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1. Identify your core product and primary category 

  • Be specific: Instead of "Restaurant," use "Pizza Restaurant". Instead of "Lawyer," use "Criminal Lawyer" or "Divorce Lawyer". This helps match customer search behavior and avoids intense competition in broad categories.
  • Think from the customer's perspective: Choose categories that align with what customers actually search for. For instance, a web designer might choose "Website Design" rather than the more technical "Computer Systems Design Services".
  • Balance specificity and reach: Choose a specific primary category for focused positioning. Then, use secondary categories to capture broader searches related to your business. 

2. Conduct competitor research 

  • Use free tools: Extensions like GMB Everywhere, Pleper, and GMBspy can reveal your competitors' primary and secondary categories on platforms like Google Maps.
  • Look for patterns: If top-ranking businesses in your industry consistently use a specific category, it's a strong signal that it works well for search visibility.
  • Identify gaps: Competitive analysis can reveal underserved categories or unique angles you can exploit. For example, a restaurant could find that "Vegan Restaurant" is less competitive than "Restaurant". 

3. Consider secondary and specialized categories 

  • Support your core business: Use secondary categories to provide additional details and highlight the full range of your offerings. For example, a primary category of "Dentist" could be supported by secondary categories like "Cosmetic Dentist" and "Emergency Dental Service".
  • Address customer needs: Choose secondary categories that match specific searches. A wedding photographer might use secondaries like "Event Planning" or "Portrait Photography" to capture related search variations.
  • Avoid category stuffing: While adding more categories is helpful, don't use irrelevant ones just for keywords. Directories may penalize this practice, and it can mislead customers. 

4. Create a category hierarchy 

  • Level 1 (Top-level): Start with broad, top-level categories, like "Clothing" or "Electronics". Limit this to 5–15 categories to avoid overwhelming customers.
  • Level 2 (Subcategories): Create more specific groupings within your top-level categories. For "Clothing," subcategories could be "Men's Clothing," "Women's Clothing," and "Children's Clothing".
  • Level 3 (Further subdivisions): Continue to divide into even more specific categories, like "Casual Dresses" or "Formal Dresses".
  • Use filtering for detail: Beyond the third level, use filters and attributes (e.g., color, size, material) instead of creating endless subcategories. This makes browsing easy without getting too specific. 

5. Adapt for different platforms 

  • General vs. niche directories: Your category strategy may differ between broad platforms like Google Business Profile and industry-specific ones.
  • Tailor your approach: While maintaining your core identity, adapt to each platform's unique logic. A technology firm might be categorized differently on LinkedIn (focused on professional skills) than on a general directory.
  • Handle multi-location businesses: Decide whether to maintain consistent categories across all locations or vary them based on local market conditions and service offerings. 

6. Continuously review and update 

  • Monitor performance: Use analytics to see how each category performs in terms of clicks, conversions, and search visibility.
  • Track new categories: Stay updated on directory changes, as platforms often add new categories. These can present opportunities to increase your niche visibility.
  • Consider seasonal and business changes: If your business focus or offerings change, or if you have seasonal services, you may need to adjust your primary and secondary categories.

 

krishna

Krishna is an experienced B2B blogger specializing in creating insightful and engaging content for businesses. With a keen understanding of industry trends and a talent for translating complex concepts into relatable narratives, Krishna helps companies build their brand, connect with their audience, and drive growth through compelling storytelling and strategic communication.

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