Google Business Category Checker

What category should my business be?

Google's help pages tell you to choose the categories that describe what your business is, not every product or service it offers. Three habits keep the choice honest.

• Start from what you are

  Pick the primary category that names your business type. Products and services belong in the services and products sections of your profile.

• Prefer the narrowest accurate label

  A specific category such as Italian restaurant says more than Restaurant. If the narrow one is not true for you, use the broader one.

• Look at what nearby businesses chose

  The table above shows the labels used by businesses returned for the same search. It is a sample to learn from, not a list to copy.

Read the full guide to choosing categories

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about checking Google categories.

• How do I check a Google Business Profile category?+

  Search for the business above or paste its Google Maps link. The tool shows the primary category exactly as Google Maps displays it, from live Google Maps data.
• Can I see a competitor's categories?+

  You can see the primary category of any listing, and the table groups nearby businesses by the primary category they use. Additional categories are only visible inside a Business Profile, so no tool can list them for another business from Maps data alone.
• Are the related Google place types the same as secondary categories?+

  No. Place types are Google's label set for places in its Maps data. Secondary categories are chosen inside the Business Profile. The two overlap only partly, so the tool lists place types under their own name and never calls them secondary categories.
• Why does the tool say my category is generic?+

  Labels such as Store, Services or Company describe many unrelated businesses. A narrower label that is still accurate helps Google understand what you do. The check is a guide, not a rule.
• What category should my business be?+

  Choose the one that names what your business is, using the narrowest label that is still true. Our guide to Google Business Profile categories walks through how to choose and how to change a category.
• Does the tool show who ranks first?+

  No. Businesses are grouped by category and listed alphabetically. Rankings depend on where the searcher stands, so a single list cannot show them. GTrack tracks positions across a grid of points around your location.
• Where does the data come from?+

  From Google Maps, live for each search. The businesses it lists are not saved or exported.
• How many checks can I run?+

  You get 1 check in any 24 hours without signing in. Verify your email, with Google or a 6-digit code, and you get 10 per 24 hours. A used check comes back 24 hours after you used it. Each check includes up to 3 nearby category searches for that business.
• Why are only up to 20 businesses listed?+

  The tool reads one page of Google Maps results. That is a sample of the area, enough to see which category labels are common, but not a full census of every business.
• Does a different category change my rankings?+

  Categories are one of several signals Google uses to understand a business. Changing one is not a guaranteed way to move up, so treat the category as a description to get right rather than a lever to pull.