nearby. More is not better. Google says fewest needed.

The same discipline applies to your business name. Google says to use your real-world name and that adding keywords to it can lead to suspension. Categories and name are separate fields, and neither one is a place to stuff search terms.

Category worksheet

Copy this and fill it in before you open the picker.

“ Main line of work (most revenue or most wanted): ____________ Category I will search for: ____________ Extra 1 (only if I would send a crew tomorrow): ____________ Extra 2 (same test): ____________ Work I do NOT want more of, so I am leaving off: ____________ Services I will list in plain words instead: ____________ Date I will review this again: ____________ “

Set the review date. Look again when you add or drop a real line of work, not every month.

Where do individual jobs go?

If your profile offers a services section, that is where individual jobs belong, in plain words. “Water heater replacement,” “drain cleaning,” “mini-split installation.” Categories give the big picture. The services list gives the detail. Keeping them separate is what stops categories from turning into a keyword list.

How do categories fit the rest of the profile?

Categories only work as well as the rest of the profile is true. Your name should match your truck and website. Your service area should be accurate. Your photos and reviews should show the same work your categories claim. If one part says “roofing” and everything else is about a different trade, the mismatch is obvious to a customer even if it is not to Google.

For the whole setup, read the Google Business Profile for contractors guide. To set the area you serve, see how to set up a service-area business on Google. And for what to add once categories are done, see photos and posts on your Google Business Profile.

Quick check

1. My main category matches the work I most want.
2. Every extra category passes the send-a-crew-tomorrow test.
3. Nothing in my categories reads like a keyword list.
4. My services are described in plain words elsewhere in the profile.
5. My business name is my real name, with no added keywords.

If you would rather have someone else keep this in order, local SEO is part of the Builders Presence plan at Builders Presence. Otherwise, twenty minutes with the worksheet is enough to get your categories in good shape.

Common questions

How many categories can a contractor have?

Google’s guidance is to choose the fewest categories needed rather than as many as fit. The right count depends on the work you actually sell. Many contractors do well with a main category and a small number of extras. If you would not send a crew for it tomorrow, leave it off.

Can I change my category later?

Categories can generally be edited in your profile, and you should revisit them when your business changes, for example when you add a real new service line. Change them because the work changed, not to chase searches, and check afterwards that your profile still looks right.

Where do specific services go if they are not categories?

If your profile offers a services section, use it for the individual jobs you do, described in plain words. Categories describe what kind of business you are. Services describe what you do. Keep the two separate rather than turning categories into a list of keywords, which Google says not to do.

Should I pick a broad category or a specific one?

Pick the one that best and most specifically represents your main business, and keep it truthful. A specific category that matches the work you lead with generally tells both Google and a homeowner more than a vague one. If none is an exact match, choose the closest honest fit.